Aldol reactions direct catalysis

Trost s group reported direct catalytic enantioselective aldol reaction of unmodified ketones using dinuclear Zn complex 21 [Eq. (13.10)]. This reaction is noteworthy because products from linear aliphatic aldehydes were also obtained in reasonable chemical yields and enantioselectivity, in addition to secondary and tertiary alkyl-substituted aldehydes. Primary alkyl-substituted aldehydes are normally problematic substrates for direct aldol reaction because self-aldol condensation of the aldehydes complicates the reaction. Bifunctional Zn catalysis 22 was proposed, in which one Zn atom acts as a Lewis acid to activate an aldehyde and the other Zn-alkoxide acts as a Bronsted base to generate a Zn-enolate. The... 

Studies of catalytic asymmetric Mukaiyama aldol reactions were initiated in the early 1990s. Until recently, however, there have been few reports of direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reactions [1]. Several groups have reported metallic and non-metallic catalysts for direct aldol reactions. In general, a metallic catalysis involves a synergistic function of the Bronsted basic and the Lewis acidic moieties in the catalyst (Scheme 2). The Bronsted basic moiety abstracts an a-pro-ton of the ketone to generate an enolate (6), and the Lewis acidic moiety activates the aldehyde (3). 

Aminocatalysis is a biomimetic strategy used by enzymes such as class I aldolases. Application of aminocatalysis in an asymmetric aldol reaction was reported in the early 1970s. Proline (19) efficiently promoted an intramolecular direct aldol reaction to afford Wieland-Miescher ketone in 93% ee [17,18]. More than 25 years later, in 2000, List, Barbas, and co-workers reported that proline (19) is also effective for intermolecular direct aldol reactions of acetone (le) and various aldehydes 3. Notably, the reaction proceeded smoothly in anhydrous DMSO at an ambient temperature to afford aldol adducts in good yield and in modest to excellent enantioselectivity (up to >99% ee, Scheme 9) [19-22]. The chemical yields and selectivity of proline catalysis are comparable to the best metallic catalysts, although high catalyst loading (30 mol %) is required. Proline (19)... 

Important extensions of proline catalysis in direct aldol reactions were also reported. Pioneering work by List and co-workers demonstrated that hydroxy-acetone (24) effectively serves as a donor substrate to afford anfi-l,2-diol 25 with excellent enantioselectivity (Scheme 11) [24]. The method represents the first catalytic asymmetric synthesis of anf/-l,2-diols and complements the asymmetric dihydroxylation developed by Sharpless and other researchers (described in Chap. 20). Barbas utilized proline to catalyze asymmetric self-aldoli-zation of acetaldehyde [25]. Jorgensen reported the cross aldol reaction of aldehydes and activated ketones like diethyl ketomalonate, in which the aldehyde... 

Carefully matched acid and base catalysis has been used to select the pyrrolidine-p-nitrophenol combination as an efficient organocatalyst for direct aldol reactions.108... 

Several reports deal with aqueous media. Acid-base catalysis by pure water has been explored, using DFT, for the model aldol reaction of acetone and acetaldehyde.125 A Hammett correlation of nornicotine analogues (28) - a series of meta- and para-substituted 2-arylpyrrolidines - as catalysts of an aqueous aldol reaction shows p = 1.14.126 Also, direct aldol reactions have been carried out in water enantioselectively, using protonated chiral prolinamide organocatalysts.127... 

Saito S, Yamamoto H. Design of acid-base catalysis for the asymmetric direct aldol reaction. Acc. Chem. Res. 2004 37 570-579. 

Catalytic aldol reactions are among the most useful synthetic methods for highly stereo-controlled asymmetric synthesis. In this account we discuss the recent development of a novel synthetic technique which uses tandem enzyme catalysis for the bi-directional chain elongation of simple dialdehydes and related multi-step procedures. The scope and the limitations of multiple one-pot enzymatic C-C bond formations is evaluated for the synthesis of unique and structurally complex carbohydrate-related compounds that may be regarded as metabolically stable mimetics of oligosaccharides and that are thus of interest because of their potential bioactivity. 

Shibasaki, M., Yoshikawa, N., Matsunaga, S. Direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction. Comprehensive Asymmetric Catalysis, Supplement 2004, 1, 135-141. 

As discussed above, all of the cinchona-based quaternary ammonium salts used as catalysts gave only poor to moderate diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities for direct aldol reactions. Quite recently, a highly enantioselective, catalytic, direct aldol reaction was realized by adopting the enamine catalysis approach [12], in which 9-amino-epi-cinchona alkaloids are employed as aminocatalysts [13, 14]. 

Design of Acid-Base Catalysis for the Asymmetric Direct Aldol Reaction ... 

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