By the acyloin condensation

Naoshima Y., Yamaguchi M Ichimoto I. and Ueda H. (1974) Synthesis of cyclotene and its related compounds by the acyloin condensation. Agric. Biol. Chem. 38, 2273-4. 

Cyclization of difunctional compounds is illustrated by the acyloin condensation of diesters (Fig. 19), conventionally performed with sodium in refluxing solvents, and improved by the presence of trimethylchlorosilane. A practical improvement was made with the use of technical-grade TMSCl and ultrasonically dispersed sodium.Thus, the reaction occurs at 0°C in 0.5 to 3 h. An experimental description is given in Ch. 9, p. 331. A chiral center at the a-position of the carbonyl does not suffer racemization. With p-halo esters, cyclizations lead to cyclopropyl derivatives in high yields, except with sterically hindered substrates. A similar reaction occurs with zinc and oxazabutadienes substituted by trifluoromethyl groups, with a fluoride ion as the leaving group (Eq. 15).ii ... 

Active carbonyl compounds such as benzaldehyde attack the electron-rich double bond in DTDAFs to give a dipolar adduct, which immediately undergoes dissociation with formation of two molecules of 146 (64BSF2857 67LA155).Tlie existence of by-products such as benzoin led to the synthetic application of thiazolium salts in the acyloin condensation. For example, replacement of the classic cyanide ion by 3-benzyl-4-methyl-5(/3-hydroxyethyl) thiazolium salts allowed the benzoin-type condensation to take place in nonaqueous solvents (76AGE639) (Scheme 57). 

The intramolecular condensation reaction of diesters, the Dieckmann condensation, works best for the formation of 5- to 7-membered rings larger rings are formed with low yields, and the acyloin condensation may then be a faster competitive reaction. With non-symmetric diesters two different products can be formed. The desired product may be obtained regioselectively by a modified procedure using a solid support—e.g with a polystyrene 10 ... 

Yields in the acyloin condensation can be improved by running the reaction in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane MesSiCl, in which case the dianion 36 is converted to the bis silyl enol ether 38, which can be isolated and subsequent )... 

Whereas condensation of a-hydroxy ketones such as benzoin and acetoin on heating with formamide [240] or ureas in acetic acid [239, 242] to form imidazoles such as 769 or 770 is a well known reaction, only two publications have yet discussed the amination of silylated enediols, prepared by Riihlmann-acyloin condensation of diesters [241], by sodium, in toluene, in the presence of TCS 14 [241, 242]. Thus the silylated acyloins 771 and higher homologues, derived from Riihl-... 

There has been considerable discussion of the mechanism of the acyloin condensation. One formulation of the reaction envisages coupling of radicals generated by one-electron transfer. 

Big ring ketones (cf. the acyloin condensation, p.218) may be obtained also by working at high dilution, i.e. the carbanion carbon atom then has a greater chance of reacting with the ester carbonyl carbon atom at the other end of its own chain than with one that is attached to a different molecule (intermolecular reaction). 

The reason why the acyloin synthesis is especially characteristic of aromatic aldehydes, depends on the circumstance that in the aromatic series the tertiary carbon atom in the ring does not allow of the aldol condensation, a reaction for which conditions are otherwise much more favourable. The simplest example of the acyloin condensation, moreover, was already encountered in the case of formaldehyde (p. 218) glycollic aldehyde is the simplest acyloin. Acyloin compounds are also produced, in the aliphatic series, by the action of sodium or potassium on esters, and hence are also formed as by-products in the acetoacetic ester synthesis (Bouveault, Scheibler). 

Alkyl alkanoates are reduced only at very negative potentials so that preparative scale experiments at mercury or lead cathodes are not successful. Phenyl alkanoates afford 30-36% yields of the alkan-l-ol under acid conditions [148]. Preparative scale reduction of methyl alkanoates is best achieved at a magnesium cathode in tetrahydrofuran containing tm-butanol as proton donor. The reaction is carried out in an undivided cell with a sacrificial magnesium anode and affords the alkan-l-ol in good yields [151]. In the absence of a proton donor and in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane, acyloin derivatives 30 arc formed in a process related to the acyloin condensation of esters using sodium in xylene [152], Radical-anions formed initially can be trapped by intramolecular addition to an alkene function in substrates such as 31 to give aiicyclic products [151]. 

The acyloin condensation is closely related to the radical anion coupling forming pinacolate anions two ester radical anions couple to form a dianion, which readily loses two alkoxide ions. The resulting diketone then is reduced by sodium, first to a semidione radical anion, then to the dianion. Finally, aqueous work-up produces the acyloin. Acyloins are convenient precursors for the generation of semidione radical anions. ... 

The acyloin condensation was used in an ingenious manner to prepare the first reported catenane (see p. 91).727 The catenane (39) was prepared by a statistical synthesis (p. 91) in the following manner An acyloin condensation was performed on the diethyl ester of the C34 dicarboxylic acid (tetratriacontandioic acid) to give the cyclic acyloin 37. This was reduced by a Clemmensen reduction with DCI in D20 instead of HC1 in H20, thus producing a C34 cycloalkane containing deuterium (38) 728... 

Acyloin condensation.5 The acyloin condensation of 1,4- to 1,6-diesters according to the Ruhlmann version using chlorotrimethylsilane and highly dispersed sodium is markedly simplified by sonochemical activation. Technical grade ClSi(CH3)3 and small cubic pieces of sodium can be used. 

Carboxylic esters react with sodium metal to give a-hydroxy ketones (often referred to as acyloins). The reaction, known as the acyloin condensation, is thought to proceed by the mechanism shown in Figure Si3.13. 

As a matter of fact, 42 is readily accessible, starting with the acyloin condensation of succinic esters in the presence of trimethylsilylchloride to provide 1,2-disiloxycyclo-butene 161 in high yields 93). Bromination of 161 in pentane at low temperature, led to the 1,2-cyclobutanedione 162, which underwent acid or base induced ring contraction to 1-hydroxycyclopropanecarboxylic acid 4294). More conveniently, 42 was prepared in a one-pot reaction by first adding bromine in CH2C12 at —10 °C and then ice-water to 161 the hydroxyacid 42 was obtained by continuous extraction in 94 % yield, Eq. (52) 95-96). 

The bifunctional nature and the presence of a stereocenter make a-hydroxyketones (acyloins) amenable to further synthetic transformations. There are two classical chemical syntheses for these a-hydroxyketones the acyloin condensation and the benzoin condensation. In the acyloin condensation a new carbon-carbon bond is formed by a reduction, for instance with sodium. In the benzoin condensation the new carbon-carbon bond is formed with the help of an umpolung, induced by the formation of a cyanohydrin. A number of enzymes catalyze this type of reaction, and as might be expected, the reaction conditions are considerably milder [2-4, 26, 27]. In addition the enzymes such as benzaldehyde lyase (BAL) catalyze the formation of a new carbon-carbon bond enantioselectively. Transketolases (TK)... 

Dihydroxykaurenolide, previously isolated as a microbiological transformation product of steviol, has been found as a metabolite of a strain of Fusarium monoliforme. The acyloin condensation of the keto-ester (76) under carefully-controlled conditions affords a means of reconstructing the tetracyclic kauranoid skeleton (77). The diol (77) was converted into steviol, which was accompanied by only small amounts of the isomeric beyerane diol. 

This is the acyloin condensation linking together radicals derived from esters by electron donation ffom a dissolving metal (here sodium). If the esters can form enolates, the addition of MesSiCl protects against that problem by removing the EtO by-product. 

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