Carboxylic acids, from malonic acid derivatives

The conversion of acetyl-CoA into malonyl-CoA increases the acidity of the a-hydrogens, and thus provides a better nucleophile for the Claisen condensation. In the biosynthetic sequence, no acy-lated malonic acid derivatives are produced, and no label from [14C]bicarbonate is incorporated, so the carboxyl group introduced into malonyl-CoA is simultaneously lost by a decarboxylation reaction during the Claisen condensation (Figure 3.1). Accordingly, the carboxylation step helps to activate the a-carbon and facilitate Claisen condensation, and the carboxyl is immediately removed on completion of this task. An alternative rationalization is that decarboxylation of the malonyl ester is used to generate the acetyl enolate anion without any requirement for a strong base. 

From 3(5)-hydroxypyrazoles. 5-Hydroxy-l-phenyl-lH-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid ethyl ester 303, derived from diethyl (ethoxymethylene)-malonate and phenylhydrazine hydrochloride, when methylated with dimethyl sulfate in aqueous sodium hydroxide solution afforded pyrazole 304 together with pyrazol-3-one 305 in 16% and 33% yield, respectively (95JHC1341) (Scheme 68). 

The key feature in the decarboxylation of malonic acid derivatives is that they are 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with the acidic proton of the acid in close proximity to a carbonyl oxygen that is two carbon atoms away from the carboxyl unit. The proximity of these units is essential, which is why decarboxylation occurs with 1,3-dicarbonyl compormds and 7 o with 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds. This is a form of an elimination reaction (see Chapter 12). Going back to the expected product, 97 from 96, it is clear that this is a 1,3-dicarbonyl compound capable of decarboxylation upon heating. That is precisely what occurs, so the product is 98 rather than 97. Decarboxylation of malonic acid derivatives gives functionalized carboxylic acids. 

Inherently, the decarboxylation of p-keto acids and malonic acids (1) proceeds very smoothly, as the resulting product bearing anion adjacent to carbonyl group stabilizes as its enolate form (2) [Eq. (1)]. Enzyme-mediated reaction sometimes utilizes this facilitated decarboxylation. Indeed, isocitric acid (3) was oxidized to the corresponding keto acid, which subsequently decarboxylated to a-ketoglutaiic acid (4) by means of isocitrate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.41) [Eq. (2)]. Another example is observed in the formation of acetoacetyl-CoA (5), which occupies the first step of fatty acid biosynthesis. A p-keto carboxylate 6, derived from the acetylation of malonyl-CoA with acetyl-CoA, decarbox-ylates to 5 by the action of 3-ketoacyl synthase [Eq. (3)]. 

Section 21 7 The malonic ester synthesis is related to the acetoacetic ester synthesis Alkyl halides (RX) are converted to carboxylic acids of the type RCH2COOH by reaction with the enolate ion derived from diethyl mal onate followed by saponification and decarboxylation... 

Strategy The malonic ester synthesis converts an alkyl halide into a carboxylic acid having two more carbons. Thus, a seven-carbon acid chain must be derived from the five-carbon alkyl halide 1-bromopentane. 

The alkylation of activated halogen compounds is one of several reactions of trialkylboranes developed by Brown (see also 15-16,15-25,18-31-18-40, etc.). These compounds are extremely versatile and can be used for the preparation of many types of compounds. In this reaction, for example, an alkene (through the BR3 prepared from it) can be coupled to a ketone, a nitrile, a carboxylic ester, or a sulfonyl derivative. Note that this is still another indirect way to alkylate a ketone (see 10-105) or a carboxylic acid (see 10-106), and provides an additional alternative to the malonic ester and acetoacetic ester syntheses (10-104). 

The decarboxylation reaction usually proceeds from the dissociated form of a carboxyl group. As a result, the primary reaction intermediate is more or less a carbanion-like species. In one case, the carbanion is stabilized by the adjacent carbonyl group to form an enolate intermediate as seen in the case of decarboxylation of malonic acid and tropic acid derivatives. In the other case, the anion is stabilized by the aid of the thiazolium ring of TPP. This is the case of transketolases. The formation of carbanion equivalents is essentially important in the synthetic chemistry no matter what methods one takes, i.e., enzymatic or ordinary chemical. They undergo C—C bond-forming reactions with carbonyl compounds as well as a number of reactions with electrophiles, such as protonation, Michael-type addition, substitution with pyrophosphate and halides and so on. In this context,... 

The chiral center would be installed from either Unear carbamate 15 or branched carbamate 16 via the asymmetric addition of malonate anion to the 7i-allyl Mo complex reported by Trost et al. [11] to afford the branched chiral malonate derivative 17. Decarboxylation of 17 should provide the mono-carboxylic acid 18. Masa-mune homologation with 18 affords our common precursor 14. Linear carbamate 15 was obtained from the corresponding cinnamic acid, and branched 16 was prepared in one pot from the corresponding aldehyde. 

The synthesis of ethyl ester derivatives of imidazo[5,l-4][l,2,4]triazole-3-carboxylic acid 64 has been reported (Scheme 25) <1999CHE1349>. Starting from the known substituted 5-diazoimidazoles 276, their coupling with malonic acid derivatives afforded the azo compounds 277, which on treatment with triethylamine in DMF, upon prolonged heating time, gave products 64 in moderate yield. 

V-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)aminomethylenemalonate (749, R = 3-CF3) proved unsuccessful in boiling phosphoryl chloride. The thermal cycliza-tion of ZV-ethyl-N-arylaminomethylenemalonates (749) and their ring closure in acetic acid, in acetic anhydride with zinc chloride, or in a melt of aluminium chloride were likewise unsuccessful (71JHC357). The corresponding quinoline was not obtained in a one-pot version when N-ethylani-line and EMME were reacted in polyphosphoric acid. Table V shows the yields of quinoline-3-carboxylic acid derivatives obtained from /V-ethyl-N-phenyl- and iV-ethyl-7V-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)aminomethylene-malonates (749, R = H and 3,4-0CH20) under various acidic cyclization conditions. 

The reactivity of oxiranes with lithium enoiates and related compounds has been widely explored and reviewed . Dianions derived from carboxylic acids react readily with oxiranes, but the reaction can be slowed by steric hindrance . The reaction of oxiranes with dianions of acetoacetates is greatly accelerated by the addition of BF3 Et20 " . Oxiranes react readily with lithium salts derived from nitriles , malonates and analogues , lithiated oxazolines and lithio enamines . 

Pyrrole- and indole-carboxylic acid chlorides react with dialkyl- and diaryl-cadmium to yield the ketones and it is noteworthy that the reaction of the anhydride of indole-2,3-dicarboxylic acid with diphenylcadmium produces 3-benzoylindole-2-carboxylic acid and not its isomer (53JCS1889). The ability of l-methylindole-2-carboxylic acid to react with nucleophiles is enhanced by conversion into the mixed anhydride with methanesulfonic acid. The mixed anhydride reacts with carbanions derived from diethyl malonate and from methyl acetate to yield the indolyl (3- keto esters (80TL1957). 

If we copy Nature rather more exactly, the Claisen ester condensation can be carried out under neutral conditions. This requires rather different reagents. The enol component is the magnesium salt of a malonate mono-thiol-ester, while the electrophilic component is an imidazolide—an amide derived from the heterocycle imidazole. Imidazole has a pK of about 7, Imidazolides are therefore very reactive amides, of about the same electrophilic reactivity as thiol esters. They are prepared from carboxylic acids with carbonyl diimidazole (CDI). 

The direct fluorination with elemental fluorine at — 78 "C of trimethylsilyl enol ethers derived from diketones results in the formation of the corresponding monofluoro diketones 11 in moderate yield. The trimethylsilyl ethers from cyclic diketones undergo smooth fluorination to give the enol forms, c.g. 12, and not the keto forms.Higher yields are generally observed for the analogous reactions of silyl derivatives of esters, carboxylic acids, malonates, dimethyl amides and lactones (Table 4). ... 

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