Allyllithium preparation

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]. 

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. 

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 ... 

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]. 

Reaction of l,3-bis(methylthio)-2-methoxypropane with 2 moles of lithium diisopropylamide5 (or w-butyllithium) effects (a) the elimination of methanol to form l,3-bis(methylthio)propene and (b) the lithiation of this propene to generate l,3-bis(methylthio)allyllithium in solution. Its conjugate acid, l,3-bis(methylthio)propene, can be regenerated by protonation with methanol, and has also been prepared (a) in 31% yield by reaction of methylthioacetaldehyde with the lithio derivative of diethyl methylthiomethylphosphonate,5 (b) in low yield by acid-catalyzed pyrolysis of l,l-bis(methylthio)-3-methoxypropane,6 and (c) in low yield by acid-catalyzed coupling of vinyl chloride with chloromethyl methyl sulfide.7... 

It is well known in the literature that one of the best procedures to prepare allyllithium is the lithiation of allyl phenyl ethers . This reaction can be easily induced when a pinch of biphenyl was introduced at the beginning of the process . 

From Hard Allylic Organometallics. The most common preparation of allylic boranes and boronates is the addition of a reactive allylic metal species to a borinic or boric ester, respectively (Eqs. 10 and 11). Preparations from allyllithium, " " allylmagnesium, and allylpotassium " ° reagents are all well known. These methods are popular because the required allylic anions are quite easy to prepare, and because they generally lead to high yields of products. 

Transmetallation of allyltributyltin with organolithium species has been used for the generation of allyllithium solutions free of the coupling byproducts which often result from reduction of allylic halides with lithium metal. These solutions may then be used directly for the preparation of Gilman reagents and other reactive modifications of the parent allyllithium. 

The present synthesis of 4,6-dimethyl-l-hepten-4-ol is an example of the preparation and use of allyllithium, hitherto unknown as a pure reagent. The same general procedure may be used to prepare vinyllithium from ether solutions of any of the compounds (CH2=CH) Sn(CeH,5)4 ( = 1-4), and benzyl-lithium from any of the (CeH6CH2)nSn(C6H5)4 n(w = 1-4) compounds.10... 

Allyllithium is of particular value in the preparation of allyl-metal derivatives.5... 

The octamethyldimolybdate(4—) anion can be prepared from the reaction of Mo2(02CCH3)4 and UCH3 in ether (114). The tetraallyldimolybdenum compound prepared by Wilke et al. (254) is also readily synthesized from tetraacetatodimolybdenum and allyllithium or allylmagnesium bromide (114). A... 

Reductive lithiation of allyl phenyl sulfides.1 This reagent is particularly useful for preparation of allyllithium reagents at temperatures at which the anions are stable. Moreover, regioselectivity in reactions can be achieved by conversion to allyltitanium(IV) complexes by metal exchange with Ti(0-/-Pr)4. Thus the un-symmetrical anion formed from the allyl sulfide 1 with LDMAN reacts with cro-tonaldehyde to give a mixture of 1,2- and 1,4-adducts. The 1,2-adduct 2 can be obtained in high yield as two diastereomers (9 1) by use of the allyltitanium complex (equation I). 

Furthermore, organobarium reagents, prepared from anhydrous Bal2 and (sily-loxy)allyllithium, react with carbonyl compounds at the least sterically hindered terminus (i.e. the y position)14. The ratio of y- to a-products depends upon the size of the silyl... 

Johnson disclosed the synthesis of the first reported allylic sulfoximine 104a in 1979 5 Treatment 0f racemic phenyl N-methylbenzenesulfonimidate 103 (X=OPh) with allyl lithium at 0-3 °C gave racemic S-allyl-/V-methyl-S-phenylsulfoximine 104a in 71% yield. Harmata75 has used a method related to that developed by Johnson6 to prepare the allylic sulfoximine 104b from the reaction of allyllithium with the sulfonimidoyl fluoride 103 (X=F). The yield, however, was low (20%). 

Diols. Klein and Medlik have reported a new preparation of 1,3-diols by hydroboration of allyllithium derivatives. Thus allylbenzene is first metalated with... 

Bisoxiranes can be prepared from dioxo compounds. With geminal chloromethyl-allyllithium the synthesis of new a-vinyl tri- and tetrasubstituted oxiranes has been developed (Eq. 93). ... 

Allyltitanium complexes (22) readily add to carbonyl compounds with high regio- and stereo-selection. They are prepared by reaction of a chlorotitanium complex (21) with an allyl-magnesium or -lithium derivative (equation 13). Some of these unsaturated Ti complexes, like (23)-(25) in Scheme 2, obtained from allylmagnesium halides or allyllithium by reaction with titanium tetraisopropoxide or titanium tetramides, are known as titanium ate complexes . The structure of these ate complexes, at least from a formal point of view, can be written with a pentacoordinate Ti atom. Some ate complexes have synthetic interest, as is the case of (allyl)Ti(OPr )4MgBr which shows sharply enhanced selectivity towards aldehydes in comparison with the simple (allyl)Ti(OPr )3. ... 

The reaction is useful only when the allyllithium is produced with a trapping agent in situ. The mesitoates may be prepared from allyl alcohols. 

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