Aldehyde lithium enolates structure

The synthesis of methyl ketone 281 began with the reaction between the tetra-substituted allylborane 279 and 2,3-0-isopropylidene-D-glyceraldehyde 48. The resulting homoallylic alcohol 280, obtained in 73% yield and excellent selectivity (exact ratio not defined) [231], was converted in two steps to the methyl ketone 281. Aldol condensation between the lithium enolate of 281 and aldehyde 278 (structure shown in Scheme 11-12) gave, after protection of the initial adduct, the Felkin diastereomer 282 as the only reported product in 54% yield. This adduct... 

Before commencing this discussion, it is appropriate to consider briefly the issue of kinetic versus thermodynamic control in the reactions of preformed Group I and Group II enolates and to summarize the structure-stereoselectivity generalizations that have emerged to date. It is now welt established that preformed lithium, sodium, potassium and magnesium enolates react with aldehydes in ethereal solvents at low temperatures (typically -78 °C) with a very low activation barrier. For example, reactions can often be quenched within seconds of the addition of an aldehyde to a solution of a lithium enolate. ... 

Asymmetric aldol reactions. The chiral N-propionyloxazolidinone (1), prepared in several steps from (lR)-(—)-camphorquinone, undergoes highly diastereoselective aldol reactions with the additional advantage of high crystallinity for improving the optical purities of crude aldols. Either the lithium enolate or the titanium enolate, prepared by transmetalation with ClTi(0-(-Pr)3, reacts with aldehydes to form syn-adducts with diastereomeric purities of 98-99% after one crystallization. The observed facial selectivity is consistent with metal chelation of intermediate (Z)-enolates (supported by an X-ray crystal structure of the trapped silyl enol ether). The lithium enolate also exhibits... 

Even if a particular enolate vith a distinct geometry is reacted vith an aldehyde, the question vhether the transition state is closed or open cannot be ans vered by simple either-or . More recent discussions have, instead, led to an as vell as , because the role of the counter-ion becomes more evident. Thus, ab-initio calculations of Houk and co vorkers [92] predict an open-transition-state structure for metal-free, naked enoiates and closed transition states for lithium enoiates. For addition of acetaldehyde lithium enolate to formaldehyde, the lo vest-energy reaction path vay (sho vn in Scheme 1.13) has been studied on the basis of on ab-initio (3-21 G) calculations [93]. 

Another early solution to the acetate aldol problem came from the so-called Davies-Liebeskind enolates already mentioned in the context of enolate alkylation. As elaborated independently by the groups of Davies [138] and Liebeskind [139], the deprotonation of the chiral acetyl iron complex 124b, transmetallation of the lithium enolate, and addition to aldehydes lead to the predominant formation of diastereomers 279, as proved by a crystal structure analysis. The diastereoselectivity strongly depends on the transmetallation, the best results being obtained with diethylaluminum chloride. With other additives, the topicity is reversed, and the diastereomer 280 is obtained as the major product. The decomplexation of the adducts leads to P-hydroxycarboxylic acids (Scheme 4.64). 

Highly enantioselectivity assumed to originate from a mixed aggregate 171 of the trans-lithium enolate of t-butyl propionate 169 and the chiral lithium amide 170 was observed in aldol additions to various aldehydes, as exemplified in Scheme 5.55. Thus, the acylated aldols obtained with benzaldehyde formed in a diastereomeric ratio of 92 8 in favor of the anti-product, with an enantiomeric excess of 94% ee [83]. More recent studies on the structures of mixed aggregates between lithium enolates and chiral amide bases (see also Chapter 3) provided an insight in this type of enantioselective conversion. 

The effect of substrate structure on product profile is further illustrated by the reactions of cis- and trons-stilbene oxides 79 and 83 with lithium diethylamide (Scheme 5.17) [32]. Lithiated cis-stilbene oxide 80 rearranges to enolate 81, which gives ketone 82 after protic workup, whereas with lithiated trans-stilbene oxide 84, phenyl group migration results in enolate 85 and hence aldehyde 86 on workup. Triphenylethylene oxide 87 underwent efficient isomerization to ketone 90 [32]. 

Deprotonation of a dihydrothiazine ring, followed by a reaction with an electrophile, is most straightforward in benzothiazin-3-ones (general structure 35), which are deprotonated at the 2-position by lithium diisopropyl amide (LDA). The enolate can then react with a variety of electrophiles including deuterium oxide, methyl iodide, and aldehydes <1982T3059>. Compound 70 was prepared in this manner from 2,4-dimethyldihydro-l,4-benzothiazin-3-one (Equation 27) <1985T569>. 

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