Conjugate Additions The Michael Reaction

The most important kinds of conjugate addition reactions are those involving the addition of C nucleophiles to C=C ir bonds in what is generally called the 

Michael reaction. The nucleophiles are often 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds such as malonates, cyanoacetates, )8-ketoesters, and 1,3-diketones, but simple carbonyl compounds may also be used. Only catalytic amounts of base are usually required. 

the Michael reaction is followed by an aldol reaction, a substitution, or another Michael reaction. For example, the Robinson annulation consists of a Michael reaction, an aldol reaction, and a dehydration (j8-elimination). 

Numbering the atoms shows that bonds are made at C8—C9 and C13—C6, and the C6—07 bond is broken. 

The C6—C13 bond still needs to be formed. C13 is made nucleophilic by deprotonation, then it attacks C6. The alkoxide product is protonated to give an aldol. 

By far the most acidic site in both compounds is C8. Deprotonation of C8 turns it into a nucleophile, so it can add to C9 in a Michael reaction to give a CIO enolate. No more needs to be done with CIO, so it is protonated. 

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Key Mechanism 22-12 The Claisen Ester Condensation 1071 22-13 The Dieckmann Condensation A Claisen Cyclization 1074 22-14 Crossed Claisen Condensations 1074 22-15 Syntheses Using /3-Dicarbonyl Compounds 1077 22-16 The Malonic Ester Synthesis 1079 22-17 The Acetoacetic Ester Synthesis 1082 22-18 Conjugate Additions The Michael Reaction 1085 Mechanism 22-13 1,2-Addition and 1,4-Addition (Conjugate Addition) 1085... 

Conjugate addition. The Michael reaction using functionalized organozinc reagents as donors requires only catalytic amounts of Cu(I) species. Thus, the addition of MeLi to... 

The next series of syntheses is based on conjugate additions. A 2-arylcyclo-hexanone was regio- and stereoselectively added to nitroethylene to access the octahydroindole core present in the alkaloids. This has enabled the total synthesis of (+j-y-lycorane and (+)-crinane (280). Tomioka described a chemoselective conjugate addition - nitro Michael reaction sequence to prepare a- and -lycoranes in their racemic form (281). The addition of an arylcuprate to a D-mannitol-derived... 

Michael Addition. The Michael reaction is a typical base-catalyzed reaction used in organic chemistry to form a C—C bond. It is usually a consecutive side reaction accompanying the base-catalyzed synthesis of a, -unsaturated ketones, aldehydes, nitriles, or carbo lic acid derivatives. The reaction between an Q ,)S-unsaturated compoimd and an activated methylene compoimd is known as the Michael addition Scheme 9. The reaction is the nucleophilic addition of a car-banion intermediate to the ft carbon of the C—C double bond in the conjugated system (49) without releasing a water molecule. The carbanion is provided by the activated methylene compoimd, and contrarily to the Knoevenagel condensation the product retains the substituents of both reactant molecules. 

The final example in Table 9.5, the Robinson annniation, actually involves two steps. In the first step, conjugate addition (a Michael reaction) occurs. ... 

The addition of active methylene compounds (ethyl malonate, ethyl aoeto-acetate, ethyl plienylacetate, nltromethane, acrylonitrile, etc.) to the aP-double bond of a conjugated unsaturated ketone, ester or nitrile In the presence of a basic catalyst (sodium ethoxide, piperidine, diethylamiiie, etc.) is known as the Michael reaction or Michael addition. The reaction may be illustrated by the addition of ethyl malonate to ethyl fumarate in the presence of sodium ethoxide hydrolysis and decarboxylation of the addendum (ethyl propane-1 1 2 3-tetracarboxylate) yields trlcarballylic acid ... 

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... 

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... 

The 1,4-addition of an enolate anion 1 to an o ,/3-unsaturated carbonyl compound 2, to yield a 1,5-dicarbonyl compound 3, is a powerful method for the formation of carbon-carbon bonds, and is called the Michael reaction or Michael addition The 1,4-addition to an o ,/3-unsaturated carbonyl substrate is also called a conjugate addition. Various other 1,4-additions are known, and sometimes referred to as Michael-like additions. 

Exactly the same kind of conjugate addition can occur when a nucleophilic enolate ion reacts with an ,j6-unsaturated carbonyl compound—a process known as the Michael reaction. 

The conjugate addition of a carbon nucleophile to an a./3-unsiituratcd acceptor is known as the Michael reaction. The best Michael reactions take place between unusually acidic donors (/3-keto esters or /3-diketones) and unhindered n,/3-unsaturated acceptors. Knamines, prepared by reaction of a ketone with a disu Instituted amine, are also good Michael donors. 

The previous sections dealt with reactions in which the new carbon-carbon bond is formed by addition of the nucleophile to a carbonyl group. Another important method for alkylation of carbon nucleophiles involves addition to an electrophilic multiple bond. The electrophilic reaction partner is typically an a,(3-unsaturated ketone, aldehyde, or ester, but other electron-withdrawing substituents such as nitro, cyano, or sulfonyl also activate carbon-carbon double and triple bonds to nucleophilic attack. The reaction is called conjugate addition or the Michael reaction. 

In a, P-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and related electron-deficient alkenes and alkynes, there exist two electrophilic sites and both are prone to be attacked by nucleophiles. However, the conjugated site is considerably softer compared with the unconjugated site, based on the Frontier Molecular Orbital analysis.27 Consequently, softer nucleophiles predominantly react with a, (i-unsaturated carbonyl compounds through conjugate addition (or Michael addition). Water is a hard solvent. This property of water has two significant implications for conjugate addition reactions (1) Such reactions can tolerate water since the nucleophiles and the electrophiles are softer whereas water is hard and (2) water will not compete with nucleophiles significantly in such... 

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