Dicarbonyl reductive coupling reactions

The nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling reaction of methyl vinyl ketone with enyne 43 bearing a P-dicarbonyl moiety proceeds with liberation of the P-dicarbonyl enolate (Scheme 5.56) [39]. Reductive coupling of 43 with enone would afford nickelaoxacyclooctadiene 44. Transmetalation is accompanied by carbonickelation to yield 45. Intermediate 45 engages in P-carbon elimination through a six-membered cyclic transition state to liberate nickel enolate 46, which should be transformed to the corresponding zinc enolate to complete the catalytic cycle, and zinc enolate 47, which is eventually protonated upon hydrolysis. 

The coupling reaction of arenediazonium ions with semidione radicals (12.84, obtainable by reduction of 1,2-diketones, 12.83) is also included here in the discussion of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, although it is a coupling with a nucleophilic radical and does not strictly belong in this context. The reaction (Scheme 12-43) was... 

The cationic iridium complex [Ir(cod)(PPh3)2]OTf, when activated by H2, catalyzes the aldol reaction of aldehydes 141 or acetal with silyl enol ethers 142 to afford 143 (Equation 10.37) [63]. The same Ir complex catalyzes the coupling of a, 5-enones with silyl enol ethers to give 1,5-dicarbonyl compounds [64]. Furthermore, the alkylation of propargylic esters 144 with silyl enol ethers 145 catalyzed by [Ir(cod)[P(OPh)3]2]OTf gives alkylated products 146 in high yields (Equation 10.38) [65]. An iridium-catalyzed enantioselective reductive aldol reaction has also been reported [66]. 

Fig. 17.55. Reductive coupling of a dicarbonyl compound to afford diastereomeric glycols or diastereomeric alkenes (McMurry reaction).

The reductive coupling of carbonyl compounds with formation of C-C double bonds was developed in the early seventies and is now known as McMurry reaction [38, 39]. The active metal in these reactions is titanium in a low-valent oxidation state. The reactive Ti species is usually generated from Ti(IV) or Ti(III) substrates by reduction with Zn, a Zn-Cu couple, or lithium aluminum hydride. A broad variety of dicarbonyl compounds can be cyclized by means of this reaction, unfunctionalized cycloalkenes can be synthesized from diketones, enolethers from ketone-ester substrates, enamines from ketone-amide substrates [40-42], Cycloalkanones can be synthesized from external keto esters (X = OR ) by subsequent hydrolysis of the primary formed enol ethers (Scheme 9). 

Intramolecular free radical cyclization of dicarboxylic esters leads to a-hydroxy ketones (acyloins). Reductive coupling of dicarbonyl compounds provides 1,2-diols ipinacols) and further reaction of these yields cycloalkenes (McMurry reaction). These cyclization reactions are especially valuable for the preparation of medium and large rings that are not readily accessible by other methods. 

Substituted-titanocene dicarbonyl complexes, ( ]S-CsRBHs B)2Ti(CO)2, have also been used as isolable precursors to highly reactive titanium sandwiches, ( ]S-CsRBHs B)2Ti. For example, reaction of a,/3-unsaturated ketones with ( -CsHs TFCO 68 results in reductive coupling of the organic substrate to form (77S-CsHs)2Ti(0C(R1)CHCH(R2)CH(R2)CHC(R1)0) 69 with liberation of carbon monoxide (Scheme 12).47 48... 

The asymmetric reduction of y-phenylseleno ketones and the intramolecular substitution of the phenylselenone residue by the oxygen atom of a hydroxy group led to 2-substituted tetrahydrofurans (13OL3906). Polysubstituted furans were formed in the photoredox neutral coupling of alkynes with 2-bromo-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. The reaction was carried out without any external stoichiometric oxidants (130L4884). 

If this explanation is correct one can suggest that the above mentioned reactions could run separately. In proving this assumption we have suceeeded unprecedentedly to carry out reductive coupling polymerization of the conjugated dicarbonyl compound benzil under the influence of the Friedel-Crafis metathesis catalytic system WCU + AlCls. In this case the quantity of the transition metal compound is less than the quantity of the Ti reagent used for... 

Reactions of thioketones with nucleophilic reagents have been studied to some extent. Thiobenzophenone (20) and its 4,4 -substituted derivatives react with cyclopentadienyliron dicarbonyl anion and cyclopentadienyl-molybdenum or -tungsten tricarbonyl anion at room temperature to give fulvenes. Phase-transfer catalysis conditions improve the yields. An electron-transfer mechanism has been proposed for this desulphurization and coupling reaction. An electron-transfer mechanism has also been proposed for the reduction of thiopivalophenone (54) by 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide in acetonitrile. 2,3-Diphenylcyclopropene-thione (55) reacts with 7V-methylarylamines to give the bicyclic thioamides (56). The formation of a thioketen as an intermediate has been suggested. A similar reaction scheme has also been proposed for the reaction of (55) with 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline. ... 

In recent years, synthesis of pyrroles has drawn the attention of chemists. Traditional methods used for pyrrole synthesis include the Hantzsch reaction [45] and the Paal-Knorr condensation reaction [46,47], The latter is the most widely used method, which involves the cyclocondensation reaction of 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds with primary amines to produce substituted pyrroles. In addition, there are several methods such as 1,3-dipolar cydoaddition reaction, aza-Wittig reaction, reductive coupling, and titanium-catalyzed hydroamination of diynes. Scheme 1 shows several catalysts used in this type of reaction [44]. 

The proposed catalytic mechanism for intramolecular McMurry reaction begins with the reduction of TiCl3 by zinc metal to generate the activated titanium species A-19. Reductive cyclization of the dicarbonyl substrate forms the McMurry coupling product, along with titanium oxide complex B-15. To close the catalytic cycle, the oxide complex B-15 is converted to TiCl3 by Me3SiCl (Scheme 63).8d,8e... 

Numerous applications of this chemistry to the synthesis of leukotrienes have been reported, as illustrated for the preparation of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (189 Scheme 41).154 Reaction of the carbe-noid precursor (190) with furan in the presence of rhodium(II) acetate generated a furanocyclopropane, which on standing reverted to predominantly the (Z, )-isomer (191). Reduction of the dicarbonyl compound (191) gave the diol (192), which was then selectively converted to the bromide (193). Subsequently, (193) was coupled with the alkynide (194), followed by Lindlar reduction and deprotection to produce (189). The overall procedure is quite general and has been applied to a range of related compounds (195-199)135-138 and useful synthetic fragments (200 and 201).153... 

Cycloalkenes. McMurry and Kees have described an intramolecular coupling of dicarbonyl compounds to cycloalkenes. In the intermolecular version of this reaction titanium(O) powder obtained by reduction with potassium or lithium is used (7, 368). In the intramolecular reaction a superior coupling reagent is prepared by reduction of TiClg with a zinc/copper couple in DME. 

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