2-Cyclohexenone Lewis acid catalysis

While doubly activated dienophiles gave moderate to good yields under thermal conditions (Table 11), mono activated alkenes such as cyclohexenone (123) failed to react at temperatures up to 150 °C but underwent cycloaddition under Lewis-acid catalysis even if with poor yields (Table 12, entries 1-3) [32],... 

Silyl enol ethers need Lewis acid catalysis for efficient Michael reactions, such as the more substituted (and conjugated) isomer 110 forming a 1,5-diketone 111 from cyclohexenone in good yield.39 This product 111 is a mixture of diastereoisomers as have been many of the products in this chapter. We have also seen some reactions giving single diastereoisomers but without explanation. It is high time that we addressed the question of stereoselectivity and this is the subject of the next chapter. 

A detailed study of the cycloaddition of trifluoromethylethene has appeared as has work on a-siloxy-a -unsaturated ketones as dienophiles under Lewis-acid catalysis. Amongst the new dienophiles that have been reported are the two novel ketene equivalents methyl methoxypropiolate (129) and methyl phenyl-thiopropiolate (130). A series of 3-(acyloxy)but-3-en-2-ones (131) has been prepared and used as dienophiles in a route to anthracylinones, and, as part of a route to highly functionalized cyclohexenones, the vinyl sulphone (132) has been used in a Diels-Alder reaction with various dienes. ... 

The presence of the catalyst can also favor multiple Diels-Alder reactions of cycloalkenones. Two typical examples are reported in Schemes 3.6 and 3.7. When (E)-l-methoxy-1,3-butadiene (14) interacted with 2-cyclohexenone in the presence of Yb(fod)3 catalyst, a multiple Diels-Alder reaction occurred [21] and afforded a 1 1.5 mixture of the two tricyclic ketones 15 and 16 (Scheme 3.6). The sequence of events leading to the products includes the elimination of methanol from the primary cycloadduct to afford a bicyclic dienone that underwent a second cycloaddition. Similarly, 4-acetoxy-2-cyclopenten-l-one (17) (Scheme 3.7) has been shown to behave as a conjunctive reagent for a one-pot multiple Diels-Alder reaction with a variety of dienes under AICI3 catalysis, providing a mild and convenient methodology to synthesize hydrofluorenones [22]. The role of the Lewis acid is crucial to facilitate the elimination of acetic acid from the cycloadducts. The results of the reaction of 17 with diene... 

Diels-Alder reactions with cycloalkenones.1 (E)-l-Methoxy-l, 3-butadiene undergoes cycloaddition with cyclohexenone at 160° to afford the endo-adduct (2) in 47% yield. Catalysis with the usual Lewis acid results in resins, but Yb(fod), catalysis results in cycloaddition at 110° and leads to endo- and exo-3 in 55% yield. The adducts 3 arise from a Diels-Alder reaction with the dienone 4, which is formed when 2 is heated at 100° with Yb(fod)3. 

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