Allyl alcohol Simmons-Smith reaction

Chiral Ligand for Asymmetric Catalysis. Dimethyl l-tartrate is a demonstrated chiral ligand for the Ti -catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols (Sharpless epoxidation), and the Zn -mediated asymmetric cyclo-propanation of allylic alcohols (Simmons-Smith reaction), see lodomethylzinc Iodide Enantioselectivities in these reactions... 

Cyclopropanation of Allylic Alcohols. Simmons-Smith type cyclopropanation of the allylic alcohol 22 in the presence of a catalytic amount of the bis-sulfonamide la leads to formation of the corresponding cyclopropane 23 in high yield and selectivity (eq 6, Table 3). The reaction is rapid (< 1 h) and can be performed at low temperature (either 0 °C or —20 °C). Substrate scope encompasses both di- and tri-substimted allylic alcohols (24 and 26). However, substimtion at the 2 position, as in 28, leads to a drastic decrease in selectivity. The presence of additional oxygenated functionality (30) in the proximity of the alkene also lessens selectivity." The method is limited to the cyclopropanation of allylic alcohols. Other alkene-containing substrates, such as allylic ethers, homo-allylic alcohols and allylic carbamates, do not react with high selectivity. 

In a new version of the Simmons-Smith reaction allyl or aUenic alcohols such as cyclohexenol are converted by Sm/CH2l2/Me3SiCl 14 in THF at -78°C into syn cyclopropanols such as 2135 [63] (Scheme 13.17). 

With the aid of density functional theory, the ZnCl2 acceleration of the Simmons-Smith reaction of ethylene and allyl alcohol has been investigated. A pathway involving direct Lewis acid acceleration of the leaving halogen atom (327) was found to be a more facile process than the more popular pathway involving 1,2-chlorine migration (328). 

However, this method really hit the headlines when it was used on allylic alcohols 61 and became known as the Simmons-Smith reaction.15 If there is stereochemistry at the alcohol 63, the cyclopropane is formed on the same side as the OH group 64 suggesting that the alcohol guides the zinc carbenoid into the alkene. 

Cyclopropanation of olefins (Simmons-Smith reaction) smoothly proceeds using diethylzinc in combination with diiodomethane. The reaction is much faster with allylic alcohols or its ether derivatives than that with simple olefins. 

The Simmons-Smith reaction with allyl alcohol was reported to give dicyclopropylcarbinoxymethane (XXIX) in addition to cyclopropylcarbinol 307). This reaction is a useful one-step route to dicyclopropyl-carbinoxymethanes. Reaction of the Simmons-Smith reagent with... 

The Simmons-Smith reaction is an efficient and powerful method for synthesizing cyclopropanes from alkenes [43]. Allylic alcohols are reactive and widely used as substrates, whereas a,j8-unsaturated carbonyl compounds are unreactive. In 1988, Ambler and Davies [44] reported the electrophilic addition of methylene to a,/3-unsaturated acyl ligands attached to the chiral-at-metal iron complex. The reaction of the racemic iron complex 60 with diethylzinc and diiodomethane in the presence of ZnCl2 afforded the c/s-cyclopropane derivatives 61a and 61b in 93 % yield in 24 1 ratio (Sch. 24). 

In 1992 Kobayashi et al. [47] reported the first catalytic and enantioselective cyclo-propanation using the Furukawa modification [48] of the Simmons-Smith reaction of allylic alcohols in the presence of a chiral bis(sulfonamide)-Zn complex, prepared in-situ from the bis(sulfonamide) 63 and diethylzinc. When cinnamyl alcohol 62 was treated with EtgZn (2 equiv.), CHgIg (3 equiv.), and the bis(sulfonamide) 63 (12 mol %) in dichloromethane at -23 °C, the corresponding cyclopropane 64 was obtained in 82 % yield with 76 % ee (Sch. 26). They proposed a transition state XXIII (Fig. 5) in which the chiral zinc complex interacts with the oxygen atom of the allylic alkoxide and the iodine atom of iodomethylzinc moiety. They also reported the use of the bis(sulfonamide)-alkylaluminum complex 65 as the Lewis acidic component catalyzing the Simmons-Smith reaction [49]. 

The scope of the reaction was examined with a catalyst prepared from the benzene sulfonamide and DIBAL, because it was found that essentially the same induction could be obtained as with those obtained from tri-/so-butyl aluminum. Two years earlier the authors had reported that this Simmons-Smith reaction could also be catalyzed by the aluminum-free sulfonamide 132 (optimum with Ar = /7-NO2C6H4) the induction obtained is listed in the far right column of Table 8 [34]. It was proposed that a zinc complex of 132 is generated in-situ. Surprisingly, with the exception of the silyl-substituted allyl alcohol (the last entry in the table) [35], almost identical asymmetric induction obtained by use of the aluminum-containing and aluminum-free catalysts. The main advantage of the diazaaluminolidine catalyst is that it is apparently more soluble than the aluminum-free bis-sulfonamide catalyst, with the result that a tenfold increase in concentration (0.1 m) can be used this might explain the increased rate observed for the diazaaluminolidine catalyst. Finally, it has recently been reported that a catalyst formed from the Ci symmetrical sulfonamide 135 and DIBAL will induce the formation of 131 from cinnamyl alcohol in 68 % ee [36]. 

The chiral version of the Simmons-Smith reaction requires the presence of proper ligands for the organozinc reagent. Representatives are 99, 100, 101 " for cyclopropanation of allylic alcohols. Enals undergo diastereoselective cyclopropanation (de >99%) via acetals with (+)-phenyl exo,ex o-2,3-dihydroxybomane-10-sulfonate. ... 

Normally the chiral auxiliaries are introduced and removed in the asymmetric synthesis of Simmons-Smith reactions of allylic alcohols to provide mostly /rani-disubstituted cyclopropanes. Stereoselective syntheses of c -disubstituted cyclopropanes are difficult to achieve. Starting from (Z)-3-phenylprop-2-en-l-ol (80a) and (Z)-6-phenylhex-2-en-l-ol (80b), the corresponding c -disubstituted cyclopropanes 81a and 81b were prepared by first treating them with diethylzinc followed by diethyl (- -)-(/ ,7 )-tartrate (DET). A zinc-bridged intermediate is assumed to be formed first. This is subsequently treated with diethylzine and diiodomethane to give the products 81. The reaction conducted at — 12 "C gave the cyclopropanated products 81a and 81b with 70 and 81% ee, respectively.This method has the advantages that the introduction of the chiral auxiliary to the substrate and its removal are not neccessary and that both cis- and trans-disubstituted cyclopropanes could be prepared from (Z)- and ( )-allylic alcohols, repectively. 

The zinc metal in the Simmons-Smith reaction was replaced by samarium for the cyclopropanation of allylic alcohols with chloroiodomethane. High yields of cyclopropanes, often with high diastereoselectivities, were obtained using samarium amalgam/diiodomethane. Cyclo-hex-2-enol (115a) gave exclusively s y -bicyclo[4.1.0]heptan-2-ol (116a), no traces of the anti-... 

It was necessary to exchange protecting groups so that there was only one allylic alcohol 116 and to use a modification of the Simmons-Smith reaction with Et2Zn and CH2I2 to get a good yield of one diastereoisomer of the cyclopropane 117. 

Many epoxidising agents, notably mCPBA and f-BuOOH/VO(acac)2, are capable of bonding to the OH group of an allylic alcohol. Epoxidation then occurs more readily on allylic alcohols and on the same side of the alkene as the OH groups, rather in the style of the Simmons-Smith reaction. The stereochemical outcome is easiest to see in cyclic allylic alcohols. Thus the cyclohexenol 120 gives the syn epoxide 121 cleanly with mCPBA via the conformation 122 in which the axial OH delivers the reagent to the same face of the alkene. 

The Simmons-Smith reaction takes place via an intermediate organozinc species, which can be generated in the presence of chiral ligands for zinc. Alternatively, standard (achiral) zinc reagents can be used to cyclopropanate an alkene bearing a chiral residue. The reactions of allylic alcohols are rapid, and the forma-... 

Table 3. Cyclopropanes from the Simmons-Smith Reaction with Acyclic Chiral Allylic Silanes and Alcohols...

Cycloadditions. Asymmetric Simmons-Smith reaction of allylic alcohols performed in the presence of an aluminum complex of the salen 127 has been reported. ... 

All disconnections are the same on cyclopropane, requiring a carbene equivalent which will add to an unactivated double bond. Diazomethane will do this, but one of the best carbene sources is CH2I2 with a zinc-copper couple (the Simmons-Smith reaction ). This works particularly well on allylic alcohols (31), no doubt because of hydrogen bonding between the OH group and the reagent. The reaction is then totally stereoselective. 

Simmons-Smith reaction is directed by the hydroxy function, the configuration at the spiro junction may be controlled at will by selecting the appropriate epimer of the starting allylic alcohol. 

Compund 78 is among the new transition metal catalysts that have found good use in the decomposition of diazo compounds and delivery of the metal carbenoids to alkenes." Iminodiazaphospholidine (79) possesses a stereogenic phosphorus center and its applicability to effect asymmetric cyclopropanation" is now known. The Zn chelate of 80 is effective for the Simmons-Smith reaction of allylic alcohols. ... 

Homologation of allylic alcohols. The Simmons-Smith reaction of certain allylic alcohols becomes a minor pathway when they are treated with Et3Al/Et2A10Et while using CH2l2-Et2AlCl as reagents. Homoallylic iodides are obtained. 

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