Michael ring closure annulation

The reaction of a cyclic ketone—e.g. cyclohexanone 1—with methyl vinyl ketone 2 resulting in a ring closure to yield a bicyclic a ,/3-unsaturated ketone 4, is called the Robinson annulation This reaction has found wide application in the synthesis of terpenes, and especially of steroids. Mechanistically the Robinson annulation consists of two consecutive reactions, a Michael addition followed by an Aldol reaction. Initially, upon treatment with a base, the cyclic ketone 1 is deprotonated to give an enolate, which undergoes a conjugate addition to the methyl vinyl ketone, i.e. a Michael addition, to give a 1,5-diketone 3 ... 

A fundamentally different approach to the synthesis of 3-pyrrolines is evidenced in the annulation in Eq. 13.50 [58]. Ethyl 2,3-butadienoate 150 reacts with N-sulfony-limine 151 in the presence of triphenylphosphine under very mild conditions to give JV-protected 3-pyrroline 152 in 90% yield. The mechanism that has been postulated is related to that of the Baylis-Hillman reaction. Michael addition of triphenylphosphine to the allenyl ester generates a zwitterion that combines with the imine to give 153 in a non-concerted process. This is followed by ring closure, proton exchange and expulsion of triphenylphosphine to give 152. This annulation is successful only for aromatic or cinnamyl imines [59]. 

Aldol reactions are often used to close five- and six-membered rings. Because of the favorable entropy (p. 211), such ring closures generally take place with ease, even where a ketone condenses with a ketone. An important example is the Robinson annulation reaction which has often been used in the synthesis of steroids and terpenes. In this reaction a cyclic ketone is converted to another cyclic ketone, with one additional six-membered ring containing a double bond. The substrate is treated with methyl vinyl ketone (or a simple derivative of methyl vinyl ketone) and a base.551 The enolate ion of the substrate adds to the methyl vinyl ketone in a Michael reaction (5-17) to give a diketone that undergoes or... 

The Robinson annulation has three distinct steps the Michael addition of the enol or enolate across the double bond of the a,(3-unsaturated ketone to produce a 1,5-diketone (Michael adduct), followed by an intramolecular aldol reaction, which affords a cyclic (3-hydroxy ketone (keto alcohol), and finally a base-catalyzed dehydration which gives rise to the substituted cyclohexenone. An alternative mechanism via disrotatory electrocyclic ring closure is possible. ... 

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