Addition of Nitroalkenes

In 2004, Deng and coworkers reported the first preparatively useful results for the catalytic asymmetric Michael additions of malonates to nitrooleftns. They found that 

In 2005, the groups of Connon [38] and Dixon [39] independently reported that epi-cinchona-based (thio)urea derivatives can serve as excellent bifunctional organocatalysts 

Soon afterward, various types of carbon [40-44], oxygen [45], and phosphorous [46] Michael donors were successfully employed in the thiourea-catalyzed addition to nitroalkenes. In the presence of the bifunctional epi-9-amino-9-deoxy cinchonine-based thiourea catalyst 79a, the 5-aryl-l,3-dioxolan-4-ones 138 bearing an acidic a-proton derived from mandelic acid derivatives and hexafluoroacetone were identified by Dixon and coworkers as effective pronucleophiles in diastereo- and enantioselective Michael addition reactions to nitrostyrenes 124 [40]. While the diastereoselectivity obtained exceeded 98%, the enantiomeric excess recorded 

CH2(C02Me)2 (2 equiv) Me02C /C02Me Me02C C02Me 

The use of naphthols 145 as the carbon nucleophilic readion component in Friedel-Crafts type Michael addition readions was also reported in 2007 by Chen and coworkers [43], In this system, the pronucleophile is activated by the quinuclidine unit of bifundional cinchona-based thiourea catalysts such as 81a. A range of aryl-and alkyl-substituted nitroalkene derivatives 124 were applicable to this system. The corresponding adducts 146 were obtained with 85-95% ee at low temperature 

---

The powerful nucleophilicity of enamines allows the addition of nitroalkenes to take place without the presence of Lewis acids. The isolation of secondary products, which can be explained by an initial Michael addition, suggests the participation of zwitterionic intermediates in the mechanism of the reaction (Eq. 8.97).154... 

In conjunction with the Knoevenegal reaction, a Michael addition (Figure 22) reaction was also described by Jaekson et al. using the same siliea supported tertiary amines for the catalysis of conjugate addition of nitroalkenes to a,y9-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. At a flow rate of 6.6 pL/min the eonversion rate was constant with a high yield for 7 hours reaction time. 

In 2009, You and co-workers developed a chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed AFC reaction of nitroalkenes with 4,7-dihydroindoles. With slow addition of nitroalkene by syringe pump, the reaction proceeded to completion in 2 hours with only 0.5 mol% catalyst. The corresponding adducts were obtained in excellent yields (93-98%) with up to 97% ee. 2-Substituted indole derivatives were obtained by oxidation of AFC adducts with 2 equivalents of j3-benzoquinone without losing any ee value. You and co-workers... 

Dehydration of fi-nitro alcohols using DCC gives a mixnire of E/Z nitroaikenes. The pure fE -isomers are obtained on treatment with catalytic amounts of triethylamine or polymer-bound triphenylphosphme (TPP fEq. 3.281. When (Z) nitroaikenes are desired, the addition of PhSeNa to the E/Z mixnire and protonadon at -78 "C fohowed by oxidadon with gives fZi-nitroalkenes fEq. 3.29. ... 

The conjugate addition of (R)- or fS -4-phenyl-2-oxa2oLidinone to nitroalkenes is catalyzed by r-BuOK at -78 C to give the addition product v/ith excellent diastereoselecdvity, the products are converted into vicinal diamines fEq 4 28 ... 

A stereospecific total synthesis of polyoxin C and related nucleosides is reported, in which thereacdon of l-Cphenylthioi-l-nitroalkenes v/ith nucleophiles and siibseqiientozono lysis are key reacdons Addidonof potassium trimethylsilanoate to l-Cphenylthioi-nitroalkenes derived from D-ribose followed by ozonolysis gives the cr-hydroxy thioester, which is formed v/ith excellent diastereoselecdvity fScheme 4 5 This conformadon meets the stereo-electronic requirements for andperiplanar addition of the nucleophile with the result of high 5-fS stereochemical bias in the reacdons... 

The Michael addition of enamines to nitroalkenes proceeds with high Yyn selectivity. The Yyn selectivity is explained by an acyclic synclinal model, in which there is some favorable interaction between the nitro group and the nitrogen lone pair of the enamine group CEq. 4.67i. Both Z- and E-nitrostyrenes afford the same product in over 90% diastereoselecdvity. 

The Michael addition of the copper-zinc reagent derived from ethyl 4-bromobntyrate to the plperonal-derived nitroalkene proceeds cleaniy to give the nitre ester, which is an intermediate for the synthesis of lycoricidine alkaloids fEq. 4.85. ... 

The Michael addition of the carbanions derived from esters to nitroalkenes followed by reductive cycLizadon has been used extensively for the preparation of pyrrondin-3-ones fEq 1076 This strategy is used for synthesis of the carbaaole alkaloid staurosporine aglycon CK-352c ... 

A high degree of syn selectivity can be obtained from the addition of enamines to nitroalkenes. In this case, the syn selectivity is largely independent of the geometry of the acceptor, as well as the donor, double bond. Next in terms of selectivity, are the addition of enolates. However, whether one obtains syn or anti selectivity is dependent on both the geometry of the acceptor and the enolate double bond, whereas anti selectivity of a modest and unreliable level is obtained by reaction of enol silyl ethers with nitroalkenes under Lewis acid catalysis. 

The stereochemical outcome of the addition of lithium enolates of aldehydes and ketones to nitroalkenes is dependent upon the geometry of the nitroalkene and the enolate anion. The synjanti selectivity in the reaction of the lithium enolates of propanal, eyelopentanone and cyclohexanone with ( )- and (Z)-l-nitropropene has been reported1. 

High syn selectivity can be obtained from the addition of enamines to nitroalkenes. The reaction of 4-(1-cyclohexenyl)morpholine with ( )-l-bromo-4-(2-nitroethenyl)benzene gives, after acid hydrolysis, exclusively the. ryw-adduct, the relative configuration of which was unequivocally... 

The Lewis acid mediated addition of allylic tin reagents to nitroalkenes has been reported. The condensation reaction of tributyl[(Z)-2-butenyl]tin(IV) with (E)-(2-nitroethenyl)benzene or (L)-l-nitropropene catalyzed by titanium(IV) chloride proceeded with modest anti diastereoselectivity. Poorer diastereoselection resulted when diethyl ether aluminum trichloride complex was employed as the Lewis acid 18. 

Michael addition of alkyl organometallic reagents to a,/ -disubstituted nitroalkenes followed by protonation of the intermediate nitronate anion generally gives mixtures of syn- and anti-diastereomers with poor diastereoselectivity19. 

The initial nitronate anion intermediates formed from the addition of trimethylaluminum to nitroalkenes having a /i-phenylthio substituent, however, undergo a highly diastereoselective protonation to give awn -products19. 

Addition of the tris(diethylamino)titanium and -lithium derivatives of the bislactim ether to nitroalkenes gave a mixture of the four possible stereoisomers29. 

The addition of (Z)-3-(alkylamino)-2-butenoic acid esters to nitroalkenes derived from open-chain sugars gave a 50 50 mixture of diastereomeric products 32. The reaction of chiral 2-sub-stituted l-(2-nitroethenyl)pyrrolidines with zinc enolates of 3-substituted tetrahydro-2//-pyran-2-oncs in 1,2-dimethoxyethane at — 78 °C afforded the corresponding 3,3-disubstituted products in 82-96% ee via an addition-elimination process33. The stereochemical course of the reaction was determined by chemical correlation of (S)-( )-3-ethyltetrahydro-3-(2-ni-troethenyl)-2//-pyran-2-one with ( + )-quebrachamine. 

Cu-catalysed 1,4-additions of ZnEt2 to enones and nitroalkenes with BINOL-based thioether ligands. 

A second important reaction type considered in this chapter is conjugate addition, which involves addition of nucleophiles to electrophilic double or triple bonds. A crucial requirement for this reaction is an electron-withdrawing group (EWG) that can stabilize the negative charge on the intermediate. We focus on reactions between enolates and a,(3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and other electrophilic alkenes such as nitroalkenes. 

Scheme 2.23 provides some examples of conjugate addition reactions. Entry 1 illustrates the tendency for reaction to proceed through the more stable enolate. Entries 2 to 5 are typical examples of addition of doubly stabilized enolates to electrophilic alkenes. Entries 6 to 8 are cases of addition of nitroalkanes. Nitroalkanes are comparable in acidity to (i-ketocslcrs (see Table 1.1) and are often excellent nucleophiles for conjugate addition. Note that in Entry 8 fluoride ion is used as the base. Entry 9 is a case of adding a zinc enolate (Reformatsky reagent) to a nitroalkene. Entry 10 shows an enamine as the carbon nucleophile. All of these reactions were done under equilibrating conditions. 

Nitroalkenes are also reactive Michael acceptors under Lewis acid-catalyzed conditions. Titanium tetrachloride or stannic tetrachloride can induce addition of silyl enol ethers. The initial adduct is trapped in a cyclic form by trimethylsilylation.316 Hydrolysis of this intermediate regenerates the carbonyl group and also converts the ad-nitro group to a carbonyl.317... 

The regioselective addition of nitryl iodide to alkenes, followed by base-induced elimination, gives nitroalkenes. Nitryl iodide is generally prepared by the reaction of AgN02 and iodine. 

Ono and Kamimura have found a very simple method for the stereo-control of the Michael addition of thiols, selenols, or alcohols. The Michael addition of thiolate anions to nitroalkenes followed by protonation at -78 °C gives anti-(J-nitro sulfides (Eq. 4.8).11 This procedure can be extended to the preparation of a/jti-(3-nitro selenides (Eq. 4.9)12 and a/jti-(3-nitro ethers (Eq. 4.10).13 The addition products of benzyl alcohol are converted into P-amino alcohols with the retention of the configuration, which is a useful method for anri-P-amino alcohols. This is an alternative method of stereoselective nitro-aldol reactions (Section 3.3). The anti selectivity of these reactions is explained on the basis of stereoselective protonation to nitronate anion intermediates. The high stereoselectivity requires heteroatom substituents on the P-position of the nitro group. The computational calculation exhibits that the heteroatom covers one site of the plane of the nitronate anion.14... 

---