Allenylmetals

Most of the synthetic routes to allenes utilize the reaction of propargylic compounds as electrophiles. In contrast, if the propargylic compounds serve as nucleophiles, a wide variety of substituted allenes, which are not easily accessible by the reaction of propargylic compounds with nucleophiles, are available. However, in order to synthesize enantioenriched allenes by this method, it is necessary to generate configurationally stable propargyl or allenylmetal reagents (cf. Chapter 9). 

Scheme 9.3 Transition states for additions of allenylmetal reagents to aldehydes.

Scheme 9.4 Configuration assignments for allenylmetal compounds (M = metal).

The configurational stability of chiral allenylmetal reagents depends to a large extent on the nature of the metal substituent. The mechanism of the racemization process has not been studied in detail, but two reasonable pathways can be proposed, based on known reactivity characteristics of these compounds. The first entails reversible intermolecular SE- rearrangement to the propargylic isomer. This process could proceed by a pure syn or anti pathway, in which case no racemization would take place. However, the occurrence of both pathways would result in racemization (Scheme 9.5). 

Scheme 9.5 Possible racemization pathways for chiral allenylmetal compounds.

Allenyllithium reagents are commonly prepared through lithiation of propargylic halides or by deprotonation of alkynes or certain allenes (Eq. 9.1). Lithiated allenes often serve as precursors to stable allenylmetal compounds such as stannanes or silanes. They can also be employed for the in situ synthesis of allenylzinc, -titanium and -boronate compounds, which can be further transformed to substitution products not accessible from their allenyllithio precursors. 

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