Aldol catalytic activities

It turned out that the dodecylsulfate surfactants Co(DS)i Ni(DS)2, Cu(DS)2 and Zn(DS)2 containing catalytically active counterions are extremely potent catalysts for the Diels-Alder reaction between 5.1 and 5.2 (see Scheme 5.1). The physical properties of these micelles have been described in the literature and a small number of catalytic studies have been reported. The influence of Cu(DS)2 micelles on the kinetics of quenching of a photoexcited species has been investigated. Interestingly, Kobayashi recently employed surfactants in scandium triflate catalysed aldol reactions". Robinson et al. have demonshuted that the interaction between metal ions and ligand at the surface of dodecylsulfate micelles can be extremely efficient. ... 

Another SBU with open metal sites is the tri-p-oxo carboxylate cluster (see Section 4.2.2 and Figure 4.2). The tri-p-oxo Fe " clusters in MIL-100 are able to catalyze Friedel-Crafts benzylation reactions [44]. The tri-p-oxo Cr " clusters of MIL-101 are active for the cyanosilylation of benzaldehyde. This reaction is a popular test reaction in the MOF Hterature as a probe for catalytic activity an example has already been given above for [Cu3(BTC)2] [15]. In fact, the very first demonstration of the catalytic potential of MOFs had aheady been given in 1994 for a two-dimensional Cd bipyridine lattice that catalyzes the cyanosilylation of aldehydes [56]. A continuation of this work in 2004 for reactions with imines showed that the hydrophobic surroundings of the framework enhance the reaction in comparison with homogeneous Cd(pyridine) complexes [57]. The activity of MIL-lOl(Cr) is much higher than that of the Cd lattices, but in subsequent reaction rans the activity decreases [58]. A MOF with two different types of open Mn sites with pores of 7 and 10 A catalyzes the cyanosilylation of aromatic aldehydes and ketones with a remarkable reactant shape selectivity. This MOF also catalyzes the more demanding Mukaiyama-aldol reaction [59]. 

Lewis-Acid Catalyzed. Recently, various Lewis acids have been examined as catalyst for the aldol reaction. In the presence of complexes of zinc with aminoesters or aminoalcohols, the dehydration can be avoided and the aldol addition becomes essentially quantitative (Eq. 8.97).245 A microporous coordination polymer obtained by treating anthracene- is (resorcinol) with La(0/Pr)3 possesses catalytic activity for ketone enolization and aldol reactions in pure water at neutral pH.246 The La network is stable against hydrolysis and maintains microporosity and reversible substrate binding that mimicked an enzyme. Zn complexes of proline, lysine, and arginine were found to be efficient catalysts for the aldol addition of p-nitrobenzaldehyde and acetone in an aqueous medium to give quantitative yields and the enantiomeric excesses were up to 56% with 5 mol% of the catalysts at room temperature.247... 

Montmorillonite K10 was also used for aldol the reaction in water.280 Hydrates of aldehydes such as glyoxylic acid can be used directly. Thermal treatment of K10 increased the catalytic activity. The catalytic activity is attributed to the structural features of K10 and its inherent Bronsted acidity. The aldol reactions of more reactive ketene silyl acetals with reactive aldehydes proceed smoothly in water to afford the corresponding aldol products in good yields (Eq. 8.104).281... 

Recently, novel bifunctionalized zinc catalysts have been developed (compounds (N) and (P), Scheme 55). They have both Lewis-acid and Lewis-base centers in their complexes, and show remarkable catalytic activity in direct aldol reactions.233-236 A Zn11 chiral diamine complex effectively catalyzes Mannich-type reactions of acylhydrazones in aqueous media to afford the corresponding adducts in high yields and selectivities (Scheme 56).237 This is the first example of catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reactions in aqueous media, and it is remarkable that this chiral Zn11 complex is stable in aqueous media. 

The undefined mechanism of the aldol-type Mukaiyama and Sakurai allylation reactions arose the discussion and interest in mechanistic studies [143-145]. The proposed mechanism was proved to proceed through the catalytic activation of the aldehyde and its interaction with the silyl ketene acetal or allylsilane producing the intermediate. From that point the investigation is complicated with two possible pathways that lead either to the release of TMS triflate salt and its electrophihc attack on the trityl group in the intermediate or to the intramolecular transfer of the TMS group to the aldolate position resulting in the evolution of the trityl catalyst and the formation of the product (Scheme 51). On this divergence, series of experimental and spectroscopic studies were conducted. 

In order to enhance the catalytic activity of a carbocationic center, the novel Lewis acid 54 was designed by Mukaiyama [149-152]. The 1-oxoisoindolium-based carbenium salt 54 [149], possessing a weak coordinating borate counter anion, proved to be a very active catalyst in the aldoUzation (Scheme 58) [150]. The Mukaiyama aldol reaction was catalyzed by 1 mol% of salt 54 and proceeded in up to 97% yield in 30 min. 

Recently, cross-aldol condensation of benzaldehyde with n-heptaldehyde to give jasminaldehyde (Scheme 13) has been reported a mesoporous molecular sieve Al-MCM-41 with supported MgO was the catalyst. The reactions were carried out in a stirred autoclave reactor with a molar benzaldehyde/heptanal ratio of 10 at 373-448 K (236). The results show that Al-MCM-41 is catalytically active, and its activity is significantly increased by the deposition of MgO (Table V). Increasing the amount of deposited MgO on Al-MCM-41 decreases the surface area but enhances the catalyst basicity. The basicity is well correlated with the catalytic activity, although the selectivity to jasminaldehyde is not the selectivity is essentially independent of temperature, pressure, time of the reaction, and conversion. 

Scheme 7.41). It seems to be reasonable to presume that the isomerization of propargylic alcohol to cinnamaldehyde proceeds via an intramolecular nucleophilic attack of coordinated water on an electropositive a-carbon of the allenylidene ligand (Scheme 7.42). Then, dicationicdiruthenium complexes work as Lewis acids to promote the aldol condensation between cinnamaldehyde and acetone. Thus, the dual catalytic activity of dicationic chalcogenolate-bridged diruthenium complexes is essential to promote the present novel reaction between propargylic alcohols and acetone. 

The effect of the basicity of aldol condensation catalysts on their activity was thoroughly investigated by Malinowski et al. [372—379]. The observed linear dependence of the rate coefficients of several condensation reactions on the amount of sodium hydroxide contained in silica gel (Figs. 12 and 13) supported the view that the basic properties of this type of catalyst were actually the cause of its catalytic activity, though the alkali-free catalyst was not completely inactive. The amphoteric nature of the catalysis by silica gel, which can act also as an acid catalyst, was demonstrated [380]. By a stepwise addition of sodium acetate to a HN03-pretreated silica gel catalyst the original activity for acetaldehyde self-condensation was decreased to a minimum (when an equivalent amount of the base was added) by further addition of sodium acetate, the activity increased again because of the transition to a base... 

The aldol reaction of p-nitrobenzaldehyde with acetone is catalyzed by Zn2+ complexes of a-amino acid esters in MeOH, giving the optically active aldol adduct (Scheme 8B1.12) [28]. Although the enantiomeric excesses of the product have not been determined, the extent of asymmetric induction is dependent on the structure of a-substituents in the amino acids. The Zn2+ complexes of amino acid esters bearing an aromatic substituent such as esters of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophane (Trp) are more effective in terms of both catalytic activity and asymmetric induction. The highest asymmetric induction is observed with Trp-OEt ligand. 

Few definitive studies have been reported for the reduced catalyst. One of the earliest studies which was made attempted to relate activity for aldol condensation of n-butylaldehyde to Mo5+ concentration on reduced Mo/Al catalysts (39). The catalysts contained varying amounts of Mo and were prereduced under identical conditions. Aldol conversions were approximately linear with Mo5+ signals (by ESR) up to about 10% Mo. Morris et al. (101) also report a correlation between Mo5+ and catalytic activity for ethylene polymerization over reduced Mo/Al catalysts. Unfortunately, in both studies, tests were not done on a catalyst having the same Mo content but prereduced under different conditions (to give different Mo5+ values). Therefore, the correlation obtained was not unequivocal since other parameters besides Mo5+ might also be proportional to Mo level. 

Very recently the group of Resmini described the development of imprinted microgels mimicking a class I aldolase in the catalysis of the aldol condensation between 4-nitrobenzaldehyde and acetone [79]. They prepared highly crosslinked microgels (80 mol%) based on /V,/V -methyIenebisaery 1 amide as the crosslinker and containing as catalytically active monomer a proline derivative (Fig. 5). 

The mechanism of the catalytic cycle is outlined in Scheme 1.37 [11]. It involves the formation of a reactive 16-electron tricarbonyliron species by coordination of allyl alcohol to pentacarbonyliron and sequential loss of two carbon monoxide ligands. Oxidative addition to a Jt-allyl hydride complex with iron in the oxidation state +2, followed by reductive elimination, affords an alkene-tricarbonyliron complex. As a result of the [1, 3]-hydride shift the allyl alcohol has been converted to an enol, which is released and the catalytically active tricarbonyliron species is regenerated. This example demonstrates that oxidation and reduction steps can be merged to a one-pot procedure by transferring them into oxidative addition and reductive elimination using the transition metal as a reversible switch. Recently, this reaction has been integrated into a tandem isomerization-aldolization reaction which was applied to the synthesis of indanones and indenones [81] and for the transformation of vinylic furanoses into cydopentenones [82]. 

Recently, Corey and coworkers prepared the cinchonidine-derived bifluoride 20 from the corresponding bromide by passage of a methanolic solution through a column of Amberlyst A-26 OH- form, and subsequent neutralization with 2 equiv. of 1 N HF solution and evaporation (the modified method C in Scheme 9.5). The catalytic activity and chiral efficiency of 20 (dried over P205 under vacuum) have been demonstrated by the development of a Mukaiyama-type aldol reaction of ketene silyl acetal 21 with aldehydes under mild conditions, giving mostly syw-P-hydroxy-a-amino esters 22 as the major diastereomer with good to excellent enantiomeric excesses (Table 9.4) [23],... 

The formation of covalent substrate-catalyst adducts might occur, e.g., by single-step Lewis-acid-Lewis-base interaction or by multi-step reactions such as the formation of enamines from aldehydes and secondary amines. The catalysis of aldol reactions by formation of the donor enamine is a striking example of common mechanisms in enzymatic catalysis and organocatalysis - in class-I aldolases lysine provides the catalytically active amine group whereas typical organocatalysts for this purpose are secondary amines, the most simple being proline (Scheme 2.2). 

The catalytic cycles are, however, different in the reaction sequence for formation of the enamines which are key intermediates in these aldol reactions. With the type I aldolase a primary amino function of the enzyme is used for direct formation of a neutral imine (Ha) whereas starting from L-proline enamine synthesis proceeds via a positive iminium system (lib) (Scheme 6.23). In this respect, investigations by List et al. on the dependence of the catalytic potential on the type of amino acid are of particular interest. In these studies it has been shown that for catalytic activity the presence of a pyrrolidine ring (in L-proline (S)-37) and the carboxylic acid group is required [69]. 

Shi and coworkers have reported that the rate and product distribution of Baylis-Hillman reactions of aldehydes with a,/ -unsaturated ketones can be drastically affected by the reaction temperature and by the presence of Lewis bases [18]. When the reaction was carried out at -78 °C using catalytic amounts of quaternary ammonium salts as Lewis bases, in the presence of titanium] IV) chloride, chlorinated syw-aldol adducts were obtained as the major products. Quaternary ammonium bromides and iodides showed higher catalytic activity than... 

---