Conjugate reductive aldol reactions

Recently, extensive efforts have been made in the development of domino conjugate reduction/inter and intramolecular aldol reaction catalyzed by various metal complexes based on rhodium, iridium, cobalt, indium, nickel, and copper [22]. In 1999, Morken and Taylor [23] reported a rhodium-catalyzed conjugative reductive/aldol reaction between aldehyde and acrylate using QjMeSiH as reducing agent with a maximum diastereoselectivity of 23 1. 

A general mechanism of domino conjugate reduction/aldol reactions applying the in situ formation of metal hydrides 71 from metal complex 70 by reduction with... 

Figure 9.1 General mechanism for domino conjugate reduction/aldol reaction.

This reaction sequence of conjugate reduction followed by aldol reaction is known as the reductive aldol reaction. In certain instances, reductive elimination from the M-TM-enolate species may occur to furnish M-enolate, which itself may participate in the aldol reaction (Scheme 3). This detour may be described as the background path or stepwise path in one-pot. Indeed, it has been reported that certain cationic Rh complexes such as [Rh(COD)(DPPB)] (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene, DPPB = diphenylphosphinobutane) catalyze the aldol reactions of silyl enol ethers and carbonyl compounds by serving as Lewis acids [5-8]. 

After the initial two reports of Rh- and Co-catalyzed reductive aldol couplings, further studies did not appear in the literature until the late 1990s. Beyond 1998, several stereoselective and enantioselective reductive aldol reactions were developed, which are catalyzed by a remarkably diverse range of metal complexes, including those based upon Pd, Cu, Ir, and In. In this chapter, transition metal-catalyzed aldol, Michael, and Mannich reactions that proceed via transition metal hydride-promoted conjugate reduction are reviewed. 

Copper hydride species, notably Stryker s reagent [Ph3PCuH]6, are capable of promoting the conjugate reduction of a,( >-unsalurated carbonyl compounds [42], Taking advantage of this trustworthy method, Chiu et al. demonstrated in 1998 an intramolecular reductive aldol reaction in the synthesis of novel terpenoid pseudolaric acids isolated from Chinese folk medicine (Scheme 28) [43]. Two equivalents of [Ph3PCuH]6 enabled cycli-zation of keto-enone 104 to provide the bicyclic diastereomers 105 (66%) and 106 (16%). The reaction also was applied to the transformation of 107... 

In 1985, Matsuda et al. reported that Rh-H species promote a reaction sequence involving conjugate reduction, aldol type C - C bond formation, and... 

Subsequent ion exchange of the metal cation with the quaternary ammonium ion catalyst provides a lipophilic ion pair (step 2), which either reacts with the requisite alkyl electrophile at the interface (step 3) or is partitioned into the electrophile-containing organic phase, whereupon alkylation occurs and the catalyst is reconstituted. Enantioselective PTC has found apphcation in a vast number of chemical transformations, including alkylations, conjugate additions, aldol reactions, oxidations, reductions, and C-X bond formations." ... 

Conjugate reduction. The reagent generated from PhMejSiH, CuCl has practical application in the reduction of enones and enoic esters. Triphenylphosphine-coordinated CuF and [(PhjPlCuHlg can be used instead of CuCl. A more complex reducing system is made up of PhSiHj, Li, Nilj, and PhjP, and the reduction is assisted by ultrasound. Reductive aldol reaction of acrylic acid derivatives with arylaldehydes occurs when they are treated with (Ph3P) Pd, and HSiClj, and aldehydes. ... 

Aldol reaction. Reductive aldol reaction of conjugated amides, according to an intramolecular version as previously reported, is fully applicable to the preparation of iyn-3-hydroxyalkanamides. ... 

Aldol reaction of campholenic aldehyde with propionic aldehyde yields the intermediate conjugated aldehyde, which can be selectively reduced to the saturated alcohol with a sandalwood odor. If the double bond in the cyclopentene ring is also reduced, the resulting product does not have a sandalwood odor (161). Reaction of campholenic aldehyde with -butyraldehyde followed by reduction of the aldehyde group gives the aHyUc alcohol known commercially by one manufacturer as Bacdanol [28219-61 -6] (82). 

Chiu et al. developed the first example of a reductive intramolecular Henry reaction induced by Stryker s reagent (Scheme 30) [53]. The conjugate reduction of keto-nitroalkenes with [Ph3PCuH]6 (150 mol%) triggers spontaneous nitro-aldol reaction at - 40 °C to produce (f-hydroxy nitro compounds in moderate yield. 

Conjugate reduction.1 This stable copper(I) hydride cluster can effect conjugate hydride addition to a,p-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, with apparent utilization of all six hydride equivalents per cluster. No 1,2-reduction of carbonyl groups or reduction of isolated double bonds is observed. Undesirable side reactions such as aldol condensation can be suppressed by addition of water. Reactions in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane result in silyl enol ethers. The reduction is stereoselective, resulting in hydride delivery to the less-hindered face of the substrate. 

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