Enones addition

RX RCOC1, epoxide, H2C=CHCN(C02R) (1,4-addition) enone (1,4-addition)... 

Catalysis of Intramolecular Sakurai Reactions. Et AICI2 has been extensively used as a catalyst for intramolecular Sakurai additions. Enones (eqs 12 and 13) have been most extensively explored. Different products are often obtained with fluoride or Lewis acid catalysis. EtAlCl2 is the Lewis acid used most often although TiCLi and BF3 have also been used. EtAlCl2 also catalyzes intramolecular Sakurai reactions with ketones and other electrophiles. The cyclization of electrophilic centers onto alkylstannanes and Prins-type additions to vinylsilanes are also catalyzed by EtAlCl2. 

Conjugate addition of vinyllithium or a vinyl Grignard reagent to enones and subsequent oxidation afford the 1.4-diketone 16[25]. 4-Oxopentanals are synthesized from allylic alcohols by [3,3]sigmatropic rearrangement of their vinyl ethers and subsequent oxidation of the terminal double bond. Dihydrojasmone (18) was synthesized from allyl 2-octenyl ether (17) based on Claisen rearrangement and oxidation[25] (page 26). 

Interesting formation of the fulvene 422 takes place by the reaction of the alkenyl bromide 421 with a disubstituted alkyne[288]. The indenone 425 is prepared by the reaction of o-iodobenzaldehyde (423) with internal alkyne. The intermediate 424 is formed by oxidative addition of the C—H bond of the aldehyde and its reductive elimination affords the enone 425(289,290]. 

In the presence of a double bond at a suitable position, the CO insertion is followed by alkene insertion. In the intramolecular reaction of 552, different products, 553 and 554, are obtained by the use of diflerent catalytic spe-cies[408,409]. Pd(dba)2 in the absence of Ph,P affords 554. PdCl2(Ph3P)3 affords the spiro p-keto ester 553. The carbonylation of o-methallylbenzyl chloride (555) produced the benzoannulated enol lactone 556 by CO, alkene. and CO insertions. In addition, the cyclobutanone derivative 558 was obtained as a byproduct via the cycloaddition of the ketene intermediate 557[4I0]. Another type of intramolecular enone formation is used for the formation of the heterocyclic compounds 559[4l I]. The carbonylation of the I-iodo-1,4-diene 560 produces the cyclopentenone 561 by CO. alkene. and CO insertions[409,4l2]. 

The Pd enolates also undergo intramolecular Michael addition when an enone of suitable size is present in the allyl d-keto ester 744[465]. The main product is the saturated ketone 745, hut the unsaturated ketone 746 and ally-lated product 747 are also obtained as byproducts. The Pd-catalyzed Michael... 

Acetoxy-l,7-octadiene (40) is converted into l,7-octadien-3-one (124) by hydrolysis and oxidation. The most useful application of this enone 124 is bisannulation to form two fused six-membered ketonesfl 13], The Michael addition of 2-methyl-1,3-cyclopentanedione (125) to 124 and asymmetric aldol condensation using (5)-phenylalanine afford the optically active diketone 126. The terminal alkene is oxidi2ed with PdCl2-CuCl2-02 to give the methyl ketone 127 in 77% yield. Finally, reduction of the double bond and aldol condensation produce the important intermediate 128 of steroid synthesis in optically pure form[114]. 

In a more elaborate and specific synthesis, the terpenoid indole skeleton found in haplaindole G, which is isolated from a blue-green alga, was constructed by addition of a nucleophilic formyl equivalent to enone 6.5A. Cyelization and aromatization to the indole 6.6B followed Hg -catalysed unmasking of the aldehyde group[6]. 

Like other carbon-carbon bond forming reactions organocuprate addition to enones is a powerful tool m organic synthesis... 

A further improvement in the cuprate-based methodology for producing PGs utilizes a one-pot procedure (203). The CO-chain precursor (67) was first functionalized with zirconocene chloride hydride ia THF. The vinyl zirconium iatermediate was transmetalated direcdy by treatment with two equivalents of / -butyUithium or methyUithium at —30 to —70° C. Sequential addition of copper cyanide and methyUithium eUcited the /V situ generation of the higher order cyanocuprate which was then reacted with the protected enone to give the PG. 

The primary disadvantage of the conjugate addition approach is the necessity of performing two chiral operations (resolution or asymmetric synthesis) ia order to obtain exclusively the stereochemicaHy desired end product. However, the advent of enzymatic resolutions and stereoselective reduciag agents has resulted ia new methods to efficiently produce chiral enones and CO-chain synthons, respectively (see Enzymes, industrial Enzymes in ORGANIC synthesis). Eor example, treatment of the racemic hydroxy enone (70) with commercially available porciae pancreatic Hpase (PPL) ia vinyl acetate gave a separable mixture of (5)-hydroxyenone (71) and (R)-acetate (72) with enantiomeric excess (ee) of 90% or better (204). 

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