Aryl/alkyl ketones hydrogenation

The benzylic position of an alkylbcnzene can be brominated by reaction with jV-bromosuccinimide, and the entire side chain can be degraded to a carboxyl group by oxidation with aqueous KMnCfy Although aromatic rings are less reactive than isolated alkene double bonds, they can be reduced to cyclohexanes by hydrogenation over a platinum or rhodium catalyst. In addition, aryl alkyl ketones are reduced to alkylbenzenes by hydrogenation over a platinum catalyst. 

The dimerization of ketones to 1,2-diols can also be accomplished photochemi-cally indeed, this is one of the most common photochemical reactions. The substrate, which is usually a diaryl or aryl alkyl ketone (though a few aromatic aldehydes and dialkyl ketones have been dimerized), is irradiated with UV light in the presence of a hydrogen donor such as isopropyl alcohol, toluene, or an amine. In the case of benzophenone, irradiated in the presence of 2-propanol, the ketone molecule initially undergoes n — k excitation, and the singlet species thus formed crosses to the T, state with a very high efficiency. 

The asymmetric organosilane reduction of prochiral ketones has been studied as an alternative to the asymmetric hydrogenation approach. A wide variety of chiral ligand systems in combination with transition metals can be employed for this purpose. The majority of these result in good to excellent chemical yields of the corresponding alcohols along with a trend for better ee results with aryl alkyl ketones than with prochiral dialkyl ketones. 

The PennPhos ligands, for example 108, complexed with rhodium, provide an excellent system for the hydrogenation of aryl alkyl ketones with ee values in the range of 94-96% (Eq. 362). Phenyl isopropyl ketone shows only a 72% ee under similar conditions. Dialkyl ketones exhibit ee values in the range of 73-94% with this system (Eq. 363).640... 

Enantioselectivities in the range of 97.7-99.9%, with the majority in the range of 98.4-99.1%, are obtained in the asymmetric hydrogenation of aryl alkyl ketones with ruthenium catalyst 109.641 The same systems can hydrogenate /3-keto esters (95.2-98.6% ee) and a,/i-unsa(urated acids (96.2% in a single example).642... 

Noyori et al. recently used ESI-MS to characterize species present in catalytically active solutions during the hydrogenation of aryl-alkyl ketones using their base-free catalyst precursors trans-[Ru((R)-tol-BINAP)((R, RJ-dpenJfHXf/ -BH ] (tol-BI-NAP = 2,2 -bis(ditolylphosphino) -1, T-binaphthyl dpen = 1,2-diphenylethylenedia-mine) in 2-propanol [9b]. Based upon ESI-MS observations, deuterium-labeling studies, kinetics, NMR observations, and other results, the authors proposed that the cationic dihydrogen complex trans-[Ru((R)-tol-BINAP)((R, R)-dpen)(H)( 2-H2)]+ is an intermediate in hydrogenations carried out in the absence of base. 

Kinetic and thermodynamic parameters have been measured for the chlorination of simple aliphatic and aryl alkyl ketones in strong acid media by chloramine-B (sodium A-chlorobenzenesulfonamide). Catalysis of the monochlorination of acetaldehyde in anhydrous carbon tetrachloride by trichloroacetic acid, and by hydrogen chloride, are reported. IR and UV spectroscopy have been used to probe the reaction of acetaldehyde with trichloroacetic acid in carbon tetrachloride. " Two cyclic 1 1 intermediates have been identified, and are found to be in equilibrium. 

Table 4.9 Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aryl alkyl ketones in Pr0H/H20, catalyzed by 93a,b and 94a,b. ...

Sinou and coworkers evaluated a range of enantiopure amino alcohols derived from tartaric acid for the ATH reduction of prochiral ketones. Various (2R,iR)-i-amino- and (alkylamino)-l,4-bis(benzyloxy)butan-2-ol were obtained from readily available (-I-)-diethyl tartrate. These enantiopure amino alcohols have been used with Ru(p-cymene)Cl2 or Ir(l) precursors as ligands in the hydrogen transfer reduction of various aryl alkyl ketones ee-values of up to 80% have been obtained using the ruthenium complex [93]. Using (2R,3R)-3-amino-l,4-bis(benzyloxy)butan-2-ol and (2R,3R)-3-(benzylamino)-l,4-bis(benzyloxy)butan-2-ol with [lr(cod)Cl]2 as precursor, the ATH of acetophenone resulted in a maximum yield of 72%, 30% ee, 3h, 25 °C in PrOH/KOH with the former, and 88% yield, 28% ee, 120 h with the latter. 

Scheme 9 Transfer hydrogenation of aryl(alkyl)ketones catalyzed by 7...

The addition of hydrogen cyanide to carbonyl compounds gives a-hydroxy cyanides (cyanohydrin synthesis). The reaction is reversible, and the extent of the cyanohydrin formation depends upon the structure of the Carbonyl compound. The equilibrium highly favors the formation of aliphatic and alicyclic cyanohydrins however, aryl alkyl ketones react to a lesser extent, and diaryl ketones, not at all. The reaction may be accomplished by mixing the carbonyl compound with liquid hydrogen cyanide in the presence of a basic catalyst. The equilibrium... 

Other Applications. In the reactions discussed so far, methylenebis(oxazolines) were found to be superior to bioxazo-lines of type (4). However, there are some enantioselective metal-catalyzed processes for which the bioxazolines (4) are better suited than neutral or anionic methylenebis(oxazolines). Two examples, the Ir-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of aryl alkyl ketones and the Rh-catalyzed hydrosilylation of acetophenone, are given in eq 10 and eq 11. 

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