Conjugate 1,4-additions

Conjugate addition is most often observed when the nucleophile (Y ) is weakly basic The nucleophiles m the two examples that follow are C=N and C6H5CH2S respectively Both are much weaker bases than acetylide ion which was the nucleophile used m the example illustrating direct addition 

CONJUGATE ADDITION OF ORGANOCOPPER REAGENTS TO a,p-UNSATURATED CARBONYL COMPOUNDS 

Conjugate addition to a (3 unsat urated carbonyl compounds (Sec tions 18 11 through 18 14) The 

Both the conjugate addition step and the intramolecular aldol condensation step can be carried out in one synthetic operation without isolat mg any of the intermediates along the way For example consider the reaction 

Section 10 12 Conjugate addition of an alkene (the dienophile) to a conjugated diene gives a cyclohexene derivative in a process called the Diels-Alder reaction It is concerted and stereospecific substituents that are cis to each other on the dienophile remain cis m the product 

The tendency for conjugate addition is pronounced and E double bonds are generated almost exclusively 

A particular kind of conjugate addition reaction earned the Nobel Prize in chemistry for Otto Diels and Kurt Alder of the University of Kiel (Germany) m 1950 The Diels-Alder reaction is the conjugate addition of an alkene to a diene Using 1 3 buta diene as a typical diene the Diels-Alder reaction may be represented by the general equation 

Ammonia and amines undergo conjugate addition to a 3 unsaturated carbonyl compounds (Section 18 12) On the basis of this information predict the pnncipal organic product of each of the following reactions 

Indoles can also be alkylated by conjugate addition under alkaline conditions. Under acidic conditions, alkylation normally occurs at C3 (see Section 11.1). Table 9.1 includes examples of alkylation by ethyl acrylate, acrylonitrile, acrylamide and 4-vinylpyridine. 

Diels-Alder reaction (Section 10 12) Conjugate addition of an alkene to a conjugated diene to give a cyclohexene denva tive Diels-Alder reactions are extremely useful in synthesis 

Acrylonitnle (H2C=CHC=N) readily undergoes conjugate addition when treated with 

Stabilized anions exhibit a pronounced tendency to undergo conjugate addition to a p unsaturated carbonyl compounds This reaction called the Michael reaction has been described for anions derived from p diketones m Section 18 13 The enolates of ethyl acetoacetate and diethyl malonate also undergo Michael addition to the p carbon atom of a p unsaturated aldehydes ketones and esters For example 

Outline two ways in which 4 methyl 2 octanone can be pre pared by conjugate addition of an organocuprate to an a p unsaturated ketone 

The methodology used in the preparation of RU 486 (84) and other ll -steroids is shown. Conjugate addition of a cuprate reagent to the a,P-unsaturated epoxide (85) provides the liP-substituted steroid (86) stereospecificaHy (131). Subsequent steps lead to the synthesis of RU 486 (84). 

This IS called direct addition ox 1 2 addition (The 1 and 2 do not refer to lUPAC locants but are used m a manner analogous to that employed m Section 10 10 to distin guish between direct and conjugate addition to conjugated dienes) 

With certain other nucleophiles addition takes place at the carbon-carbon double bond rather than at the carbonyl group Such reactions proceed via enol intermediates and are described as conjugate addition ox 1 4 addition reactions 

P carbon atom of an a 3 unsatu rated carbonyl compound is elec trophilic nucleophiles especially weakly basic ones yield the prod ucts of conjugate addition to a 3 unsaturated aldehydes and ketones 

The major product corresponds to addition of a proton at C 1 and bromide at C 2 This mode of addition is called 1,2 addition, or direct addition The minor product has its proton and bromide at C 1 and C 4 respectively of the original diene system This mode of addition is called 1,4 addition, or conjugate addition The double bond that was 

The preparation and some synthetic applications of lithium dialkylcuprates were described earlier (Section 14 11) The most prominent feature of these reagents is then-capacity to undergo conjugate addition to a p unsaturated aldehydes and ketones 

A synthetically useful reaction known as the Michael reaction, or Michael addition, involves nucleophilic addition of carbanions to a p unsaturated ketones The most common types of carbanions used are enolate 10ns derived from p diketones These enolates are weak bases (Section 18 6) and react with a p unsaturated ketones by conjugate addition 

Allylic amine is a less reactive leaving group[7], but the allylic ammonium salts 214 (quaternary ammonium salts) can be used for allylalion(l30,131]. Allylic sulfonium salts are also used for the allylation[130]. The allylic nitrile in the cyclic aminonitrile 215 can be displaced probably via x-allylic complex formation. The possibility of the formation of the dihydropyridinium salts 216 and subsequent conjugate addition are less likelyfl 32], 

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