Asymmetric Aldol-Type Reactions

SCHEME 117. Asymmetric aldol-type reaction between aldehydes and a-isocyano-phosphonates. 

SCHEME 120. Lewis acid-catalyzed asymmetric aldol-type reaction of enol silyl ethers. 

The silatropic ene pathway, that is, direct silyl transfer from an silyl enol ether to an aldehyde, may be involved as a possible mechanism in the Mukaiyama aldol-type reaction. Indeed, ab initio calculations show that the silatropic ene pathway involving the cyclic (boat and chair) transition states for the BH3-promoted aldol reaction of the trihydrosilyl enol ether derived from acetaldehyde with formaldehyde is favored [60], Recently, we have reported the possible intervention of a silatropic ene pathway in the catalytic asymmetric aldol-type reaction of silyl enol ethers of thioesters [61 ]. Chlorine- and amine-containing products thus obtained are useful intermediates for the synthesis of carnitine and GABOB (Scheme 8C.26) [62],... 

Scheme 8C.28. Asymmetric aldol-type reaction of Danishefky s diene.

Scheme 8C.29. Asymmetric aldol-type reaction catalyzed by chiral Schiff base-Ti...

Whilst simple alkylations of enolates and Michael additions have been successfully catalyzed by phase-transfer catalysts, aldol-type processes have proved more problematic. This difficulty is due largely o the reversible nature of the aldol reaction, resulting in the formation of a thermodynamically more stable aldol product rather than the kinetically favored product. However, by trapping the initial aldol product as soon as it is formed, asymmetric aldol-type reactions can be carried out under phase-transfer catalysis. This is the basis of the Darzens condensation (Scheme 8.2), in which the phase-transfer catalyst first induces the deprotonation of an a-halo... 

Asymmetric aldol-type reactions.1 This chiral diamine (1) in combination with tin(II) triflate and tributyltin fluoride (15, 314-315) effects a highly enantioselective aldol-type reaction between ketene silyl acetals and aldehydes. A tentative structure (2) has been suggested for the promotor. 

The second part of the chapter deals with several kinds of asymmetric reactions catalyzed by unique heterobimetallic complexes. These reagents are lanthanoid-alkali metal hybrids which form BINOL derivative complexes (LnMB, where Ln = lanthanoid, M = alkali metal, and B = BINOL derivative). These complexes efficiently promote asymmetric aldol-type reactions as well as asymmetric hydrophosphonylations of aldehydes (catalyzed by LnLB, where L = lithium), asymmetric Michael reactions (catalyzed by LnSB, where S = sodium), and asymmetric hydrophosphonylations of imines (catalyzed by LnPB, where P = potassium) to give the corresponding desired products in up to 98% ee. Spectroscopic analysis and computer simulations of these asymmetric reactions have revealed the synergistic cooperation of the two different metals in the complexes. These complexes are believed to function as both Brpnsted bases and as Lewis acids may prove to be applicable to a variety of new asymmetric catalytic reactions.1,2... 

For catalytic asymmetric aldol-type reactions, the transformation of the methylene compounds to a silyl enolate or a silyl ketene acetal was at one time necessary. Recently, the aldol reaction of aldehydes with non-modified ketones was realized by use of the lanthanum-Li3-trisf(/ )-bi-naphthoxidej catalyst 22 [18]. According to the proposed catalytic cycle, after abstraction of an a-proton from the ketone, the reaction between the lithium-enolate complex and the aldehyde... 

Asymmetric Aldol-Type Reaction. CAB complex (2) is an excellent catalyst for the Mukaiyama condensation of simple achiral enol silyl ethers of ketones with various aldehydes. The CAB-catalyzed aldol process allows the formation of adducts in a highly diastereo- and enantioselective manner (up to 96% ee) under mild reaction conditions (eqs 4 and 5). The reactions are catalytic 20 mol % of catalyst is sufficient for efficient conversion, and the chiral auxiliary can be recovered and reused. 

A catalytic asymmetric aldol-type reaction of ketene silyl acetals with achiral aldehydes also proceeds with the CAB catalyst (2), which can furnish syn-p-hydroxy esters with high enantioselectivity (eq 6). 

Optically active ferrocenylbisphosphines, (/J)-N,iV-dimethyl-l-[(5)-1, 2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocenyIJethylamine [(/J)-(5)-BPPFA] and its derivatives, are efficient chiral bisphos-phine ligands for rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation, palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution reactions, and gold-catalyzed asymmetric aldol-type reactions of a-isocyano carboxylates. ... 

Soloshonok and Hayashi applied chiral ferrocenylphosphine-gold(I) complexes to asymmetric aldol-type reactions of fluorinated benzaldehydes with methyl isocyano-acetate (27) and A, A/-dimethyl-a-isocyanoacetamide (95). It is noteworthy that successive substitution of hydrogen atoms by fluorine in the phenyl ring of benzaldehyde causes gradual increase of both the cis selectivity and the ee of cw-oxazolines [53]. 

Having developed an efficient catalytic asymmetric nitroaldol reaction, we next applied our attention to a direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction. The aldol reaction is generally regarded as one of the most powerful carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. The development of a range of catalytic asymmetric aldol-type reactions has proven to be a valuable contribution to asymmetric synthesis. In all these catalytic asymmetric aldol-type reactions, however, preconversion of the ketone moiety to a more reactive speeies such as an enol silyl ether, enol methyl ether or ketene silyl... 

Chiral borane catalyst 47g, prepared from N-losyl-(a.S, /j R)-/i-melhyltryptophari and (p-chlorophenyl)dibromoborane, is fairly effective in asymmetric aldol-type reaction of 1,3-dioxolanes bearing an aryl or vinyl group at fhe 2-position (Scheme 10.45) [125]. The ring-cleavage products can be converted into free aldols without epimerization by iodination and subsequent reduction. The chiral borane-promoted reaction wifh 48 is very valuable for asymmetric desymmetrization of symmetric 1,3-dioxolanes and 1,3-dioxanes leading to mono protected 1,2- and 1,3-diols, respectively [126]. 

The reactions of enolates with aldehydes (aldol reactions) or with imines have been widely developed since the 1970s. Asymmetric aldol-type reactions are very important in the multistep synthesis of complex molecules such as ionophores or p-lactam antibiotics. Chirality has been introduced either on the substituents of boron, on the metal ligands or on the carbon skeleton of the enolate. Aldol reactions are usually run at low temperatures, and when metal enolates are used, the reactions are sometimes easily reversible [160, 209],... 

Within the last 10 years, various methods have been employed to synthesize (7 )-citramalate derivatives with acceptable enantiomeric purity. One of the first methods that produced reasonably enriched product was based on a tin(II) enolate chiral auxiliary-induced asymmetric aldol-type reaction. 

A direct catalytic asymmetric aldol-type reaction of 3-substituted-2-oxindoles with glyoxal derivatives was catalyzed by a similar chiral )V,A -dioxide-Sc(OTf)3 complex (eq 33). The complex efficiently catalyzed the aldol reaction affording the 3-(a-hydroxy-/3-carbonyl) oxindoles with vicinal quaternary-tertiary stereocenters, in up to 93% yield, 99 1 dr, and >99% ee under mild conditions. 

Kobayashi et aL fulfilled first asymmetric synthesis of febrifugine utilizing tin(II)-catalyzed asymmetric aldol-type reaction and lanthanide-catalyzed... 

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