Carboxylate dianions

With few exceptions the dianions of monoalkyl and monoaryl phosphates are unreactive but with a good leaving group, e.g. carboxylate, dianions undergo hydrolysis. The same reasoning applies to a dinitrophenoxide anion and the pH-rate profile for the hydrolyses of 2,4- and 2,6-dinitrophenyl phosphates differs from those of other aryl phosphates in that the dianion is more reactive than the monoanion species (Fig. 2)22-23. This reactivity is at-... 

The conjugate addition of unstabilized enolates to various acceptors was conceptually recognized by early researchers however, complications were encountered depending on the enolates and acceptors employed. Reexamination of this strategy was made possible by the development of techniques for kinetic enolate formation. This discussion is divided into three enolate classes (a) aldehyde and ketone enolates, azaenolates or equivalents, (b) ester and amide enolates, dithioenolates and dienolates and (c) a,0-carboxylic dianions and a-nitrile anions, in order to emphasize the differential reactivity of various enolates with various acceptors."7 The a-nitrile anions are included because of their equivalence to the hypothetical a-carboxylic acid anion. 

In contrast to the ester enolates, the a.O-carboxylic dianions are intrinsically more reactive and their use in conjugate reactions is thus limited. Typically, a-substituted-a.O-carboxylic dianions add exclusively to a,(3-unsaturated esters155a and nitroalkenes,155b while additions to ot,(3-enones are sensitive to the substitution pattern of the enones.155c>d Notable is the conjugate addition of dihydrobenzoic acid dianions (207), from Birch reduction of benzoic acids, to oi,3-unsaturated esters (Scheme 77).155e... 

Epoxides provide another useful a -synthon. Nucleophilic ring opening with dianions of carboxylic acids (P.L. Creger, 1972) leads to y-hydroxy carboxylic acids or y-lactones. Addition of imidoester anions to epoxides yields y-hydroxyaldehyde derivatives after reduction (H.W. Adickes, 1969). 

The 1.3-allylic diacetate 135 can be used for the formation of the methy-lenecyclopentane 137 with the dianionic compound 136(86]. The cyclohexa-none-2-carboxylate 138 itself undergoes a similar annulation with the 1,3-allylic diacetate 135 to form the methylenecyclohexane derivative 139(90]. The reaction was applied as a key step in the synthesis of huperzin A[91]. On the other hand. C- and 0-allylations of simple J-dikctones or. 1-keto esters take place, yielding a dihydropyran 140(92]. 

The dianions derived from furan- and thiophene-carboxylic acids by deprotonation with LDA have been reacted with various electrophiles (Scheme 64). The oxygen dianions reacted efficiently with aldehydes and ketones but not so efficiently with alkyl halides or epoxides. The sulfur dianions reacted with allyl bromide, a reaction which failed in the case of the dianions derived from furancarboxylic acids, and are therefore judged to be the softer nucleophiles (81JCS(Pl)1125,80TL505l). 

Dicarboxylic acids have two dissociation constants, one for the initial dissociation i into a monoanion and one for the second dissociation into a dianion, i-or oxalic acid, H02C—COoH, the first ionization constant has p/Cal = 1.2 and the second ionization constant has pKa2 = 4.2. Why is the second carboxyl group so much less acidic than the first ... 

Because hydride ion is a base as well as a nucleophile, the actual nucleophilic acyl substitution step takes place on the carboxylate ion rather than on the free carboxylic acid and gives a high-energy dianion intermediate. In this intermediate, the two oxygens are undoubtedly complexed to a Lewis acidic aluminum species. Thus, the reaction is relatively difficult, and acid reductions require higher temperatures and extended reaction times. 

The straightforward construction of substituted pyrone 4 proceeded as follows (see Scheme 6c). Alkylation of the monoanion of 2,4-pentanedione (8) with methyl iodide furnishes 3-methyl-2,4-pentanedione. Conversion of this substance into the corresponding dianion with sodium amide followed by selective carboxylation of the more basic site provides intermediate 7. Pyrone 4 is obtained after cyclization with l,l -carbonyldiimidazole and methylation of the resulting enol with dimethyl sulfate. 

A completely different dipolar cycloaddition model has been proposed39 in order to rationalize the stereochemical outcome of the addition of doubly deprotonated carboxylic acids to aldehydes, which is known as the Ivanov reaction. In the irreversible reaction of phenylacetic acid with 2,2-dimethylpropanal, metal chelation is completely unfavorable. Thus simple diastereoselectivity in favor of u f/-adducts is extremely low when chelating cations, e.g., Zn2 + or Mg- +, are used. Amazingly, the most naked dianions provide the highest anti/syn ratios as indicated by the results obtained with the potassium salt in the presence of a crown ether. 

The lithium dianions of carboxylic acids add to 1-nitrocyclohexene to give, after acid hydrolysis, a mixture of diastereomeric y-oxo acids. The diastereoselectivity of these reactions, however, was not reported7. 

These can be prepared in good yield by reaction of either the mono-anions of trimethylsilyl carboxylates or, preferably, the dianions of carboxylic acids with TMSCI. Acetic and propionic acids give mixtures of O- and C-silylated products. 

Carboxylic acids can be alkylated in the a position by conversion of their salts to dianions [which actually have the enolate structures RCH=C(0")2 ] by treatment with a strong base such as LDA. The use of Li as the counterion is important, because it increases the solubility of the dianionic salt. The reaction has been applied to primary alkyl, allylic, and benzylic halides, and to carboxylic acids of the form RCH2COOH and RR"CHCOOH. This method, which is an example of the alkylation of a dianion at its more nucleophilic position (see p. 458),... 

We have previously seen (10-106) that dianions of carboxylic acids can be alkylated in the a position. These ions can also be acylated on treatment with a carboxylic... 

The published synthesis uses (28) with acetylene itself, the acid group being added later. Note that the carboxyl at ion is chemoselective, the dianion of (29) being the reagent (cf p T129). Synthesis ... 

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