Carbonyl compounds with acetylide ions

THE REACTIONS OF CARBONYL COMPOUNDS WITH ACETYLIDE IONS... 

Reaction of carbonyl compounds with acetylide ions (Section 17.5). The mechanism is shown on page 801. 

Methylsulfinyl carbanion (dimsyl ion) is prepared from 0.10 mole of sodium hydride in 50 ml of dimethyl sulfoxide under a nitrogen atmosphere as described in Chapter 10, Section III. The solution is diluted by the addition of 50 ml of dry THF and a small amount (1-10 mg) of triphenylmethane is added to act as an indicator. (The red color produced by triphenylmethyl carbanion is discharged when the dimsylsodium is consumed.) Acetylene (purified as described in Chapter 14, Section I) is introduced into the system with stirring through a gas inlet tube until the formation of sodium acetylide is complete, as indicated by disappearance of the red color. The gas inlet tube is replaced by a dropping funnel and a solution of 0.10 mole of the substrate in 20 ml of dry THF is added with stirring at room temperature over a period of about 1 hour. In the case of ethynylation of carbonyl compounds (given below), the solution is then cautiously treated with 6 g (0.11 mole) of ammonium chloride. The reaction mixture is then diluted with 500 ml of water, and the aqueous solution is extracted three times with 150-ml portions of ether. The ether solution is dried (sodium sulfate), the ether is removed (rotary evaporator), and the residue is fractionally distilled under reduced pressure to yield the ethynyl alcohol. 

Two different approaches are commonly used for the synthesis of alkynes. In the first, an appropriate electrophile undergoes nucleophilic attack by an acetylide ion. The electrophile may be an unhindered primary alkyl halide (undergoes Sn2), or it may be a carbonyl compound (undergoes addition to give an alcohol). Either reaction joins two fragments and gives a product with a lengthened carbon skeleton. This approach is used in many laboratory syntheses of alkynes. 

An acetylide ion is another example of a carbon nucleophile that reacts with carbonyl compounds. When the reaction is over, a weak acid (one that will not react with the triple bond, such as pyridinium ion), is added to the reaction mixture to protonate the alkoxide ion. 

In the remainder of this chapter, particular reactions are selected for examination of their synthetic potential. Acetylide ions are useful for linking carhon chains, particularly where a double bond is desired with stereoselectivity. Acetylene and 1-alkynes may be deprotonated with strong bases such as LDA and then treated with alkyl halides or carbonyl compounds. Preformed lithium acetylide complexed with ethylenediamine is available as a dry powder. Several alkynes derived from acetylide and carbon dioxide or formaldehyde are available, including propargyl alcohol (HC CCHjOH), propargyl bromide (HC CCH Br), and methyl propio-late (HC=CC02CH3). 

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