Metal enolates alkyl halides

The metalation of vinyl ethers, the reaction of a-lithiated vinyl ethers obtained thereby with electrophiles and the subsequent hydrolysis represent a simple and efficient method for carbonyl umpolung. Thus, lithiated methyl vinyl ether 56 and ethyl vinyl ether 54, available by deprotonation with t- or n-butyllithium, readily react with aldehydes, ketones and alkyl halides. When the enol ether moiety of the adducts formed in this way is submitted to an acid hydrolysis, methyl ketones are obtained as shown in equations 72 and 73 . Thus, the lithiated ethers 56 and 54 function as an acetaldehyde d synthon 177. The reactivity of a-metalated vinyl ethers has been reviewed recently . 

Benzyl methyl ether or allyl methyl ethers can be selectively metalated at the benzylic/allylic position by treatment with BuLi or sBuLi in THF at -40 °C to -80 C, and the resulting organolithium compounds react with primary and secondary alkyl halides, epoxides, aldehydes, or other electrophiles to yield the expected products [187, 252, 253]. With allyl ethers mixtures of a- and y-alkylated products can result [254], but transmetalation of the lithiated allyl ethers with indium yields y-metalated enol ethers, which are attacked by electrophiles at the a position (Scheme 5.29). Ethers with ft hydrogen usually undergo rapid elimination when treated with strong bases, and cannot be readily C-alkylated (last reaction, Scheme 5.29). Metalation of benzyl ethers at room temperature can also lead to metalation of the arene [255] (Section 5.3.11) or to Wittig rearrangement [256]. Epoxides have been lithiated and silylated by treatment with sBuLi at -90 °C in the presence of a diamine and a silyl chloride [257]. 

The simplest unfunctionalised carbon nucleophiles (15 and 17) are made from alkyl halides with various metals such as Li(0) or Mg(0) or by exchange with available organometallic reagents such as butyl-lithium (BuLi) in anhydrous coordinating solvents like ether (Et20) or THF (tetrahydro-furan 16). Enolates 11 are very important and will be discussed at length in later chapters. 

Among common carbon-carbon bond formation reactions involving carbanionic species, the nucleophilic substitution of alkyl halides with active methylene compounds in the presence of a base, e. g., malonic and acetoacetic ester syntheses, is one of the most well documented important methods in organic synthesis. Ketone enolates and protected ones such as vinyl silyl ethers are also versatile nucleophiles for the reaction with various electrophiles including alkyl halides. On the other hand, for the reaction of aryl halides with such nucleophiles to proceed, photostimulation or addition of transition metal catalysts or promoters is usually required, unless the halides are activated by strong electron-withdrawing substituents [7]. Of the metal species, palladium has proved to be especially useful, while copper may also be used in some reactions [81. Thus, aryl halides can react with a variety of substrates having acidic C-H bonds under palladium catalysis. 

Mono- and dialkylations of malonic acid esters generally are performed in an alcoholic solution of a metal alkoxide. Alkylation of a monoalkylated malonic ester requires the presence of another equivalent of alkoxide and the appropriate alkyl halide. The alkylation works well with RCH2X (X=l, Br, OTs), PhCH2X (X=C1, Br) and even with unhindered sec alkyl bromides." Subsequent hydrolysis of the diester under acidic or basic conditions followed by heat-induced decarboxylation yields the a-alkylated carboxylic acid. Thus, dialkyl malonates are the synthetic equivalents (SE) of acetate enolate anions and can be used to obtain mono- or disubstituted carboxylic acids. 

---