Enolates conformation

The type II reaction of these or//zo-alkyl ketones comes only from the 20% of the ground states that are in the anti conformation. Enolization, on the other hand, comes from both conformations. That from the syn conformation apparently is so fast that it is kinetically "static" that from the anti conformation is dynamic. 

The addition of large enolate synthons to cyclohexenone derivatives via Michael addition leads to equatorial substitution. If the cyclohexenone conformation is fixed, e.g. as in decalones or steroids, the addition is highly stereoselective. This is also the case with the S-addition to conjugated dienones (Y. Abe, 1956). Large substituents at C-4 of cyclic a -synthons direct incoming carbanions to the /rans-position at C-3 (A.R. Battersby, 1960). The thermodynamically most stable products are formed in these cases, because the addition of 1,3-dioxo compounds to activated double bonds is essentially reversible. 

Steric and stereoelectronic effects control the direction of approach of an electrophile to the enolate. Electrophiles approach from the least hindered side of the enolate. Numerous examples of such effects have been observed. In ketone and ester enolates that are exocyclic to a conformationally biased cyclohexane ring there is a slight... 

Endocyclic cyclohexanone enolates with 2-alkyl groups show a small preference (1 1-5 1) for approach of the electrophile from the direction that permits the chair conformation to be maintained. ... 

The stereoselectivity of alkylation of 3-acetylbutyrolactone is influenced by additional alkyl substituents on the ring at C-4 and C-5. Analyze possible conformations of the enolate and develop an explanation of the stereoselectivity. 

The first three chapters discuss fundamental bonding theory, stereochemistry, and conformation, respectively. Chapter 4 discusses the means of study and description of reaction mechanisms. Chapter 9 focuses on aromaticity and aromatic stabilization and can be used at an earlier stage of a course if an instructor desires to do so. The other chapters discuss specific mechanistic types, including nucleophilic substitution, polar additions and eliminations, carbon acids and enolates, carbonyl chemistry, aromatic substitution, concerted reactions, free-radical reactions, and photochemistry. 

In the absence of steric factors e.g. 5 ), the attack is antiparallel (A) (to the adjacent axial bond) and gives the axially substituted chair form (12). In the presence of steric hindrance to attack in the preferred fashion, approach is parallel (P), from the opposite side, and the true kinetic product is the axially substituted boat form (13). This normally undergoes an immediate conformational flip to the equatorial chair form (14) which is isolated as the kinetic product. The effect of such factors is exemplified in the behavior of 3-ketones. Thus, kinetically controlled bromination of 5a-cholestan-3-one (enol acetate) yields the 2a-epimer, (15), which is also the stable form. The presence of a 5a-substituent counteracts the steric effect of the 10-methyl group and results in the formation of the unstable 2l5-(axial)halo ketone... 

Epoxidation of the A -enol acetate was originally carried out with per-benzoic acid. Monoperphthalic acid has also been used, but is apparently more susceptible to steric and conformational factors. The commercially available peracetic acid is generally most convenient. Based on the expected backside attack, the derived epoxides have the 17a configuration, and hydrolysis always produces the 17a-hydroxy group. 

Since the conformational inversion of 2c-methylcyclohexanone is the key step in this sequence, the corresponding conformationally more stable system, i.e., cw-2-methyl-4-t-butylcyclohexanone (14), should fail to incorporate any deuterium. This was actually shown to be the case. Treatment of this ketone under identical conditions for d exchange did not show any d incorporation. This evidence also rules out the likelihood of any d incorporation via acid- or base-catalyzed enolization. 

The synthesis of key intermediate 6 begins with the asymmetric synthesis of the lactol subunit, intermediate 8 (see Scheme 3). Alkylation of the sodium enolate derived from carboximide 21 with allyl iodide furnishes intermediate 26 as a crystalline solid in 82 % yield and in >99 % diastereomeric purity after recrystallization. Guided by transition state allylic strain conformational control elements5d (see Scheme 4), the action of sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide on 21 affords chelated (Z)-enolate 25. Chelation of the type illustrated in 25 prevents rotation about the nitrogen-carbon bond and renders... 

The selectivity for (/ ,/ )( ,S)-10 has been rationalized by invoking a synperiplanar enolate species whose conformation is enforced by a donor(enolate oxygen)- acceptor) peril uo-rophenyl) interaction depicted in structure N47. Infrared and variable temperature NMR spectroscopic studies of the neutral precursor complex 8 support the existence of such a donor-acceptor interaction. 

According to these transition state models2,. (y -products are formed via a chair (C) conformation where both the enolate and the imine are in E geometry (E,E) or via a boat (B) transition state where the enolate is in Z and the imine in Econfiguration C(E.E) or B(Z,E). antt-Products are formed via B(E,E) and C(Z,E) transition states. The transition states leading to 1 and 2 are based upon the more stable E geometry of the imine. For cyclic imines a complementary set of transition states can be applied based on the Z geometry of the imine. 

The stereochemical outcome of these reactions is opposite to the enolate reactions described above and has been rationalized as arising from attack on a ground-state conformation in which the sulfoxide (S = 0) and C—C double bonds are syn coplanar2-7. Nucleophilic attack occurs from the least sterically demanding 7t-face, which is anti to the phenyl substituent of the sulfur. Recent theoretical calculations also support this ground-state conformation8. 

The addition of the lithium enolates of methyl acetate and methyl (trimelhylsilyl)acetate to ( + )-(S)-2-(4-methylphenylsulfinyl)-2-cycloalkenones gives, after desulfurization, (/ -substituted cycloalkenones. A higher level of selectivity is observed with the a-silyl ester enolate and in the cyclohexenone series13. The stereochemical outcome is rationalized by assuming attack on a ground-state conformation analogous to that in Section 1.5.3.2.1. 

A similar trend was observed in the reaction of tri- and tetrasubstituted etiolates derived from 2-unsubstituted or 2-bromo substituted 3,4-dihydro-6-methoxy-1(2//)-naphthalenone16. The trisubstituted cnolate underwent addition to (—)-(2 )-2-(4-methylphenylsulfinyl)-2-cyclopen-tenone via attack on the nonchelated conformation to give an adduct of d.r. [(2S)/(2/ )] 77 23. The tetrasubstituted enolate underwent addition to the corresponding ( + )-(5)-enone via attack on the chelated conformation to give an adduct with the same absolute configuration at C-2 but with d.r. [(2R) (2S)] 95.5-97 4.5-3. 

If the carbanion has even a short lifetime, 6 and 7 will assume the most favorable conformation before the attack of W. This is of course the same for both, and when W attacks, the same product will result from each. This will be one of two possible diastereomers, so the reaction will be stereoselective but since the cis and trans isomers do not give rise to different isomers, it will not be stereospecific. Unfortunately, this prediction has not been tested on open-chain alkenes. Except for Michael-type substrates, the stereochemistry of nucleophilic addition to double bonds has been studied only in cyclic systems, where only the cis isomer exists. In these cases, the reaction has been shown to be stereoselective with syn addition reported in some cases and anti addition in others." When the reaction is performed on a Michael-type substrate, C=C—Z, the hydrogen does not arrive at the carbon directly but only through a tautomeric equilibrium. The product naturally assumes the most thermodynamically stable configuration, without relation to the direction of original attack of Y. In one such case (the addition of EtOD and of Me3CSD to tra -MeCH=CHCOOEt) predominant anti addition was found there is evidence that the stereoselectivity here results from the final protonation of the enolate, and not from the initial attack. For obvious reasons, additions to triple bonds cannot be stereospecific. As with electrophilic additions, nucleophilic additions to triple bonds are usually stereoselective and anti, though syn addition and nonstereoselective addition have also been reported. 

As shown above, the electronic properties have a serious effect on the rate of the reaction. It means that the aromatic ring should occupy the same plane with that of the estimated intermediate enol moiety. Then, it is supposed that the conformation of the substrate is already restricted when it binds to the active site of the enzyme. The evidence that supports this estimation is the inactiveness of a-methyl-o-cWorophenyl and a-naphthylmalonic acids. This is a marked difference with the fact that a-methyl-p-Cl-phenyl and methyl-(3-naphthylmalonic acids are... 

For cyclic ketones conformational factors also come into play in determining enolate composition. 2-Substituted cyclohexanones are kinetically deprotonated at the C(6) methylene group, whereas the more-substituted C(2) enolate is slightly favored... 

The preparation of ketones and ester from (3-dicarbonyl enolates has largely been supplanted by procedures based on selective enolate formation. These procedures permit direct alkylation of ketone and ester enolates and avoid the hydrolysis and decarboxylation of keto ester intermediates. The development of conditions for stoichiometric formation of both kinetically and thermodynamically controlled enolates has permitted the extensive use of enolate alkylation reactions in multistep synthesis of complex molecules. One aspect of the alkylation reaction that is crucial in many cases is the stereoselectivity. The alkylation has a stereoelectronic preference for approach of the electrophile perpendicular to the plane of the enolate, because the tt electrons are involved in bond formation. A major factor in determining the stereoselectivity of ketone enolate alkylations is the difference in steric hindrance on the two faces of the enolate. The electrophile approaches from the less hindered of the two faces and the degree of stereoselectivity depends on the steric differentiation. Numerous examples of such effects have been observed.51 In ketone and ester enolates that are exocyclic to a conformationally biased cyclohexane ring there is a small preference for... 

For simple, conformationally biased cyclohexanone enolates such as that from 4-t-butylcyclohexanone, there is little steric differentiation. The alkylation product is a nearly 1 1 mixture of the cis and trans isomers. 

The cis product must be formed through a TS with a twistlike conformation to adhere to the requirements of stereoelectronic control. The fact that this pathway is not disfavored is consistent with other evidence that the TS in enolate alkylations occurs early and reflects primarily the structural features of the reactant, not the product. A late TS would disfavor the formation of the cis isomer because of the strain associated with the nonchair conformation of the product. 

When an additional methyl substituent is placed at C(3), there is a strong preference for alkylation anti to the 3-methyl group. This is attributed to the conformation of the enolate, which places the C(3) methyl in a pseudoaxial orientation because of allylic strain (see Part A, Section 2.2.1). The axial C(3) methyl then shields the lower face of the enolate.55... 

The stereoselectivity is enhanced if there is an alkyl substituent at C(l). The factors operating in this case are similar to those described for 4-r-butylcyclohexanone. The tnms-decalone framework is conformationally rigid. Axial attack from the lower face leads directly to the chair conformation of the product. The 1-alkyl group enhances this stereoselectivity because a steric interaction with the solvated enolate oxygen distorts the enolate to favor the axial attack.57 The placement of an axial methyl group at C(10) in a 2(l)-decalone enolate introduces a 1,3-diaxial interaction with the approaching electrophile. The preferred alkylation product results from approach on the opposite side of the enolate. 

The prediction and interpretation of alkylation stereochemistry requires consideration of conformational effects in the enolate. The decalone enolate 3 was found to have a strong preference for alkylation to give the cis ring junction, with alkylation occurring cis to the f-butyl substituent.58... 

According to molecular mechanics (MM) calculations, the minimum energy conformation of the enolate is a twist-boat (because the chair leads to an axial orientation of the f-butyl group). The enolate is convex in shape with the second ring shielding the bottom face of the enolate, so alkylation occurs from the top. 

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