Allyllithium

Anionic polymerization of vinyl monomers can be effected with a variety of organometaUic compounds alkyllithium compounds are the most useful class (1,33—35). A variety of simple alkyllithium compounds are available commercially. Most simple alkyllithium compounds are soluble in hydrocarbon solvents such as hexane and cyclohexane and they can be prepared by reaction of the corresponding alkyl chlorides with lithium metal. Methyllithium [917-54-4] and phenyllithium [591-51-5] are available in diethyl ether and cyclohexane—ether solutions, respectively, because they are not soluble in hydrocarbon solvents vinyllithium [917-57-7] and allyllithium [3052-45-7] are also insoluble in hydrocarbon solutions and can only be prepared in ether solutions (38,39). Hydrocarbon-soluble alkyllithium initiators are used directiy to initiate polymerization of styrene and diene monomers quantitatively one unique aspect of hthium-based initiators in hydrocarbon solution is that elastomeric polydienes with high 1,4-microstmcture are obtained (1,24,33—37). Certain alkyllithium compounds can be purified by recrystallization (ethyllithium), sublimation (ethyllithium, /-butyUithium [594-19-4] isopropyllithium [2417-93-8] or distillation (j -butyUithium) (40,41). Unfortunately, / -butyUithium is noncrystaUine and too high boiling to be purified by distiUation (38). Since methyllithium and phenyllithium are crystalline soUds which are insoluble in hydrocarbon solution, they can be precipitated into these solutions and then redissolved in appropriate polar solvents (42,43). OrganometaUic compounds of other alkaU metals are insoluble in hydrocarbon solution and possess negligible vapor pressures as expected for salt-like compounds. 

The synthesis of vinylaziridines through reactions between allylic carbenoid reagents and imines (i.e., Darzen-type reactions) was first reported by Mauze in 1980 [13]. Treatment of aldimines or ketimines 16 with gem-chloro(methyl)allyllithium (17) afforded N-substituted vinylaziridines 18 (Scheme 2.6). Similarly, 2,3-trans-N-diphenylphosphinyl-2-vinylaziridines 21 were prepared with good stereoselectivities (trans cis= 10 1 Scheme 2.7) by treatment of a-bromoallyllithium (20) with N-diphenylphosphinyl aldimines 19 in the presence of zinc chloride [14]. 

Scheme 2.6 Aza-Darzen-type reaction with chloro(methyl) allyllithium (17).

Thus, the allyllithium, -sodium or -potassium derivatives are the ones which are most easily generated (Section D.1.3.3.3.1.1.), but they are of limited value in stereoselective carbonyl addition reactions. Usually these reagents need to be tuned" in their reactivity by metal exchange prior to application in order to achieve high selectivities. 

If desired, the potassium salt can be converted into the allyllithium derivative by metal exchange with lithium bromide46. Butyllithium/potassium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide depro-tonates isoprene without polymerization to give 2-methylene-3-butenyllithium47. 

As far as investigated77, most reactions of the allyllithium-sparteine complexes with electrophiles proceed antarafacially, either as SE2 or anti-SE2 reactions. As a working hypothesis it is assumed that the bulky ligand obliterates the Lewis acid properties of the lithium cation. 

The addition of a vast number of mainly hetero-substituted allyllithium derivatives to carbonyl compounds has been studied, yet only a few examples proceeding with a preparatively useful level of stereoselectivity have been reported. As many methods were developed before the crucial role of the cation was realized, improvements are possible by simple metal exchange. Some reviews, which collect these reagents, arc cited in Section D.l.3.3.3.1.1. 

Simple 1-hetero-substituted allyllithium derivatives, such as 1-alkoxy-94"96, 1-alkyl-thio-50,97, 1-phenylselenyl-54,98 show insufficient regio- and simple diastereoselectivity in their reaction with aldehydes. The rcgiosclectivity is greatly enhanced in favor of the a-products by in... 

Freparatively useful induced diastereoselectivities have been reported mainly for 1,1-di-substituted allyllithium derivatives which bear carbanion-stabilizing substituents. l-[Methyl-thio-l-(trimethylsilyl)-2-propenyl]lithium106 and the appropriate 1-phenylthio107 derivative, generated from the allylic sulfide with sec-butyllithium, in the reaction with tetrahydropyranyl-protected pregnolone, furnish a single diastereomer. 

With 1,3-Chirality Transfer from Enantiomerically Enriched Allyllithium Derivatives... 

Enantiomerically enriched l-(diisopropylaminocarbonyloxy)allyllithium derivatives (Section 1.3.3.3.1.2.) add to carbonyl compounds with syn-l,3-chirality transfer21, giving good evidence for a pericyclic transition state in the main reaction path (Section 1.3.3.1.). However, since the simple diastereoselectivity and the degree of chirality transfer are low, for synthetic purposes a metal exchange with titanium reagents or trialkyltin halides (Section D.1.3.3.3.8.2.3.) is recommended. 

Allyllithium reagents have also been used in the synthesis of (Z)-y-alkoxyallylboronates 23 2 5. Stereoselectivity is excellent in these reactions since the (Z)-y-alkoxyallyl carbanions prepared by metalation of allyl ethers are stabilized by chelation. The (Z)-y-alkoxyallyl(diisopinocam-pheyl)boranes are prepared at low temperature by an analogous procedure and must be used at — 78 "C otherwise reaction diaslereoselectivity suffers owing to the facile isomerization to the -isomer26. 

In particular 1- or 3-hetero-substituted allylzinc reagents are often prepared in situ by adding anhydrous zinc dichloride or dibromide to the solution of the allyllithium compound. 

In general, there are three main types of allyltitanium reagent, usually prepared in situ from allyllithium or allylmagnesium derivatives ... 

Allylcyciohexanone, 42,14 Allyllithium, 41, 30 from allyltin derivatives, 41, 32 reaction with 4-methyl-2-pentanone, 41,30... 

Another example of a [4S+1C] cycloaddition process is found in the reaction of alkenylcarbene complexes and lithium enolates derived from alkynyl methyl ketones. In Sect. 2.6.4.9 it was described how, in general, lithium enolates react with alkenylcarbene complexes to produce [3C+2S] cycloadducts. However, when the reaction is performed using lithium enolates derived from alkynyl methyl ketones and the temperature is raised to 65 °C, a new formal [4s+lcj cy-clopentenone derivative is formed [79] (Scheme 38). The mechanism proposed for this transformation supposes the formation of the [3C+2S] cycloadducts as depicted in Scheme 32 (see Sect. 2.6.4.9). This intermediate evolves through a retro-aldol-type reaction followed by an intramolecular Michael addition of the allyllithium to the ynone moiety to give the final cyclopentenone derivatives after hydrolysis. The role of the pentacarbonyltungsten fragment seems to be crucial for the outcome of this reaction, as experiments carried out with isolated intermediates in the absence of tungsten complexes do not afford the [4S+1C] cycloadducts (Scheme 38). 

Scheme 40 Diastereoselective addition of y-substituted allyllithium and allylzinc reagents to a chiral diimine...

Organolithium reagents in which the carbanion is delocalized are more useful than alkyllithium reagents in alkylation reactions. Allyllithium and benzyllithium reagents can be alkylated and with secondary alkyl bromides and a high degree of inversion of configuration is observed.78... 

Calculations of alkali metal allyl derivatives involving all alkali metals (Li-Cs) indicate a preferred geometry with the metal symmetrically bound in a predominantly electrostatic manner to all three carbon atoms.143 Solution studies of allyllithium in ether indicate the compounds to be highly aggregated in THF complex dynamic behavior is observed. 

TABLE 9. Calculated energies and rotational barriers of r/3 and / allyllithium and allylalkali metal compounds... 

On substitution of allyllithium with methyl groups, the structures are distorted tt complexes becoming more jj -like. The previously described allyllithiums are contact ion pairs (CIP) whose dissociation is too low to permit study of the free carbanion. However, this is not the case for a more delocalized system such as 1,3-diphenylallyl whose lithium salts can exist as solvent separated ion pairs (SSIP) in ethereal solutions for which the organic moiety could be treated essentially as a free carbanion55 Boche and coworkers studied the effect of substitution at C(2) in their 1,3-diphenylallyl lithiums on the rotational barriers... 

Highly substituted 4-methylenetetrahydropyrans can be obtained from the allyl alcohol via its carbamate 20. Reaction of the derived allyllithium with aldehydes affords the (Z)-enolcarbamates 21 which undergo an intramolecular Sakurai cyclisation to the pyran as a single diastereoisomer (Scheme 11) <00TL7225>. 

Preparation of allyltitaniums of the type (allyl)Ti(OiPr) 3 from the corresponding allyl-lithium or -magnesium compounds and ClTi(OiPr)3 by transmetallation and their subsequent synthetic utilization have attracted considerable interest because of the advantageous reactivity of the allyltitaniums as compared to other allylmetal complexes in terms of chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselectivity [3], The preparation of certain allyllithium or -magnesium reagents, however, is not necessarily easy, which would seem to limit the utility of this method. 

Hetero-substituted r)3-allyltitanocenes have also been studied. Functionalized q3-allyltita-nium complexes (X = SiMe3, OPh, SPh) have been prepared by transmetallation of Cp2TiCl with the corresponding allyllithiums, and were found to react regiospecifically with propionaldehyde to give functionalized homoallylic alcohols 11 (Scheme 13.14) [25]. 

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