Deoxygenation carbonyl compounds

Thiols and sulphides quench triplet carbonyl compounds. Evidence (including that from CIDNP studies) indicates that these reactions occur by a radical rather than an electron-transfer pathway (Cohen et al., 1979 Ver-meesch et al., 1978). It is interesting to note that sulphides will deoxygenate ketones producing sulphoxides, sulphones and presumably carbenes (Fox et al., 1979). Phosphines quench triplet carbonyl compounds (Davidson and Lambeth, 1969). They also deoxygenate carbonyl compounds to produce phosphine oxides and carbenes, and in this case, the reaction was proposed as occurring by an electron-transfer process (Fox, 1979). 

In a study of the deoxygenation of carbonyl compounds by atomic carbon, Dewar and coworkers (8UA2802) presented experimental and theoretical evidence that the carbonyl group can react with carbon atoms to form a carbenaoxirane. 

The present preparation illustrates a general and convenient method for a two-step deoxygenation of carbonyl compounds to olefins. Related procedures comprise the basic decomposition of p-toluenesulfonylhydrazones, the hydride reduction of enol ethers, enol acetates, enamines, the reduction of enol phosphates (and/or enol phosphorodiamidates) by lithium metal in ethylamine (or liquid ammonia),the reduction of enol phosphates by titanium metal... 

Both unsymmetrical diols and alkenes can be prepared by applying these methods to mixtures of two different carbonyl compounds. An excess of one component can be used to achieve a high conversion of the more valuable reactant. A mixed reductive deoxygenation using TiCl4/Zn has been used to prepare 4-hydroxytamoxifen, the active antiestrogenic metabolite of tamoxifen. 

Since many of the reactions of C atoms are extremely exothermic, it may be that they proceed without an enthalpic barrier. Thus, selectivities observed in C atom reactions may result from free energy barriers in which entropy considerations are the major factor. In discussions of C atom reactions, we shall see that carbenes are often intermediates. Two ways in which carbenes can be produced in C atom reactions are C—H insertion (Eq. 7) and deoxygenation of carbonyl compounds (Eq. 8). In several cases, the same carbene has been generated by both methods. When this comparison has been made, the reactions will be discussed together even though they represent different aspects of C atom reactivity. 

Reaction of Carbon Atoms with Alcohols and Ethers. The electro-philicity of atomic carbon and the exothermicity of carbon monoxide formation in its reactions facilitates attack on, and removal of oxygen by C atoms. Deoxygenation of ethers, alcohols, and carbonyl compounds has been reported. This process is generally a highly exothermic reaction, which is likely to generate products with excess energy. 

Figure 10.2. Carbenes that have been produced by the deoxygenation of carbonyl compounds. Numbers below the structures refer to the literature references in the text.

Deoxygenative Coupling of Carbonyl Compounds to Olefins McMurry Coupling... 

Functionalized zinc carbenoids have been prepared from carbonyl compounds by an indirect strategy. The deoxygenation of a carbonyl compound to an organozinc carbenoid can be induced by a reaction with zinc and TMSCl. Therefore, the aldehyde or ketone, when treated with TMSCl or l,2-bis(chlorodimethylsilyl)ethane in the presence of an alkene, generates the cyclopropanation product. This method is quite effective for the production of alkoxy-substituted cyclopropane derivatives. A 55% yield of the... 

Deoxygenation of carbonyl compounds (6, 98 7, 54 8, 79-80). This easily prepared borane is as effective as catechol borane for reduction of tosylhydrazones of carbonyl compounds to the corresponding methylene compounds. 

Substitution in the homocyclic ring may be accompanied by deoxygenation of the furoxan. 4-Nitrobenzofuroxan with dialkylamines gives 4-dialkylamino-7-nitrobenzofurazan 5-trifluoromethyl and 5-ethoxy carbonyl compounds are reported to react similarly at C(6). 

Tervalent phosphorus has a high affinity for oxygen and the P=0 bond once formed is very strong. This fact, which also provides the driving force for the Wittig and related reactions, has led to the widespread use of P(III) compounds for direct deoxygenation of epoxides, ozonides, carbonyl compounds, and both N- and 5-oxides.2... 

The deoxygenation of epoxides is not of great preparative value since it involves some loss of stereochemical integrity and the alkenes produced are more readily approached in other ways. Reductive cleavage of ozonides, for example, using triphenylphosphine, commonly forms part of the ozonolysis procedure for conversion of alkenes into carbonyl compounds. If a carbonyl compound is treated with an appropriate P(III) reagent then the reverse process may occur—reductive coupling to form a new C=C double bond. This has found a particularly important... 

A deoxygenative conversion of carbonyl compounds into cyclopropanes (Scheme 2) stretches the bounds of the conventional cyclopropanation reactions that employ the C=C double bond and a carbenoid intermediate. 

In fact, only in some cases are real carbenoid species involved in these reactions. The reactions employing oxophilic metals such as Zn, Fe, Sm, and In were reported [9], and representative examples are given in Scheme 3. Such reactions exhibit obvious synthetic limitations, since only aromatic (unsaturated) carbonyl compounds can be used, and/or cyclopropanes of a very specific structure obtained. The Kulinkovich and related reactions, involving dianion equivalents (1, Scheme 1), represent the only synthetically useful deoxygenative process at present. 

The synthesis of cyclopropanes from carbonyl compounds represents a new approach for converting zirconacycles into carbocycles via a deoxygenative ring contraction under Lewis acid activation. It differs in that from the spontaneous Kulinkovich process. Further progress would involve extension to the synthesis of 1,2-substituted cyclopropanes and the development of catalytic and enantioselective variants. 

Chemical reductions of carbonyl compounds into hydroxy derivatives are more often and various reducing agents were used. Stepwise deoxygenation of diketone 166 included LAH reduction as a first step toward obtaining structure 167 (Scheme 32), which was obtained as a 2.5 1 mixture of as- and trans-isomers < 1995J(P 1)1137>. 

Trichloro(methyl)silane-Sodium iodide, 11, 553-554. This in situ equivalent of io-dotrimethylsilane is also effective for cleavage of esters and lactones, selective conversion of tertiary and benzylic aleohols into iodides, dehalogenation of a-halo ketones, deoxygenation of sulfoxides, and conversion of dimethyl acetals to carbonyl compounds. ... 

The Z-isomer arises from a consecutive induction of active metallic titanium surface to the polydented pinacolic intermediate formed by homolytic coupling of a radical anion species generated from reduction of two carbonyl compounds that is followed by subsequent demetallation and deoxygenation reactions. In this regard, the phenoxy-Ti-sulfone induction plays the key role for Z-stereoselection by forcing the phenoxy and sulfone moieties to be positioned on the same side. 

---