Aqueous Aldol Reaction with Water-stable Lewis Acids

2 Aqueous Aldol Reaction with Water-stable Lewis Acids 

Sc(() l f) ( is an effective catalyst of the Mukaiyama aldol reaction in both aqueous and non-aqueous media (vide supra). Kobayashi et al. have reported that aqueous aldehydes as well as conventional aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes are directly and efficiently converted into aldols by the scandium catalyst [69]. In the presence of a surfactant, for example sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) or Triton X-100, the Sc(OTf)3-catalyzed aldol reactions of SEE, KSA, and ketene silyl thioacetals can be performed successfully in water wifhout using any organic solvent (Sclieme 10.23) [72]. They also designed and prepared a new type of Lewis acid catalyst, scandium trisdodecylsulfate (STDS), for use instead of bofh Sc(OTf) and SDS [73]. The Lewis acid-surfactant combined catalyst (LASC) forms stable dispersion systems wifh organic substrates in water and accelerates fhe aldol reactions much more effectively in water fhan in organic solvents. Addition of a Bronsted acid such as HCl to fhe STDS-catalyzed system dramatically increases the reaction rate [74]. 

Kobayashi et al. have demonstrated fhat some metal salts (e.g. Fe(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) perchlorates) other fhan rare earth metal salts are also water-stable Lewis acids and work as catalysts of fhe aqueous aldol reaction of SEE [75]. Metal salts wifh good catalytic activity have pKh values (/ i, = hydrolysis constant) from 4.3 to 10.08 and WERC (water exchange rate constant) greater than 3.2 X10 m s . If p/ i, 4.3, metal cations are readily hydrolyzed to give oxo-nium ions, which promote hydrolysis of SEE. Metal cations with pKh 10.08 do not have sufficient Lewis acidity to promote the aldol reaction. When fhe WERC 

Cu(OTf)2 is a stable Lewis acid in aqueous media and can be used for activation of aldehydes [76]. The f ji(()Tf)2-catalyzed reaction of aromatic aldehydes with acetophenone TMS enolate gives the corresponding adducts in good to high yields. The same reaction of aliphatic aldehydes results in moderate yields. 

Loh et al. reported that InClj worked as an effective catalyst of aldol reactions of SEE in water [77]. Later, Kobayashi et al. reported different results [78] - hydrolysis of SEE is faster than the desired reaction in the InCls-catalyzed aqueous system the InCls-catalyzed reaction proceeds to some extent under solvent-free conditions InCls is an effective catalyst in micellar systems. 

---

The original methods for directed aldol and aldol-type reactions of aldehydes and acetals with silyl enolates required a stoichiometric amount of a Lewis acid such as TiCh, Bl i-OI y, or SnCl.j [18]. Later studies have introduced many Lewis acids which accelerate these processes with a catalytic quantity (vide infra). In addition, it has been found that fluoride ion sources also work as effective catalysts of the aldol reaction [19]. In the last decade, much attention has been paid for the development of diastereo- and enantioselective aldol reactions [20, 21], aqueous aldol reactions using water-stable Lewis acids [22], and novel types of silyl enolate with unique reactivity. 

While aldol reactions stated above were smoothly catalyzed by the water-stable Lewis acids in aqueous media, a certain amount of organic solvent such as THF or EtOH had to be still combined with water to promote the reactions efficiently. To avoid the use of the organic solvents, we have developed a new reaction system in which Sc(OTf)3 catalyzes Mukaiyama aldol reactions in pure water without any organic solvents in the presence of a small amount of a surfactant such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). 

Sinou and co-workers [73] studied the influence of different surfactants on the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation of l,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with dimethyl malonate in presence of potassium carbonate as base and non-water-soluble chiral ligands. Best results in activity and enatioselectivity (> 90% ee) were observed with 2,2 -bis(diphenylphosphino)-l,l -binaphthyl (BINAP) as ligand and cetyltrimethylammonium hydrogen sulfate as surfactant in aqueous medium. Water-stable Lewis acids as catalysts for aldol reactions were developed by Kobayashi and co-workers [74]. An acceleration of the reaction was indicated in presence of SDS as anionic surfactants. An additional promotion could be observed by combination of Lewis acid and surfactant (LASCs = Lewis acid-surfactant-combined catalysts) as shown in Eq. (3). Surfactant the anion of dodecanesulfonic acid. 

Lewis acids as water-stable catalysts have been developed. Metal salts, such as rare earth metal triflates, can be used in aldol reactions of aldehydes with silyl enolates in aqueous media. These salts can be recovered after the reactions and reused. Furthermore, surfactant-aided Lewis acid catalysis, which can be used for aldol reactions in water without using any organic solvents, has been also developed. These reaction systems have been applied successfully to catalytic asymmetric aldol reactions in aqueous media. In addition, the surfactant-aided Lewis acid catalysis for Mannich-type reactions in water has been disclosed. These investigations are expected to contribute to the decrease of the use of harmful organic solvents in chemical processes, leading to environmentally friendly green chemistry. 

The same researchers found that lanthanide triflates could catalyze aldol reactions and allylations in aqueous media [10]. However, Wang et al. exploited the potential of lanthanide triflates to act as stable Lewis-acid catalysts in the aqueous imino Diels-Alder reaction [11]. This variant of the aqueous heterocycloaddition protocol also expands the scope of such reactions. The use of higher aldehydes in such reactions generally met with limited success under the conventional protocol. For example, under the standard conditions, the reaction of hexanal and benzylamine hydrochloride with cyclopentadiene in water is sluggish and affords only 4% of the Diels-Alder adducts 26 and 27 in a 2.7/1 ratio. In sharp contrast, the addition of various lanthanide(lll) triflates (0.25 M) to this reaction results in substantial increases in both the rate and yield of Diels-Alder adduct formation. In particular, use of praseodymium(iii) triflate results in a 68% yield of adducts 26 and 27 ... 

As mentioned in the previous section, lanthanide and scandium triflates (Ln(OTf)3 and Sc(OTf)3) are stable Lewis acids in water, and aldol reactions of silyl enol ethers with aldehydes proceed smoothly in aqueous media in the presence of a catalytic amount of the lanthanide salt. While the reactions were successfully carried out in THF-water or toluene-ethanol-water, lower yields were obtained in pure water. In the course of our investigations to develop new synthetic reactions, especially carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions, in aqueous media, we have found that such reactions proceeded smoothly in micellar systems. 

Lewis-Acid Catalyzed. Recently, various Lewis acids have been examined as catalyst for the aldol reaction. In the presence of complexes of zinc with aminoesters or aminoalcohols, the dehydration can be avoided and the aldol addition becomes essentially quantitative (Eq. 8.97).245 A microporous coordination polymer obtained by treating anthracene- is (resorcinol) with La(0/Pr)3 possesses catalytic activity for ketone enolization and aldol reactions in pure water at neutral pH.246 The La network is stable against hydrolysis and maintains microporosity and reversible substrate binding that mimicked an enzyme. Zn complexes of proline, lysine, and arginine were found to be efficient catalysts for the aldol addition of p-nitrobenzaldehyde and acetone in an aqueous medium to give quantitative yields and the enantiomeric excesses were up to 56% with 5 mol% of the catalysts at room temperature.247... 

A recent notable finding in this field is Mukaiyama aldol reactions in aqueous medium (THF H20 = 9 1) catalyzed by metal salts. Lewis acids based on Fe(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II), and those of some main group metals and lanthanides are stable in water. Remarkably, the aldol reaction shown in Sch. 29 occurs more rapidly than the hydrolysis of the silyl enol ether [137]. In the presence of surfactants (dodecyl sulfates or dodecane sulfonate salts), reactions of thioketene silyl acetals with benzaldehyde can be performed in water [138]. 

Lewis acid-catalyzed asymmetric aldol reactions of silyl enol ethers with aldehydes are among the most powerful carbon-carbon bond-forming methods aprotic anhydrous solvents and low reaction temperatures are, however, usually needed for successful reaction. To perform the catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction in aqueous media a chiral crown ether-Pb(OTf)2 complex was employed as a chiral catalyst stable in water-ethanol [9]. Good to high yields and high levels of diastereo-and enantioselectivity were obtained at 0°C in aqueous media (Scheme 13.64). 

Sc(OTf)3 can behave as a Lewis acid catalyst even in aqueous media. Sc(OTf)3 was stable in water and was effective in the aldol reactions of silyl enolates with aldehydes in aqueous media. The reactions of usual aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes such as benzaldehyde and 3-phenylpropionaldehyde with silyl enolates were carried out in both aqueous and organic solvents, and water-soluble formaldehyde and chloroacetaldehyde were directly treated as water solutions with silyl enolates to afford the aldol adducts in good yields. Moreover, the catalyst could be recovered almost quantitatively from the aqueous layer after the reaction was completed. The recovered catalyst was also effective in the second reaction, and the yield of the second run was comparable to that of the first run (Eq. 2). 

---