Configurational stereochemical control

In the synthesis of polymers it is very important to control the configuration of the multiple stereogenic centers but free radical methods generally fail to give significant stereochemical control (96T(52)4181). To compare the effects of several chiral and achiral auxiliary groups, acrylamides of type 110 were studied. 

Stereochemical Control by the Aldehyde. A chiral center in an aldehyde can influence the direction of approach by an enolate or other nucleophile. This facial selectivity is in addition to the simple syn, anti diastereoselectivity so that if either the aldehyde or enolate contains a stereocenter, four stereoisomers are possible. There are four possible chairlike TSs, of which two lead to syn product from the Z-enolate and two to anti product from the A-enolate. The two members of each pair differ in the facial approach to the aldehyde and give products of opposite configuration at both of the newly formed stereocenters. If the substituted aldehyde is racemic, the enantiomeric products will be formed, making a total of eight stereoisomers possible. 

Stereochemical Control by the Enolate or Enolate Equivalent. The facial selectivity of aldol addition reactions can also be controlled by stereogenic centers in the nucleophile. A stereocenter can be located at any of the adjacent positions on an enolate or enolate equivalent. The configuration of the substituent can influence the direction of approach of the aldehyde. 

Note that aldol condensations I, II and III concern the creation of a relative configuration 2,3-syn, which can be easily achieved starting from the (Z)-enolates 74a-74c. Scheme 9.27 summarises the synthesis of 93 and 95, which are equivalent to fragments B and A, respectively. Compound 88 is the abovementioned Prelog-Djerassi lactonic acid 42 which is obtained in optically pure from (>98% ee). On the other hand, for the stereochemical control of the aldol condensation IV a different methodology is necessary whih involves the coupling of two structurally predefined reactants and which will not be discussed here (Scheme 9.28). An important feature of this reaction is that the coordination of Li" " with the oxygen atom at the P-position of the aldehyde 95 is mainly responsible for the observed stereoselection [22e]. 

Concerted mechanisms have also been considered to justify the high degree of stereoselectivity observed in many instances as, for example, in the cases shown in Scheme 3 [13,18-21], However, the high stereochemical control often observed in many ODPM rearrangements does not necessary imply that the reaction is taking place via concerted mechanisms. A stepwise process is also consistent with the stereochemical outcome of the reaction, where there are conformational or configurational restrictions to rapid C—C rotation. This subject has been extensively discussed and reviewed by Schuster [16]. 

The same conclusion is reached by considering the response of the system when an ethylene molecule is inserted instead of propylene. The effect of the chain end containing an ethylene unit [—CH(CH3)—CHj—CHj—CH2— catalyst] on the stereochemistry of a new propylene unit should be much weaker than that existing in homopolymerization [—CH(CH3)—CH2— catalyst], since it corresponds to a 1,5- and not to a 1,3-asymmetric induction. The new propylene unity should have 0 or / configuration with almost the same probabUity. In contrast, stereochemical control tied to the catalytic center should impose the same configuration on the propylene unit before and after the introduction of the error. This is precisely what does happen with common iso-specific catalysts (407). 

The hypothesis of stereochemical control linked to catalyst chirality was recently confirmed by Ewen (410) who used a soluble chiral catalyst of known configuration. Ethylenebis(l-indenyl)titanium dichloride exists in two diaste-reoisomeric forms with (meso, 103) and C2 (104) symmetry, both active as catalysts in the presence of methylalumoxanes and trimethylaluminum. Polymerization was carried out with a mixture of the two isomers in a 44/56 ratio. The polymer consists of two fractions, their formation being ascribed to the two catalysts a pentane-soluble fraction, which is atactic and derives from the meso catalyst, and an insoluble crystalline fraction, obtained from the racemic catalyst, which is isotactic and contains a defect distribution analogous to that observed in conventional polypropylenes obtained with heterogeneous catalysts. The failure of the meso catalyst in controlling the polymer stereochemistry was attributed to its mirror symmetry in its turn, the racemic compound is able to exert an asymmetric induction on the growing chains due to its intrinsic chirality. 

The key issue for synthesis of pure stereoisomers, in either racemic or enantiomerically pure form, is that the configuration at newly created chiral centers must be controlled in some way. This may be accomplished in several ways. An existing functional group may control the approach of a reagent by coordination. An existing stereocenter may control reactant conformation, and thereby the direction of approach of a reagent. Whatever the detailed mechanism, the synthetic plan must include the means by which the required stereochemical control is to be achieved. When this cannot be done, the price to be paid is a separation of stereoisomers and the resulting reduction in overall yield. 

Stereochemical probes of intramolecular H-abstraction leads to a conclusion not in contradiction with the II electronic configuration and also reveals that simple amidyl radicals react exclusively as the N-radical but not the 0-radical (25). Scarcity of data in this area does not allow a definitive discussion on stereochemical controls of amidyl radical reactions that are being studied in our group. 

Cyclobutadienes represent very reactive alkenes that undergo both [2 + 2] as well as [4 + 2] cycloadditions. Both the cyclodimerizations, mixed [2 + 2] cycloadditions and Diels-Alder reactions of these reactive species have been reviewed (see Houben-Weyl, Vols. 4/4, p 231 and E 17 f, Section 10B). In most instances the initially formed cyclodimer is tricyclo[4.2.0.02-5]octa-3,7-diene (36) and has the all cis-syn configuration. This is attributed to the concerted [4n -I- 2n] cycloaddition mechanism in which stereochemical control is affected by secondary orbital interactions. 

The stereochemistry of ketene to alkcne cycloadditions is such that retention of the alkene configuration is observed. Furthermore, in cycloadditions with unsymmetrically substituted ketenes the larger of the two ketene substituents ends up as with respect to the adjacent alkene substituent (or eiulo in cycloalkene cycloadditions). This stereochemical outcome was originally attributed to the concerted [ff2a + n2a] nature of kctcnc to alkene cycloadditions,21 although more recent experimental and theoretical evidence indicate that these reactions are asynchronous and in some cases in which polarized double bonds are involved actual zwittcrions may be intermediates.9 1195 Also in certain cases the endo product in ketene to alkene cycloadditions may be the thermodynamic product from equilibration studies.22,23 Nevertheless, stereochemical control can be achieved in most such reactions as shown by the examples of 12,24 13,29 14,25 15,26 16,27 and 17.28... 

In 2007, 1,3,4,4-tetrasubstituted (3-lactams have been synthesized with exceptional stereoselectivity from amino acids [240]. The stereochemical control of the cyclization to the four-membered ring was fully dictated by the configuration of the /V-2-chIoropropionvI group in the linear precursor (Scheme 111). 

These two synthetic methods have, therefore, the built-in feature which limits them to the synthesis of aldoglycosyl nucleosides having a trans relationship between Cl and C2 substituents. From the practical point of view, however, in any successful synthesis of a D-ribofuranosyl analog of ribonucleosides, the /S configuration of the product is assured. In contrast, where the 2-acyloxy function is absent (as in poly-O-acyl-2-deoxyglycosyl halides), stereochemical controls of the condensation reaction, by the mechanisms involved in the trans rule, are lacking, and both the a and the /3 nucleoside should be formed.219... 

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