Alkoxy-allenes

The reaction of propargylic chiral acetals with a catalytic copper reagent (RMgX/5% CuX) provides the expected alkoxy allenes in quantitative yield (Table 3)61. The diastereomeric excess is highly dependent on the size of the ring of the acetal and on the type of substituents it contains. The best diastereomeric excess is 85% with the acetal derived from cyclooctanediol. The use of lithium dimethylcuprate results in 1,2-addition lo the triple bond and the resulting lithium alkenyl cuprate bearing a cyclic acetal does not eliminate even at reflux temperature ( + 35°C). 

ReiSig and Hausherr synthesized (-)-preussin in ten steps starting from L-fructose. The chiral alkoxy allene 143 was formed as a mixture of diastereoisomers which differed in the configuration of the chiral axis [77]. 

Secondary and tertiary dialkylcuprates, lithium dialkenyl-, and even diphenyl-cuprates, add in very good yields to the reactive propionaldehyde diethyl acetal. The syn addition products may be trapped with a variety of electrophiles such as alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl and aryl halides. The method has been used for the synthesis of several natural products. Substituted alkynic acetals also react with lithium dialkylcuprates in ether to furnish stable dialkenylcuprates of type (128) which do not eliminate to the corresponding alkoxy allenes (129) if the temperature is maintained below -20 C.164-179... 

Chiral alkoxy allenes derived from 1,3-alkylidene-L-erythritol and -D-threitol have been used in cycloaddition reactions to provide the 4-substituted /3-lactams 418 (R = Me, Ph). Intramolecular alkylation at nitrogen was achieved by the action of potassium carbonate and tetrabutylammonium bromide in dry acetonitrile. The absolute stereochemistry of the product 419 (R = Me, Ph) was assigned on the basis of the CD helicity rule (see Section 2.04.3.5) and NMR spectroscopy. The [2+2] cycloaddition of CSI to threitol vinyl ethers was found to have low stereoselectivity in contrast to the findings with erythritol derivatives <2004CH414, 2005EJ0429>. 

All the starting materials were very easily prepared in a single-pot operation by treatment of the alkoxy-allene 96 [70] with lithium organocuprate either in Et20 (for the formation of the Z- vinyl copper intermediate Z-97) or in THF (for the formation of the -vinyl copper intermediate -97) and trapping the resulting alkenyl copper E- and Z-97 with different unsaturated alkyl halides to give 98a-j (Scheme 35) [71]. 

In this tandem allylic C-H bond activation, followed by an elimination reaction, substituted l-zircono-lZ,3 -dienes (zirconium moiety at the terminal position of the dienyl system) were easily prepared as unique isomers. With the idea of extending this methodology to the stereoselective synthesis of 3-zircono-1,3-diene (zirconium moiety at the internal position of the dienyl system), 119 was prepared and the reactivity was investigated with (1-butene)ZrCp2 21 (119 was obtained by carbocupration of the a-allyl alkoxy-allene, Scheme 35) [79]. When 119 was submitted to the tandem reaction, the diene 120 was isolated after hydrolysis as a unique ( ,Z) isomer in 75% isolated yield (Scheme 44). 

Propargylic trimethylsilanes, now readily accessible by reaction of lithium acetylides with (trimethylsilyl)methyl halides or triflate, are emerging as useful synthetic intermediates. The general pattern of reactivity involves attack by an electrophile with cleavage of the carbon-silicon bond. For example, treatment of propargylic trimethylsilanes with TFA or bromine leads to allenes or 3-bromoallenes respectively, " and reactions with acetals furnish 4-alkoxy-allenes" (e.g. Scheme 101). 

Intramolecular nitrogen attack in propargylated enaminones allows silver-catalyzed access to functionalized pyrroles. This Ag-promoted hydroamination can also be used to obtain A bridgehead pyrroles. Silver nitrate-mediated cyclization of allenylamines, available from Uthiated alkoxy allenes and imines or through reaction of l-(lV-carbamoyl)-alkylcuprates with propargyl substrates, provides access to 2,5-dihydropyrrole derivatives. Iminoallenes can be used for the synthesis of substituted p)moles in moderate yields in the presence of potassium carbonate. ... 

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