Aldol GTP

A variation of GTP, referred to as aldol GTP, involves polymerization of a silyl vinyl ether initiated by an aldehyde [Sogah and Webster, 1986 Webster, 1987]. Both initiation and propagation involve nucleophilic addition of the vinyl ether to the aldehyde carbonyl group with transfer of the trialkyl silyl group from vinyl ether to the carbonyl oxygen (Eq. 5-82). The reaction has similar characteristics as GTP. The product is a silated poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), which can be hydrolyzed by acid to PVA (Eq. 5-83). 

In a process related to GTP, aldehydes initiate the polymerization of silyl vinyl ethers and silyl diene ethers. Here the silyl group is present in the monomer and transfers to the aldehyde ended chains regenerating aldehyde ends [17] (Scheme 8). A Lewis acid catalyst is required. terf-Butyldimethylsilyl works best as a transfer group for vinyl ether while trimethylsilyl is suitable for diene ethers [18]. Even though aldol GTP provides a route to polyvinyl alcohol segments in the subsequent block polymer synthesis, the projected cost of the monomers discouraged further research aimed at commercialization. 

A related technique called aldol GTP makes use of the reaction of an aldehyde with a silyl vinyl ether. The cocatalysts used are again Lewis acids, and if used with t-butyl dimethyl silyl vinyl ether, the combination will polymerize aldehydes ... 

Hydrolysis of the trialkyl silyl groups gives poly(vinyl alcohol). Block copolymers in which one block is poly( vinyl alcohol) can be synthesized if a telechehc with an aldehyde terminal group is used to initiate the aldol GTP structures such as polyfsty-rene-h/oc -vinyl alcohol) can be prepared in this way. Alternatively, as silyl ketene acetals can react with aldehydes, block structures can be formed by a coupling process. 

In E. coli GTP cyclohydrolase catalyzes the conversion of GTP (33) into 7,8-dihydroneoptetin triphosphate (34) via a three-step sequence. Hydrolysis of the triphosphate group of (34) is achieved by a nonspecific pyrophosphatase to afford dihydroneopterin (35) (65). The free alcohol (36) is obtained by the removal of residual phosphate by an unknown phosphomonoesterase. The dihydroneoptetin undergoes a retro-aldol reaction with the elimination of a hydroxy acetaldehyde moiety. Addition of a pyrophosphate group affords hydroxymethyl-7,8-dihydroptetin pyrophosphate (37). Dihydropteroate synthase catalyzes the condensation of hydroxymethyl-7,8-dihydropteroate pyrophosphate with PABA to furnish 7,8-dihydropteroate (38). Finally, L-glutamic acid is condensed with 7,8-dihydropteroate in the presence of dihydrofolate synthetase. 

Step 2 of Figure 29.13 Decarboxylation and Phosphorylation Decarboxylation of oxaloacetate, a jB-keto acid, occurs by the typical retro-aldol mechanism like that in step 3 in the citric acid cycle (Figure 29.12), and phosphorylation of the resultant pyruvate enolate ion by GTP occurs concurrently to give phosphoenol-pyruvate. The reaction is catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. 

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