Allylic phosphine oxides lithiated

In contrast to allylic phosphine oxides, phosphonates, sulfones and sulfoxides, the chemistry of lithiated allylic sulfoximines has been less extensively developed25 27. The reaction of lithiated racemic A-phenyl-A -(4-rnethylphenyl)-S -(2-propenyl)sulfoximine with either 2-cy-clopentenone or 2-cyclohexenone gave a complicated mixture with 1,4-oc-ad ducts being slightly favored over the 1,4-7-adducts. The yields of these adducts were poor25. In contrast, lithiated racemic Ar-tert-butyldiphenylsilyl-5-phenyl-5,-(2-propenyl)sulfoximine gives mainly 1,4-y-ad-ducts on reaction with the same enones26. 

The 1,4-addition reaction of stabilized allylic carbanions with conjugated enones is normally complicated by the ambident reactivity of the carbanion. Clean 7-selective conjugate addition to cyclic enones, however, has been observed with lithiated allylic sulfoxides, phosphine oxides and phosphonates... 

Lithiated ( )- and (Z)-2-alkenylphosphine oxides and phosphonates react with cyclic enones in a 1,4-conjugate addition manner (Schemes 19 and 20). The ( )- and (Z)-allylic anions react in highly dia-stereoselective fashion to deliver respectively syn and anti vinylic phosphine oxides and phosphonates. Chiral allylphosphonyl anions undergo enantioselective 1,4-addition with cyclic enones of varying... 

Lithiation at C2 can also be the starting point for 2-arylatioii or vinylation. The lithiated indoles can be converted to stannanes or zinc reagents which can undergo Pd-catalysed coupling with aryl, vinyl, benzyl and allyl halides or sulfonates. The mechanism of the coupling reaction involves formation of a disubstituted palladium intermediate by a combination of ligand exchange and oxidative addition. Phosphine catalysts and salts are often important reaction components. 

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