Alkyl sulfonates carbonylation

The Julia-Lythgoc olefination operates by addition of alkyl sulfone anions to carbonyl compounds and subsequent reductive deoxysulfonation (P. Kocienski, 1985). In comparison with the Wittig reaction, it has several advantages sulfones are often more readily available than phosphorus ylides, and it was often successful when the Wittig olefination failed. The elimination step yields exclusively or predominantly the more stable trans olefin stereoisomer. 

Figure 14 shows the ATR spectrum of the etched polyethylene surface treated with a chronic acid group [76]. Absorption bands due to surface treatment appear at 3300, 1700, 1260, 1215, and 1050 cm". The band at 3300 cm represents the absorption due to the hydroxyl group and that at 1700 cm " is due to the carbonyl group. The bands at 1260, 1215, and 1050 cm are all due to the alkyl sulfonate group. 

Alkyl sulfonates are very effective cationic initiators of e-caprolactone, although only the more reactive methyl triflate and methyl fluorosulfate result in a high conversion. The mechanism of polymerization in the presence of these initiators is believed to involve methylation of the exocyclic carbonyl oxygen, followed by partial ring opening of the activated lactone by the counteranion (Fig. 

Iron-acyl enolates, such as 2, prepared by x-deprotonation of the corresponding acyl complexes with lithium amides or alkyllithiums, are nearly always generated as fs-enolates which suffer stereoselective alkylation while existing as the crmt-conformer which places the carbon monoxide oxygen anti to the enolate oxygen (see Section 1.1.1.3.4.1.). These enolates react readily with strong electrophiles, such as primary iodoalkanes, primary alkyl sulfonates, 3-bromopropenes, (bromomethyl)benzenes and 3-bromopropynes, a-halo ethers and a-halo carbonyl compounds (Houben-Weyl, Volume 13/9 a, p 413) (see Table 6 for examples). 

The metalated hydrazones are alkylated by alkyl halides, dialkyl sulfates or alkyl sulfonates at low temperatures in tetrahydrofuran (—95°C) or diethyl ether (— 110°C) to form the a-sub-stituted hydrazones in nearly quantitative yields. The ambident azaenolates react exclusively at the C-terminus side products resulting from N-, di-, or polyalkylation are not observed. The crude alkylated hydrazones can be purified by distillation or silica gel chromatography (diethyl ether/pentane) without epimerization. However, in most cases, they are pure enough to be directly cleaved to the desired alkylated carbonyl compound. 

Another sulfone-based elimination of large applicability was proposed by Julia [418,419], Condensation of a metalled phenyl alkyl sulfone with a carbonyl compound, functionalization of the alkoxide and reductive elimination leads to an olefin. 

Trialkylaluminums, 21 By geminal alkylation of carbonyl groups Dichlorodimethyltitanium, 216 From reduction of alkyl halides, alkyl sulfonates and similar compounds From acetates or other esters Triphenylsilane, 334 From alcohols... 

From a historical perspective, the a-(dialkylamino)nitrile anions were the first acyl anion equivalents to undergo systematic investigation. More recent studies indicate that anions of a-(dialkylamino)nitriles derived from aliphatic, aromatic or heteroaromatic aldehydes intercept an array of electrophiles including alkyl halides, alkyl sulfonates, epoxides, aldehydes, ketones, acyl chlorides, chloroformates, unsaturated ketones, unsaturated esters and unsaturated nitriles. Aminonitriles are readily prepared and their anions are formed with a variety of bases such as sodium methoxide, KOH in alcohol, NaH, LDA, PhLi, sodium amide, 70% NaOH and potassium amide. Regeneration of the carbonyl group can be achieved... 

Furthermore, several syntheses of a,p-unsaturated carbonyl compounds have involved the alkylation of suitably functionalized sulfones, followed by the base-promoted elimination of the sulfenate moiety on related alkyl sulfones bearing an oxygen atom at the -y-position (Scheme 106, entries b-d Scheme 110, entry c Scheme 105, entry b). - 46i Particularly interesting is the synthesis of nuciferal (Scheme 106, entry d) which involves sequential alkylation of y,-y-dioxy sulfones, deblocking of the acetal moiety and sulfenate elimination. In this and related reactions y, y-dioxy-a-metalloalkyl sulfone has played the role of a masked p-metallo-a,p-unsaturated carbonyl compound (M(>aC—C—C=0), which is not a directly available synthon. 

Simple sulfonyl carbanions which do not contain additional carbanion-stabilising groups, e.g. carbonyl groups or heteroatoms, can be readily alkylated in high yield by modern techniques with the use of alkyllithiums and lithium amide bases. A number of allylic halides have been successfully used. In allylic halides, the halogen directly attached to the double-bonded carbon is relatively inert towards nucleophilic attack (Scheme 41). In this way, sulfones (96) can be transformed via desulfonation into vinyl halides (97) or into ketones (98) by hydrolysis (Scheme 41). In contrast to ordinary alkyl sulfones, triflones (99) can be alkylated under mildly basic conditions (potassium carbonate in boiling acetonitrile) (Scheme 42). The ease of carbanion formation from triflones (99) arises from the additional electron-withdrawing (-1) effect of the trifluoromethyl moiety. 

Among the different methods for the formation of C-C double bonds, the reductive elimination of (3-functionalized (mainly P-hydroxy or (3-carboxy) sulfones, is one of the most widely used ones in organic synthesis. The reductive elimination of (3-hydroxy sulfones and derivatives is the so-called Julia,94 or Julia-Lythgoe olefination reaction (Eq. 2). It usually involves a condensation between the anion of an alkyl sulfone and a carbonyl compound to afford a (3-hydroxy sulfone (Eq. 47). The metal alkoxide intermediate is typically transformed in situ into a carboxylic or sulfonic ester derivative, which is then reduced... 

Early examples of this reaction involved cyclizations of 4-substituted phenols tethered to alkyl sulfonates and halides [3]. CycMzalions involving carbonyl electrophiles (aldehydes, ketones) and imines have been reported as well, but esters are not sufiSciently electrophilic to react [2]. Subsequent studies established that the facility of these so-called Ai-n cyclizations was strongly affected by the size of the newly formed ring in the order 3>5>6 >4. Since the vast majority of alkylative dearomatizations involve intramolecular cyclizations (thereby avoiding competitive 0-aDcylation reactions), stereoelectronic effects operative in the transition states (resembling the TS of an Sjj2 reaction) are crucially important. These sometimes subtle effects can result in differential reactivity of structurally similar substrates [4]. 

Alkyl halides and sulfonates are the most frequently used alkylating acceptor synthons. The carbonyl group is used as the classical a -synthon. O-Silylated hemithioacetals (T.H. Chan, 1976) and fomic acid orthoesters are examples for less common a -synthons. In most synthetic reactions carbon atoms with a partial positive charge (= positively polarized carbon) are involved. More reactive, "free carbocations as occurring in Friedel-Crafts type alkylations and acylations are of comparably limited synthetic value, because they tend to react non-selectively. 

Two substituents on two N atoms increase the number of diaziridine structures as compared with oxaziridines, while some limitations as to the nature of substituents on N and C decrease it. Favored starting materials are formaldehyde, aliphatic aldehydes and ketones, together with ammonia and simple aliphatic amines. Aromatic amines do not react. Suitable aminating agents are chloramine, N-chloroalkylamines, hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid and their simple alkyl derivatives, but also oxaziridines unsubstituted at nitrogen. Combination of a carbonyl compound, an amine and an aminating agent leads to the standard procedures of diaziridine synthesis. 

Thus the structure of the oxazirane must formally involve elimination of water from one molecule each of the carbonyl compound and of an alkyl hydroxylamine. (In the synthesis of oxazirane from N-methylhydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid and benzaldehyde, this method... 

The antiarrhythmic activity of local anesthetics has been noted several times previously. Another such agent is prepared by first alkylating isopropylamine with sulfone 199. Reaction of the ])ioduct (200) with diethylethylenediamine and carbonyldiimidazole results in transfer of the CDI carbonyl group and formation of the urea suricainide (201) [52]. The transform in all likelihood involves stepwise replacement of the imidazole groups by the basic groups in the other reactants. 

Besides acylation and alkylation reactions, typical carbonyl reactions, such as reduction and substitution, are known. Thus, the oxo group in position 3 of 8 is attacked by sodium cyanide, resulting in the cyanohydrin in 55% yield. Subsequent dehydration with p-toluene-sulfonic acid and acetylation in position 5 gives 1-benzothiepin 12.90... 

Cyclopropyl sulfones were shown to be obtained either by cyclization of y-p-tosyloxy sulfones 232 with base or by treatment of phenylsulfonylacetonitrile 233a or ethyl phenyl sulfonyl acetate 233b with 1,2-dibromoethane in the presence of benzyltriethyl-ammonium chloride (BTEA) and alkali in good yields. Chang and Pinnick synthesized various cyclopropane derivatives 234 upon initial treatment of carbanions derived from cyclopropyl phenyl sulfone with either alkylating agents or a carbonyl compound and subsequent desulfonylation, as shown below. 

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