Aldol base-catalyzed

Cydopentane reagents used in synthesis are usually derived from cyclopentanone (R.A. Ellison, 1973). Classically they are made by base-catalyzed intramolecular aldol or ester condensations (see also p. 55). An important example is 2-methylcydopentane-l,3-dione. It is synthesized by intramolecular acylation of diethyl propionylsucdnate dianion followed by saponification and decarboxylation. This cyclization only worked with potassium t-butoxide in boiling xylene (R. Bucourt, 1965). Faster routes to this diketone start with succinic acid or its anhydride. A Friedel-Crafts acylation with 2-acetoxy-2-butene in nitrobenzene or with pro-pionyl chloride in nitromethane leads to acylated adducts, which are deacylated in aqueous acids (V.J. Grenda, 1967 L.E. Schick, 1969). A new promising route to substituted cyclopent-2-enones makes use of intermediate 5-nitro-l,3-diones (D. Seebach, 1977). 

Keto acids are obtained by acylation of cyclopentanone enamines (see p. I3f.) with acid chlorides and subsequent base-catalyzed mro-aldol cleavage (S. Hdnig, 1960). 

Conjugation of the newly formed double bond with the carbonyl group stabilizes the a p unsaturated aldehyde provides the driving force for the dehydration and controls Its regioselectivity Dehydration can be effected by heating the aldol with acid or base Normally if the a p unsaturated aldehyde is the desired product all that is done is to carry out the base catalyzed aldol addition reaction at elevated temperature Under these conditions once the aldol addition product is formed it rapidly loses water to form the a p unsaturated aldehyde... 

Cleavage reactions of carbohydrates also occur on treatment with aqueous base for prolonged periods as a consequence of base catalyzed retro aldol reactions As pointed out m Section 18 9 aldol addition is a reversible process and (3 hydroxy carbonyl com pounds can be cleaved to an enolate and either an aldehyde or a ketone... 

The base-catalyzed reaction of acetaldehyde with excess formaldehyde [50-00-0] is the commercial route to pentaerythritol [115-77-5]. The aldol condensation of three moles of formaldehyde with one mole of acetaldehyde is foUowed by a crossed Cannizzaro reaction between pentaerythrose, the intermediate product, and formaldehyde to give pentaerythritol (57). The process proceeds to completion without isolation of the intermediate. Pentaerythrose [3818-32-4] has also been made by condensing acetaldehyde and formaldehyde at 45°C using magnesium oxide as a catalyst (58). The vapor-phase reaction of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde at 475°C over a catalyst composed of lanthanum oxide on siHca gel gives acrolein [107-02-8] (59). 

Diketones are readily transformed to cycHc derivatives, such as cyclopentanones and furans. In this manner, the fragrance dihydrojasmone (3-meth5l-2-pentyl-2-cyclopenten-l-one) is prepared by the base-catalyzed aldol condensation of 2,5-undecanedione. 2,5-Undecanedione is itself prepared from heptanal and methyl vinyl ketone in the presence of thiazoHum salts (329). i7j -Jasmone can be similarly prepared (330,331). 

KNOEVENAGEL OOEBNER STOBBE Condensation Base catalyzed aldol condensation of aldehydes or ketones with an activated methylene group of a malonic ester (Knoevenagel Doebner) or a succinic ester (Stobbe)... 

Comforth has reviewed literature reports and independently studied the special cases of reaction of 1 with salicylaldehyde and with 2-acetoxybenzaldehyde. Coumarins (10) are afforded in the condensation of 1 with salicylaldehyde or its imine, whereas when 2-acetoxybenzaldehyde is used, acetoxy oxazolone 12 is the major product. The initial aldol condensation product between the oxazolone and 2-acetoxybenzaldehyde is the 4-(a-hydroxybenzyl)oxazolone 11, in which base-catalyzed intramolecular transacetylation is envisioned. The product 9 (R = Ac) can either be acetylated on the phenolic hydroxy group, before or after loss of acetic acid, to yield the oxazolone 12, or it can rearrange, by a second intramolecular process catalyzed by base and acid, to the hydrocoumarin, which loses acetic acid to yield 10. When salicylaldehyde is the starting material, aldol intermediate 9 (R = H) can rearrange directly to a hydrocoumarin. Comforth also accessed pure 4-(2 -hydroxyphenylmethylene)-2-phenyloxazol-5(4//)-one (13) through hydrolysis of 12 with 88% sulfuric acid. 

The Knoevnagel reaction of 6-methoxytetralc nediamine followed by the nitro-aldol reach allylic nitro compounds Subsequent group Base catalyzed cyclizadon gives the I by radical denitration fsee Section 7 2 ... 

Aldehydes and ketones with an a hydrogen atom undergo a base-catalyzed carbonyl condensation reaction called the aldol reaction. For example, treatment of acetaldehyde with a base such as sodium ethoxide or sodium hydroxide in a protic solvent leads to rapid and reversible formation of 3-hydroxybutanal, known commonly as aldol (aidehyde + alcohol), hence the general name of the reaction. 

Problem 23.2 Using curved arrows to indicate the electron flow in each step, show how the base-catalyzed reverse aldol reaction of 4-hydroxy-4-methyi-2-pentanone takes place to yield 2 equivalents of acetone. 

In this example, the /3-diketone 2-methyJ-l,3-cyclopentanedione is used to generate the enolate ion required for Michael reaction and an aryl-substituted a,/3-unsaturated ketone is used as the acceptor. Base-catalyzed Michael reaction between the two partners yields an intermediate triketone, which then cyclizes in an intramolecular aldol condensation to give a Robinson annulation product. Several further transformations are required to complete the synthesis of estrone. 

Treatment of the minor product formed in the intramolecular aldol cyclization of 2,5-heptanedione (Problems 23.30 and 23.31) with aqueous NaOH converts it into the major product. Propose a mechanism to account for this base-catalyzed isomerization. 

Base-catalyzed aldol reactions have been carried out intramole-cularly.241 The aqueous acid-catalyzed intramolecular aldol condensation of 3-oxocyclohexaneacetaldehyde proceeded diastereoselectively (Eq. 8.95).242... 

Organic-Base Catalyzed. Asymmetric direct aldol reactions have received considerable attention recently (Eq. 8.98).251 Direct asymmetric catalytic aldol reactions have been successfully performed using aldehydes and unmodified ketones together with chiral cyclic secondary amines as catalysts.252 L-proline and 5,5-dimethylthiazolidinium-4-carboxylate (DMTC) were found to be the most powerful amino acid catalysts for the reaction of both acyclic and cyclic ketones as aldol donors with aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes to afford the corresponding... 

Benzaldehydes are not subject to base catalyzed aldol condensations, and under the reaction conditions Cannizarro reactions are not important. 

Several examples exist of the application of chiral natural N-compounds in base-catalyzed reactions. Thus, L-proline and cinchona alkaloids have been applied [35] in enantioselective aldol condensations and Michael addition. Techniques are available to heterogenize natural N-bases, such as ephedrine, by covalent binding to mesoporous ordered silica materials [36]. 

This same picture unfolds when we examine the use of chiral amines in base-catalyzed reactions. Although in several individual cases (91,92) such as epox-idations (84), one Michael reaction (36), and an intramolecular aldol reaction (93), amino acids (11) or polypeptides (84) are better catalysts than quinine, the range of usefulness of quinine appears to warrant the term miracle catalyst. ... 

In the equilibration studies previously cited, two mechanisms for the interconversion of aldol diastereoisomers are possible, the most obvious being via the retroaldol process (28). In some instances, however, base-catalyzed equilibration via the aldolate enolate 18 is certainly possible (eq. [11a]), and such enolates are well documented as useful intermediates in synthesis (19). For example, Frdter has demonstrated that aldolate enolate 18a may be generated from... 

Another advantage of this method is that no catalyst is needed for the addition reaction this means that the base-catalyzed polymerization of the electrophilic olefin (i.e., a,j8-unsaturated ketones, esters, etc.) is not normally a factor to contend with, as it is in the usual base-catalyzed reactions of the Michael typCi It also means that the carbonyl compound is not subject to aldol condensation which often is the predominant reaction in base-catalyzed reactions. An unsaturated aldehyde can be used only in a Michael addition reaction when the enamine method is employed. 

Catechol and related phenolics 13,16,19, 31, and 32 were also isolated after alkaline treatment of D-glucose and sucrose. Several other substituted acetophenones were isolated. The mechanism of formation of phenolic compounds from monosaccharides under alkaline conditions has yet to be thoroughly investigated. The similarity in the types of aromatic products from D-glucose and D-xylose indicates the formation of the same C2, C3, or C4 fragments, with subsequent recombination and cycliza-tion. Base-catalyzed aldol reactions are, no doubt, predominant pathways in the initial formation of these aromatic products. 

In the following a few examples of the asymmetric aldol reaction are given. Silyl enol ethers (0-Si) resemble very much allylsilanes (C-Si) in terms of structure and mode of action. That is why Lewis base catalyzed aldol reactions of silyl enol ethers have been extensively studied. The first example of Lewis base catalyzed asymmetric aldol reaction of trichlorosilyl enol ether with chiral phosphoramide [80-91] was reported by Denmark et al. (Scheme 24). 

Scheme 24 Lewis base catalyzed aldol reaction...

Rare or unnatural monosaccharides have many useful applications as nonnutritive sweeteners, glycosidase inhibitors and so on. For example, L-glucose and L-fructose are known to be low-calorie sweeteners. In addition, rare or unnatural monosaccharides are potentially useful as chiral building blocks for the synthesis of biologically active compounds. Therefore, these compounds have been important targets for the development of enzymatic synthesis based in the use of DHAP-dependent aldolases alone or in combination with isomerases. Fessner et al. showed that rare ketose-1-phosphates could be reached not only by aldol addition catalyzed by DHAP-dependent aldolases, but by enzymatic isomerization/ phosphorylation of aldoses [35]. Thus, for example, L-fructose can be prepared... 

Aldol condensation of acetone is a well-known base-catalyzed reaction, and barium hydroxide is one of the catalysts for this reaction mentioned in textbooks. A family of barium hydroxide samples hydrated to various degress determined by the calcination temperature (473, 573, 873, and 973 K) of the starting commercial Ba(OH)2 8H2O were reported to be active as basic catalysts for acetone aldol condensation (282,286). The reaction was carried out in a batch reactor equipped with a Soxhlet extractor, where the catalyst was placed. The results show that Ba(OH)2 8H2O is less active than any of the other activated Ba(HO)2 samples, and the Ba(OH)2 calcined at 473 K was the most active and selective catalyst for formation of diacetone alcohol, achieving nearly 58% acetone conversion after 8h at 367 K in a batch reactor. When the reaction temperature was increased to 385 K, 78% acetone conversion with 92% selectivity to diacetone alcohol was obtained after 8h. The yield of diacetone alcohol was similar to that described in the literature in applications with commercial barium hydroxide, but this catalyst required longer reaction times (72-120 h) (287). No deactivation of the catalyst was observed in the process, and it could be used at least 9 times without loss of activity. 

Alkane production from sugars by aqueous phase dehydration/hydrogenation reactions has the advantage that most of the alkane fraction is spontaneously separated from the aqueous phase. Unfortunately, the major compound produced by this process is hexane, which has a low value as a gasoline additive due to its relatively high volatility. This limitation has been partially overcome by promoting a base-catalyzed aldol condensation step which links carbohydrate-derived units via formation C-C bonds to form heavier alkanes ranging from C to C15 [151]. 

Duval and Cuny reported the total syntheses of hyellazole (245) and 6-chlorohyellazole (246) starting from diketoindoles 777a and 777b (606). In this methodology, the key step is the base-catalyzed intramolecular aldol condensation of the ketoindoles to fully functionalized 3-hydroxycarbazoles. 

The prototypical aldol addition reaction is the acid- or base-catalyzed dimerization of a ketone or aldehyde.1 Under certain conditions, the reaction product may undergo... 

Entries 1 and 2 in Scheme 2.1 illustrate the preparation of aldol reaction products by the base-catalyzed mechanism. In entry 1, the product is a /< -hydroxya I dehyde, whereas in entry 2 dehydration has occurred and the product is an a,/f-unsaturated aldehyde. 

There are numerous examples of both acid- and base-catalyzed mixed aldol condensations involving aromatic aldehydes. The reaction is sometimes referred to as the Claisen-Schmidt condensation. Scheme 2.2 presents some representative examples. 

When carbonyl compounds are used as electrophiles reaction with 4-monosub-stituted-5(4//)-oxazolones affords substituted serines after subsequent hydrolytic ring opening of the initial aldol product. As an example, 4-methyl-2-phenyl-5(4//)-oxazolone 193, prepared from alanine, reacts with benzaldehyde in a base-catalyzed addition to give, after hydrolysis, a 3 1 mixture of threo- and... 

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