Asymmetric aldol reactions using ketone-derived enolates

Aldol reactions using phosphoramides as organocatalysts The organic base-catalyzed asymmetric intermolecular aldol reaction with ketone-derived donors can be successfully applied to the construction of aldol products with two stereogenic centers [82-86]. Trichlorosilyl enolates of type 51 have been used as nucleophiles. Such enolates are strongly activated ketone derivatives and react spontaneously with several aldehydes at —80 °C. A first important result was that in the aldol reaction of 51 catalytic amounts of HMPA led to acceleration of the rate of reaction. After screening several optically active phosphoramides as catalysts in a model reaction the aldol product anti-53 was obtained with a diastereomeric... 

Independently, Yamamoto, Yanagisawa, and others reported the asymmetric aldol reaction using trimethoxysilyl enol ethers.19 The reaction was conducted with aldehydes and trimethoxysilyl enol ethers in the presence of Tol-BINAP-AgF to give the corresponding adducts with high enantioselectivities and diastereoselectiv-ities. They obtained vyra-aldol adducts as major products even when silyl enol ethers derived from cyclic ketones were used. Moreover, when a,(3-unsaturated aldehydes were employed as substrates, 1,2 adducts were obtained exclusively (Table 9.10). From an NMR study and correlation between the E Z ratio of the enol ethers and diastereoselectiviy, they proposed a cyclic transition state (Fig. 9.5). Thus, the reaction of E enol ethers proceeded via a boat form, whereas the reaction of Z enol ethers took place via a chair form. 

Fluoral hydrate and hemiacetals are industrial products. They are stable liquids that are easy to handle, and they react as fluoral itself in many reactions. Thus, in the presence of Lewis acids, they react in Friedel-Crafts reactions. They also react very well with organometallics (indium and zinc derivatives) and with silyl enol ethers.Proline-catalyzed direct asymmetric aldol reaction of fluoral ethyl hemiac-etal with ketones produced jS-hydroxy-jS-trifluoromethylated ketones with good to excellent diastereo- (up to 96% de) and enantioselectivities. With imine reagents, the reaction proceeds without Lewis acid activation. The use of chiral imines affords the corresponding 8-hydroxy ketones with a 60-80% de (Figure 2.49). ° ... 

Carbonyl Addition Diethylzinc has been added to benzaldehyde at room temperature in the presence of an ephedra-derived chiral quat (8) to give optically active secondary alcohols, a case in which the chiral catalyst affords a much higher enantioselectivity in the solid state than in solution (47 to 48, Scheme 10.6) [30]. Asymmetric trifluoromethylation of aldehydes and ketones (49 to 50, Scheme 10.6 [31]) is accomplished with trifluoromethyl-trimethylsilane, catalyzed by a quaternary ammonium fluoride (3d). Catalyst 3d was first used by the Shioiri group for catalytic asymmetric aldol reactions from silyl enol ethers 51 or 54 (Scheme 10.6) [32]. Various other 1,2-carbonyl additions [33] and aldol reactions [34] have been reported. 

It is worth noting that, in a similar manner to enzymatic conversions with type I or II aldolases, a direct asymmetric aldol reaction was achieved when L-proline was used as catalyst. Accordingly, the use of enol derivatives of the ketone component is not necessary, i.e. ketones (acting as donors) can be used directly without previous modification [72]. So far, most asymmetric catalytic aldol reactions with... 

The capability of L-proline - as a simple amino acid from the chiral pool - to act like an enzyme has been shown by List, Lemer und Barbas III [4] for one of the most important organic asymmetric transformations, namely the catalytic aldol reaction [5]. In addition, all the above-mentioned requirements have been fulfilled. In the described experiments the conversion of acetone with an aldehyde resulted in the formation of the desired aldol products in satisfying to very good yields and with enantioselectivities of up to 96% ee (Scheme 1) [4], It is noteworthy that, in a similar manner to enzymatic conversions with aldolases of type I or II, a direct asymmetric aldol reaction was achieved when using L-proline as a catalyst. Accordingly the use of enol derivatives of the ketone component is not necessary, that is, ketones (acting as donors) can be used directly without previous modification [6]. So far, most of the asymmetric catalytic aldol reactions with synthetic catalysts require the utilization of enol derivatives [5]. The first direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction in the presence of a chiral heterobimetallic catalyst has recently been reported by the Shibasaki group [7]. 

Aldol Reactions. Pseudoephedrine amide enolates have been shown to undergo highly diastereoselective aldol addition reactions, providing enantiomerically enriched p-hydroxy acids, esters, ketones, and their derivatives (Table 11). The optimized procedure for the reaction requires enolization of the pseudoephedrine amide substrate with LDA followed by transmeta-lation with 2 equiv of ZrCp2Cl2 at —78°C and addition of the aldehyde electrophile at — 105°C. It is noteworthy that the reaction did not require the addition of lithium chloride to favor product formation as is necessary in many other pseudoephedrine amide enolate alkylation reactions. The stereochemistry of the alkylation is the same as that observed with alkyl halides and the formation of the 2, i-syn aldol adduct is favored. The tendency of zirconium enolates to form syn aldol products has been previously reported. The p-hydroxy amide products obtained can be readily transformed into the corresponding acids, esters, and ketones as reported with other alkylated pseudoephedrine amides. An asymmetric aldol reaction between an (S,S)-(+)-pseudoephe-drine-based arylacetamide and paraformaldehyde has been used to prepare enantiomerically pure isoflavanones. ... 

Trost and coworkers developed a chiral zinc phenoxide for the asymmetric aldol reaction of acetophenone or hydroxyacetophenone with aldehydes (equations 62 and 63) . This method does not involve the prior activation of the carbonyls to silyl enol ethers as in the Mukaiyama aldol reactions. Shibasaki and coworkers employed titanium phenoxide derived from a phenoxy sugar for the asymmetric cyanosilylation of ketones (equation 64). 2-Hydroxy-2 -amino-l,l -binaphthyl was employed in the asymmetric carbonyl addition of diethylzinc , and a 2 -mercapto derivative in the asymmetric reduction of ketones and carbonyl allylation using allyltin ° . ... 

Shibasaki et al. also developed catalytic reactions of copper, some of which can be applied to catalytic asymmetric reactions. Catalytic aldol reactions of silicon enolates to ketones proceed using catalytic amounts of CuF (2.5 mol%) and a stoichiometric amount of (EtO)3SiF (120 mol%) (Scheme 104).500 Enantioselective alkenylation catalyzed by a complex derived from CuF and a chiral diphosphine ligand 237 is shown in Scheme 105.501 Catalytic cyanomethyla-tion by using TMSCH2CN was also reported, as shown in Scheme 106.502... 

Aldol and imino-aldol reactions. A Yb complex prepared from YbfOTflj and a C -symmetric a,a -bistriflamidobibenzyl has been used in the Mukaiyama aldol reaction," resulting in moderate asymmetric induction. Imines are activated toward enol derivatives, such as ketene silyl ethers. iV-(a-aminoalkyl)benzotriazoles are suitable surrogates of imines. One-pot syntheses of p-amino esters and ketones can also be achieved. 

Enolates, generated by Michael addition reactions of a,p-unsaturated esters or ketones, can add to aldehydes. If the Michael addition is carried out with a tertiary amine (or phosphine) then this is referred to as the Baylis-Hillman reaction. Typically, an amine such as l,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) is used. After the aldol reaction, the tertiary amine is eliminated and it can therefore be used as a catalyst (1.61). The reaction is somewhat slow (requiring several days), but rates may be enhanced with other amines such as quinuclidine or quinidine derivatives, the latter effecting asymmetric reaction with high levels of selectivity. ... 

In the approaches toward a direct asymmetric Mannich reaction by enolate formation with the metal of the catalyst also, the well-proved systems of the analogous aldol reactions were widely applied. Here, it is referred to some of these protocols wherein a metal enolate is involved, as least as assumed and plausible intermediate [183]. Shibasaki and coworkers used a dinuclear zinc complex derived from linked BINOL ligand 371 for catalyst in direct Mannich reactions of a-hydroxy ketones 370 with Af-diphenylphosphinoyl imines 369 to give ti-configured a-hydroxy-P-amino ketones 372 in high yield, diastereoselectivity, and enantioselectivity (Scheme 5.97) [184]. The authors postulate the metal to form a chelated zinc enolate by double deprotonation of the a-hydroxy ketone. This enolate approaches with its Si-face to the Si-face of the imine, as illustrated by the transition state model 373, in agreement with the observed stereochemical outcome. It is remarkable that opposite simple diastereoselectivity arises from the Mannich reaction (anti-selective) and the previously reported syn-selective aldol reaction [185], although the zinc enolates... 

The asymmetric catalysis using SiCU and (107) is effective also in enantioselective Mukaiyama aldol reaction of TMS enolates derived from methyl ketones [164]. Addition of i-Pr2NEt improves the yield of adducts. The amine probably acts as a proton scavenger to suppress the protodesilylation of the enolates with adventitious HCl. The reaction of TMS enolates derived from ethyl ketones shows high anti diastereoselectivity as in the case of the TBS enolate of t-butyl propanoate. 

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