1,4-Addition reaction conjugated thermodynamic control

Many of these reactions are thermodynamically controlled and proceed under mild conditions. For heterocumulene insertion, the product has additional conjugative stabilization compared with the reagents, and this provides for a favorable free energy exchange for the reaction [e.g., reaction (c)]. A further driving force often derives from the greater polarity of the insertion adduct over its precursors, and the adduct thus frequently precipitates from solution in a nonpolar solvent (cf. 3). 

Conjugated dienes undergo several reactions not observed for nonconjugated dienes. One is the 1,4-addition of electrophiles. When a conjugated diene is treated with an electrophile such as HCl, 1,2- and 1,4-addition products are formed. Both are formed from the same resonance-stabilized allylic carbocation intermediate and are produced in varying amounts depending on the reaction conditions. The L,2 adduct is usually formed faster and is said to be the product of kinetic control. The 1,4 adduct is usually more stable and is said to be the product of thermodynamic control. 

Both primary and secondary amines add to a /S-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones to yield /3-amino aldehydes and ketones rather than the alternative imines. Under typical reaction conditions, both modes of addition occur rapidly. But because the reactions are reversible, they generally proceed with thermodynamic control rather than kinetic control (Section 14.3), so the more stable conjugate addition product is often obtained to the complete exclusion of the less stable direct addition product. 

The general mechanistic features of the aldol addition and condensation reactions of aldehydes and ketones were discussed in Section 7.7 of Part A, where these general mechanisms can be reviewed. That mechanistic discussion pertains to reactions occurring in hydroxylic solvents and under thermodynamic control. These conditions are useful for the preparation of aldehyde dimers (aldols) and certain a,(3-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones. For example, the mixed condensation of aromatic aldehydes with aliphatic aldehydes and ketones is often done under these conditions. The conjugation in the (3-aryl enones provides a driving force for the elimination step. 

Scheme 2.11 shows some examples of Robinson annulation reactions. Entries 1 and 2 show annulation reactions of relatively acidic dicarbonyl compounds. Entry 3 is an example of use of 4-(trimethylammonio)-2-butanone as a precursor of methyl vinyl ketone. This compound generates methyl vinyl ketone in situ by (3-eliminalion. The original conditions developed for the Robinson annulation reaction are such that the ketone enolate composition is under thermodynamic control. This usually results in the formation of product from the more stable enolate, as in Entry 3. The C(l) enolate is preferred because of the conjugation with the aromatic ring. For monosubstituted cyclohexanones, the cyclization usually occurs at the more-substituted position in hydroxylic solvents. The alternative regiochemistry can be achieved by using an enamine. Entry 4 is an example. As discussed in Section 1.9, the less-substituted enamine is favored, so addition occurs at the less-substituted position. 

It was recognized in early examples of nucleophilic addition to acceptor-substituted allenes that formation of the non-conjugated product 158 is a kinetically controlled reaction. On the other hand, the conjugated product 159 is the result of a thermodynamically controlled reaction [205, 215]. Apparently, after the attack of the nucleophile on the central carbon atom of the allene 155, the intermediate 156 is formed first. This has to execute a torsion of 90° to merge into the allylic carbanion 157. Whereas 156 can only yield the product 158 by proton transfer, the protonation of 157 leads to both 158 and 159. 

Such equilibria are governed by thermodynamics, and so the abundances of the different species in solution are dependent on their relative thermodynamic stabilities. If, however, such a mixture of species is applied in, for example, a conjugate addition reaction, the product formation will be controlled by kinetics, and it is most likely that Cu2Li2Mc4 would be kinetically the most active species present. 

Many of these reactions support a measure of thermodynamic control in nucleophilic capture Conjugated radicals or products formed with release of ring strain are favored. For example, the addition of ethanol to radical cation 110 + is regiospecific, forming the more stable (benzylic) intermediate 111 + the capture of 112 + likewise forms a benzylic radical (113 ). Radical cation 48 + generates a... 

The 1,4-addition (or conjugate addition) of resonance-stabilized carbanions. The Michael Addition is thermodynamically controlled the reaction donors are active methylenes such as malonates and nitroalkanes, and the acceptors are activated olefins such as a,P-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. 

The partial steps of the conjugate addition in aminocatalytic reactions are in dynamic equilibrium, and thus products are formed under thermodynamic control. This fact is translated also in the geometry of the enamine intermediates, leading to the product, which can be either E or Z (Fig. 2.9). The geometry of the enamine depends on the catalyst structure and also on the substrate. Whilst proline-catalyzed reactions form preferentially, with a-alkyl substituted ketones, the. E-isomer, enamines derived from pipecolic acid afford an approximate 1 1 mixture of the E and Z isomers [6], In turn, small- and medium-sized cyclic ketones afford the E isomer. 

The cyanide group is a typical group for promoting conjugate addition. It is possible for nucleophiles to attack directly at,the CN group but it is not very electrophilic so that these reactions tend to be thermodynamically controlled and attack is preferred in the conjugate position. 

The thermodynamic control of conjugate addition allows even enals that are very electrophilic at the carbonyl carbon to participate successfully. Any aldol reaction, which must surely occur, is reversible and 1,4-addition eventually wins out Acrolein combines with this five-membered diketone under very mild conditions to give a quantitative yield of product, The mechanism is analogous to that shown above,... 

Since the base-catalyzed conjugate addition is a reversible process, reactions of this type are usually thermodynamically controlled. Nevertheless, pronounced selectivities may be observed. For example, when the alcohols 2 were added to the enoate 1, the addition products rat-3 were formed with diastereomeric ratios (d.r.) of up to 100 02 3. Unfortunately, the relative configurations of the products were not determined2. 

As already mentioned, the steric course of acid- or base-catalyzed conjugate additions is usually subject to thermodynamic control. An interesting example of how hydrogen bonding in the product(s) may affect the stereochemical outcome of the addition reaction is provided by ajmalicine (25). When the enoate 25 was treated with 5% aqueous sulfuric acid, the 17-hydroxy-derivative 26 was obtained as a single diastereomer in 40% yield20. The configuration of the... 

Convergent plans for synthesis Thermodynamic control Selection of reagents for enol(ate) conjugate addition Tandem reactions and Robinson annelation Substitution may be elimination-conjugate addition In disguise... 

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