Aldehydes phase-transfer reactions

Some organic reactions can be accomplished by using two-layer systems in which phase-transfer catalysts play an important role (34). The phase-transfer reaction proceeds via ion pairs, and asymmetric induction is expected to emerge when chiral quaternary ammonium salts are used. The ion-pair interaction, however, is usually not strong enough to control the absolute stereochemistry of the reaction (35). Numerous trials have resulted in low or only moderate stereoselectivity, probably because of the loose orientation of the ion-paired intermediates or transition states. These reactions include, but are not limited to, carbene addition to alkenes, reaction of sulfur ylides and aldehydes, nucleophilic substitution of secondary alkyl halides, Darzens reaction, chlorination... 

The direct asymmetric aldol reaction under phase-transfer conditions is a representative example of this class of phase-transfer reaction, which is known to proceed with a catalytic amount of base and to include an undesired retro-process (Scheme 1.6) [9]. Here, the onium enolate 4 reacts with aldehyde in the organic... 

A modern version of dichromate oxidation in aqueous media is a phase-transfer reaction carried out in a two-phase system. Alkaline di-chromate is converted into tetraalkylammonium dichromate, which is soluble in organic solvents such as dichloromethane, chloroform, or benzene ( orange benzene ). The treatment of alcohols with a solution of potassium dichromate in acetic acid in the presence of Adogen 464 (Aldrich s trade name for methyltrialkyl [Cg-Cio] ammonium chloride) and benzene gives aldehydes at 55 °C [651. Similar results are obtained with a chloroform solution of tetrabutylammonium chromate at 60 °C [618]. ... 

The product of a reaction of chloromethylated polystyrene and triphenylphosphine can also convert to nucleophiles. In addition, use of a phase transfer catalyst converts soluble chloromethylated polystyrenes to phosphine oxides. Reactions with dioctylphosphine can serve as an example. Sometimes, phase transfer reactions are easier to carry out than conventional ones. This is the case with a Witting reaction. Both linear and crosslinked chloromethylated polystyrenes react smoothly with triphenylphosphine to give derivatives that react with various aldehydes. Phase transfer catalysts can also be used in carrying out nucleophilic substitutions with the aid of sulfides, like tetrahydrothiophine... 

Epoxidation of aldehydes and ketones is the most profound utility of the Corey-Chaykovsky reaction. As noted in section 1.1.1, for an a,P-unsaturated carbonyl compound, 1 adds preferentially to the olefin to provide the cyclopropane derivative. On the other hand, the more reactive 2 generally undergoes the methylene transfer to the carbonyl, giving rise to the corresponding epoxide. For instance, treatment of P-ionone (26) with 2, derived from trimethylsulfonium chloride and NaOH in the presence of a phase-transfer catalyst Et4BnNCl, gave rise to vinyl epoxide 27 exclusively. ... 

Arai and co-workers have used chiral ammonium salts 89 and 90 (Scheme 1.25) derived from cinchona alkaloids as phase-transfer catalysts for asymmetric Dar-zens reactions (Table 1.12). They obtained moderate enantioselectivities for the addition of cyclic 92 (Entries 4—6) [43] and acyclic 91 (Entries 1-3) chloroketones [44] to a range of alkyl and aromatic aldehydes [45] and also obtained moderate selectivities on treatment of chlorosulfone 93 with aromatic aldehydes (Entries 7-9) [46, 47]. Treatment of chlorosulfone 93 with ketones resulted in low enantioselectivities. 

Amides are very weak nucleophiles, far too weak to attack alkyl halides, so they must first be converted to their conjugate bases. By this method, unsubstituted amides can be converted to N-substituted, or N-substituted to N,N-disubstituted, amides. Esters of sulfuric or sulfonic acids can also be substrates. Tertiary substrates give elimination. O-Alkylation is at times a side reaction. Both amides and sulfonamides have been alkylated under phase-transfer conditions. Lactams can be alkylated using similar procedures. Ethyl pyroglutamate (5-carboethoxy 2-pyrrolidinone) and related lactams were converted to N-alkyl derivatives via treatment with NaH (short contact time) followed by addition of the halide. 2-Pyrrolidinone derivatives can be alkylated using a similar procedure. Lactams can be reductively alkylated using aldehydes under catalytic hydrogenation... 

B. Potassium allyl- and crotyltrifluoroborates undergo addition to aldehydes in biphasic media as well as water to provide homoallylic alcohol in high yields (>94%) and excellent diastereoselectivity (dr >98 2). The presence of a phase-transfer catalyst (e.g., B114NI) significantly accelerates the rate of reaction, whereas adding fluoride ion retards the reaction (Eq. 8.70).165 The method was applied to the asymmetric total synthesis of the antiobesity agent tetrahydrolipstatin (orlistat).166... 

The synthesis of quadrupolar chromophores has also been achieved from 2,6-DTT-dicarboxaldehyde 117. Push-push (i.e., bis-donor) compound 118 was prepared via a double Wittig reaction carried out under solid-liquid phase transfer conditions. Pull-pull (i.e., bis-acceptor) compounds 119 were obtained from a symmetrical bis-aldehydes via a double Horner-Emmons-Wittig condensation (Scheme 9) <2002SM17, 1999CC2055>. 

The Williamson ether synthesis remains the most practical method for the preparation of tetrahydrofurans, as can be exemplified by the two examples shown in the following schemes. A simple synthesis of 2-substituted tetrahydrofuran-3-carbonitriles 84 is achieved by generating the alkoxide under a phase transfer condition via reaction between 4-chlorobutyronitrile and non-enolizable aldehydes <00SL1773>. A synthesis of 2-alkylidene-tetrahydrofuran 85 was recorded, in which a dianion can be generated through treatment of the amide shown below with an excess of LDA, and is followed by addition of l-bromo-2-chloroethane. In this way, the more basic y-carbon is alkylated and leads eventually to the nucleophilic cyclization <00SL743>. 

The first promising asymmetric aldol reactions through phase transfer mode will be the coupling of silyl enol ethers with aldehydes utilizing chiral non-racemic quaternary ammonium fluorides,1371 a chiral version of tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride (TBAF). Various ammonium and phosphonium catalysts were tried138391 in the reaction of the silyl enol ether 41 of 2-methyl-l-tetralone with benzaldehyde, and the best result was obtained by use of the ammonium fluoride 7 (R=H, X=F) derived from cinchonine,1371 as shown in Scheme 14. 

Crossed reactions of the two aldehydes under phase-transfer catalytic conditions with the intermediate thioacetates, which can be isolated under controlled reaction conditions [14], leads to the formation of three products [13], as result of retro-Michael reactions (Scheme 4.18). In the case of the reactions involving crotonaldehyde, the major product results from the reaction of the aldehyde with the released thiolacetic acid, with lesser amounts of the expected crossed reaction products (Table 4.23). In contrast, the reaction of acrolein with the thioacetate derived from crotonaldehyde produces, as the major product, the crossed cycloadduct. These observations reflect the relative stabilities of the thioacetates and the relative susceptibilities of acrolein and crotonaldehyde to the Michael reaction. 

Simple aliphatic nitriles, aldehydes, ketones and esters are not readily alkylated under liquiddiquid phase-transfer conditions. Direct alkylation of aldehydes under even mildly basic phase-transfer conditions has to compete with aldol and Cannizzaro reactions and yields are low and variable [e.g. 6], a,a-Disubstituted aldehydes are C-alkylated, e.g. formylcyclohexane has been alkylated (>70%) with a range of reagents using benzyltrimethylammonium isopropoxide as the basic catalyst [7], whereas a-unsubstituted alkanals tend to undergo aldol condensation under basic liquid liquid two-phase conditions [8]. 

Methylenesulphones are more acidic than the simple esters, ketones and cyano compounds and are more reactive with haloalkanes [e.g. 48-57] to yield precursors for the synthesis of aldehydes [53], ketones [53], esters [54] and 1,4-diketones [55] (Scheme 6.4). The early extractive alkylation methods have been superseded by solidtliquid phase-transfer catalytic methods [e.g. 58] and, combined with microwave irradiation, the reaction times are reduced dramatically [59]. The reactions appear to be somewhat sensitive to steric hindrance, as the methylenesulphones tend to be unreactive towards secondary haloalkanes and it has been reported that iodomethylsulphones cannot be dialkylated [49], although mono- and di-chloromethylsulphones are alkylated with no difficulty [48, 60] and methylenesulphones react with dihaloalkanes to yield cycloalkyl sulphones (Table 6.5 and 6.6). When the ratio of dihaloalkane to methylene sulphone is greater than 0.5 1, open chain systems are produced [48, 49]. Vinyl sulphones are obtained from the base-catalysed elimination of the halogen acid from the products of the alkylation of halomethylenesulphones [48]. 

The Darzens reaction between aldehydes and ketones with activated halomethyl compounds is an effective route to oxiranes under phase-transfer catalytic conditions and the catalyst has a profound stereochemical control of the substituents (see Chapter 12). The reaction has been conducted in high yield under liquidtliquid and solidrliquid two-phase conditions with a range of halomethyl compounds [e.g. 25-30], Ketones tend to be much slower in their reaction and benzylic ketones undergo alkylation with chloroacetonitrile in preference to the Darzens reaction [25]. 

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