Baylis-Hillman reaction catalysis

In the next step of the sequence, the authors sought to introduce a hydroxy-methylene substituent at the unsubstituted 7-position of the enone. This bond construction can be carried out by conducting a Baylis-Hillman reaction with formaldehyde. In this instance, the authors used a modification of the Baylis-Hillman reaction which involves the use of a Lewis acid to activate the enone [26]. Under these conditions, the enone 42 is treated with excess paraformaldehyde in the presence of triethylphosphine (1 equiv), lanthanum triflate (5 mol%), and triethanolamine (50 mol%). It is proposed that the lanthanum triflate forms a complex with the triethanolamine. This complex is able to activate the enone toward 1,4-addition of the nucleophilic catalysts (here, triethylphosphine). In the absence of triethanolamine, the Lewis acid catalyst undergoes nonproductive complexation with the nucleophilic catalyst, leading to diminution of catalysis. Under these conditions, the hydroxymethylene derivative 37 was formed in 70 % yield. In the next step of the sequence, the authors sought to conduct a stereoselective epoxidation of the allylic... 

To date, hydrogen bond catalysis has been successfully utilized to facilitate enantioselective Michael additions, Baylis-Hillman reactions, Diels-Alder cycloadditions, and additions of 7i-nucleophiles to imines. 

Conjugate Additions and Baylis-Hillman Reactions Peptide catalysts have reemerged as a viable approach to asymmetric catalysis. In particular, Miller... 

Other successful H-bond catalysis apphcations have been introduced by Schaus and Sasai involving asymmetric Morita-Bayhs-Hilhnan (Scheme 11.13c) and aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman reactions (Scheme 11.13d), respectively. Intriguingly, derivatized BINOL systems 33 and 34 provided optimal selectivities. 

Fig. 13. Effect of the ionic liquid [BMIM]PF6 on catalysis of the Baylis-Hillman reaction. Reproduced with permission from Rosa et al. 162).

The widely accepted mechanism of amine catalysis of the Baylis-Hillman reaction... 

An NMR kinetic study of a phosphine-catalysed aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction of but-3-enone with arylidene-tosylamides showed rate-limiting proton transfer in the absence of added protic species, but no autocatalysis.175 Brpnsted acids accelerate the elimination step. Study of the effects of BINOL-phosphinoyl catalysts sheds light not only on the potential for enantioselection with such bifunctional catalysis, but also on their scope for catalysing racemization. 

The mechanism of the Baylis-Hillman reaction has been re-evaluated in terms of implications in asymmetric catalysis.39 These studies have shown that in the absence of added protic species, the initial stage of the Baylis-Hillman involves rate-limiting proton transfer. 

Michael-aldol reaction as an alternative to the Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction 14 recent results in conjugate addition of nitroalkanes to electron-poor alkenes 15 asymmetric cyclopropanation of chiral (l-phosphoryl)vinyl sulfoxides 16 synthetic methodology using tertiary phosphines as nucleophilic catalysts in combination with allenoates or 2-alkynoates 17 recent advances in the transition metal-catalysed asymmetric hydrosilylation of ketones, imines, and electrophilic C=C bonds 18 Michael additions catalysed by transition metals and lanthanide species 19 recent progress in asymmetric organocatalysis, including the aldol reaction, Mannich reaction, Michael addition, cycloadditions, allylation, epoxidation, and phase-transfer catalysis 20 and nucleophilic phosphine organocatalysis.21... 

In a breakthrough in IL chemistry directed to applications in asymmetric catalysis using chiral reaction media, Leitner and co-workers developed an enantioselective aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction, where enantiocontrol was ensured by the use of IL 36 as solvent. Scheme 1.17 shows the synthesis of the chiral anion. This is the first example in the literature of ees of the order of magnitude of 85% due to the use of a chiral solvent. The imine and the catalyst (10mol.%) are dissolved in the IL, then methyl vinyl ketone is added and the reaction is simply carried out by stirring at rt for 24 h (Scheme 1.18). 

The three-component Baylis-Hillman reaction was also performed on 2-chlorotrityl chloride resin by treating polymer-bound acrylic acid with aldehydes and sulfonamides in dioxane at 70 °C for 16 h under DABCO catalysis (Fig. 6.4). Both scaffolds, 3-hydroxy-2-methylidene propionic acids as well as 2-methylidene-3-aminoarylsulfonyl-propionic acids, are precursors for the synthesis of MCSLs. 

Leadbeater, N.E. and van der Pol, C. (2001) Development of catalysts for the Baylis-Hillman reaction the application of tetramethylguanidine and attempts to use a supported analogue. Journal of the Chemical Society - Perkin Transactions 1, 2831-2835 Graunger, R.S., Leadbeater, N.E. and Pamies, M.A. (2002) The tetramethylguanidine catalysed Baylis-Hillman reaction effects of co-catalysts and alcohol solvents on reaction rate. Catalysis Communications, 3, 449-452. 

Some other very important events in the historic development of asymmetric organocatalysis appeared between 1980 and the late 1990s, such as the development of the enantioselective alkylation of enolates using cinchona-alkaloid-based quaternary ammonium salts under phase-transfer conditions or the use of chiral Bronsted acids by Inoue or Jacobsen for the asymmetric hydro-cyanation of aldehydes and imines respectively. These initial reports acted as the launching point for a very rich chemistry that was extensively developed in the following years, such as the enantioselective catalysis by H-bonding activation or the asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis. The same would apply to the development of enantioselective versions of the Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction,to the use of polyamino acids for the epoxidation of enones, also known as the Julia epoxidation or to the chemistry by Denmark in the phosphor-amide-catalyzed aldol reaction. ... 

P-Stereogenic Ligands in Enantioselective Catalysis 8 The Chemistry of the Morita-Baylis-Hillman Reaction... 

But, Yukawa et al. used lanthanum isopropoxide/BINOL system, 128, for the catalysis of asymmetric aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction (reaction 7.28), in which the electron-deficient alkenes, 129, reacted with... 

Recent advances in organocatalytic asymmetric Morita-Baylis-Hillman reactions and their aza-variants have been reviewed (112 references), with a particular focus on amine- and phosphine-catalysed routes, and bifunctional catalysis. 0... 

Scheme 7.43 Brensted acid catalysis of 24 for the Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction.

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