Dialkylzinc reagents, conjugate addition

Seebach and coworkers have developed enantioselective conjugate additions of primary dialkylzinc reagents to 2-aryl- and 2-heteroaryl-nitroalkenes mediated by titanium-TADDO-Lates (Eq. 4.90). x a TADDOLs and their derivatives are excellent chiral auxiliaries.9611... 

Woodward et al. have used the binaphthol-derived ligand 40 in asymmetric conjugate addition reactions of dialkylzinc to enones [46]. Compound 40 has also been studied as a ligand in allylic substitutions with diorganozinc reagents [47]. To allow better control over selectivity in y substitution of the allylic electrophiles studied, Woodward et al. investigated the influence of an additional ester substituent in the jS-position (Scheme 8.25). 

The use of vinyl epoxides as substrates in enantioselective copper-catalyzed reactions, on the other hand, has met with more success. An interesting chiral ligand effect on Cu(OTf)2-catalyzed reactions between cyclic vinyloxiranes and dialkylzinc reagents was noted by Feringa et al. [51]. The 2,2 -binaphthyl phosphorus amidite ligands 32 and 43 (Fig. 8.5), which have been successfully used in copper-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate additions to enones [37], allowed kinetic resolution of racemic cyclic vinyloxiranes (Scheme 8.26). 

Enantioselective conjugate addition [40] has become truly useful with the aid of dialkylzinc, cationic copper catalyst, and a chiral ligand (Eq. 1, see also Chapt. 7) [41]. Magnesium-based reagents have found use in quantitative fivefold arylation of Cgo (Eq. 10.2) [42] and threefold arylation of C70 [43], paving ways to new classes of cyclopentadienyl and indenyl ligands with unusual chemical properties. 

Conjugate addition to enals. In the presence of Ni(acac), diarylzinc reagents undergo 1,4-addition to a, 3-enals in satisfactory yield however, the same reaction with dialkylzinc reagents gives low yields (15%, one example). 

Feringa and co-workers developed an efficient methodology for conjugate addition of dialkylzinc reagents to enones catalyzed by copper(II) and the remarkably versatile chiral monophosphoramidite ligand 27 (Scheme 12.6) [18]. 

Conjugate addition reaction of a mixed dialkylzinc reagent to an unsaturated aldehyde preparation of ethyl (Moxomethyljdecanoate28... 

High levels of enantioselectivity (94-98% ee) and good chemical yield (72-95%) were observed in the catalytic conjugate addition of dialkylzinc reagents to numerous cyclic enones (eq 1) using a catalyst prepared in situ from Cu(OTf)2 and this chiral phosphoramidite ligand. Here the steric properties of the substrate and the reagent appear to be unimportant. 

Enantioselective copper phosphoramidite-catalyzed conjugate addition of dialkylzinc reagents to several 4,4-disubstituted cyclohexadienones is achieved with diastereomeric ratios ranging from 1/1 to 99/1 with 85% to 99% ee. When the two substituents are equal (eq 2), selective Re versus Si face-selective addition of the zinc reagent affords a single isomer. Sequential catalytic 1,4-addition to the prochiral dienones gave cis or trans bis-adducts with high enantio and diastereoselectivity. ... 

Catalytic Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of Dialkylzincs to Enones. A chiral nickel complex modified with DBNE and an achiral ligand such as 2,2 -bipyridyl in acetonitrile/toluene is an highly enantioselective catalyst for the addition of dialkylzincs to enones. p-Substituted ketones with up to 90% ee are obtained (eq 23). The method is the first highly enantioselective catalytic conjugate addition of an oiganometallic reagent to an enone. 

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