Diethylzinc, reactions

In Scheme 2 51, species 133 is formed from the precatalyst 132 and TifOPr )4. It is then converted to complex G upon addition of diethylzinc. Reaction between species G and an aldehyde furnishes intermediate E, which accomplishes the enantioselective addition of the nucleophile to the carbonyl group. Intervention of two molecules of Ti(OPr )4 releases the alkylated product, regenerates the active catalyst 133, and also completes the catalytic cycle. This cycle explains the fact that at least one equivalent of Ti(OPr )4 is required for an effective reaction. 

Zhang and Chan122 found that Hg-BINOL, (R)- or (S )-134, in which the naphthyl rings in the BINOL were partially hydrogenated,123 can give even better results in the diethylzinc reactions. Using (R)- or (5,)-134 as the chiral ligand, addition of diethylzinc to aromatic aldehydes proceeds smoothly with over 95% ee and, in most cases, quantitative conversion.122... 

It might be expected that use of an amino alcohol of less than 100% enantiomeric purity would place an upper limit on the enantiomeric purity of the product. However, Noyori reported that when a catalyst (Figure 4.17b) of 15% ee was used in the diethylzinc reaction, 1-phenyl-1-propanol of 95% ee was isolated in 92% yield... 

Scheme 4.5. Proposed mechanistic scheme for amino alcohol catalyzed diethylzinc reaction (after ref. [60])...

Another way to render the curbotiyl faces diastereotopic is by coniplexation of i chiral Lewis acid to the carbonyl oxygen. This is the approach taken in, for example, the asymmetric diethylzinc reaction, as shown in. Scheme 5.,4 7. For reviews of such processes, see ref 8-I2. Chapter. 5 in ref l.1 and pp 1.47-141 of ref 2. ... 

Cesium forms simple alkyl and aryl compounds that are similar to those of the other alkah metals (6). They are colorless, sohd, amorphous, nonvolatile, and insoluble, except by decomposition, in most solvents except diethylzinc. As a result of exceptional reactivity, cesium aryls should be effective in alkylations wherever other alkaline alkyls or Grignard reagents have failed (see Grignard reactions). Cesium reacts with hydrocarbons in which the activity of a C—H link is increased by attachment to the carbon atom of doubly linked or aromatic radicals. A brown, sohd addition product is formed when cesium reacts with ethylene, and a very reactive dark red powder, triphenylmethylcesium [76-83-5] (C H )2CCs, is formed by the reaction of cesium amalgam and a solution of triphenylmethyl chloride in anhydrous ether. 

N,N -Diethylbenzidine has been prepared by heating ethyl iodide, benzidine, and ethanol in a pressure tube at water-bath temperature, and by the reaction of diethylzinc on benzene-diazonium chloride. The method described here is a modification of that of Shah, Tilak, and Venkataraman. ... 

In this model, the intermediacy of a monomeric zinc species is postulated. To support this assumption, an examination of the effect of stoichiometry and solvent in cyclopropanation involving the 2,4-pentanediol auxiliary was preformed [59]. In the initial reaction protocol, a large excess of both diethylzinc and diiodo-methane is employed. Such excessive conditions are justified on account of the instability of the zinc carbenoid under the reaction conditions. To minimize the un-... 

Although the previous protocol suggests it is not necessary to deprotonate the sulfonamide prior to exposure to the zinc carbenoid, a experimentally simpler procedure can be envisioned wherein the alcohol and promoter are deprotonated in a single flask (Fig. 3.15). In protocol IV, the alcohol and promoter are combined in flask A and are treated with diethylzinc, thus forming the zinc alkoxide and zinc sulfonamide. In sub-protocol IVa, this solution is transferred to flask C which contains the zinc carbenoid. Sub-protocol IVb represents the reversed addition order. Sub-protocol IVa is not only found to be the superior protocol in this sub-set, it is found to out-perform all of the previous protocols Despite the persistence of the induction period, a large rate enhancement over the uncatalyzed process is observed. This considerable rate enhancement also translates to a reduction in the overall reaction time when compared to sub-protocols la and Ilia. Selectivity rises... 

The first, and so far only, metal-catalyzed asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of nitrile oxides with alkenes was reported by Ukaji et al. [76, 77]. Upon treatment of allyl alcohol 45 with diethylzinc and (l ,J )-diisopropyltartrate, followed by the addition of diethylzinc and substituted hydroximoyl chlorides 46, the isoxazolidines 47 are formed with impressive enantioselectivities of up to 96% ee (Scheme 6.33) [76]. 

Since the addition of dialkylzinc reagents to aldehydes can be performed enantioselectively in the presence of a chiral amino alcohol catalyst, such as (-)-(1S,2/ )-Ar,A -dibutylnorephedrine (see Section 1.3.1.7.1.), this reaction is suitable for the kinetic resolution of racemic aldehydes127 and/or the enantioselective synthesis of optically active alcohols with two stereogenic centers starting from racemic aldehydes128 129. Thus, addition of diethylzinc to racemic 2-phenylpropanal in the presence of (-)-(lS,2/ )-Ar,W-dibutylnorephedrine gave a 75 25 mixture of the diastereomeric alcohols syn-4 and anti-4 with 65% ee and 93% ee, respectively, and 60% total yield. In the case of the syn-diastereomer, the (2.S, 3S)-enantiomer predominated, whereas with the twtf-diastereomer, the (2f ,3S)-enantiomer was formed preferentially. 

In a flame-dried Schlenk tube 0.37 g(1.88 mmol) of (-)-3-exo-(dimethylamino)isoborneol (C) and 200 mL of dry toluene are placed under an atmosphere of argon. 27 mL of 4.2 M diethylzinc (113 mmol) in toluene are added and the resulting solution is stirred at 15°C for 15 min. After cooling to — 78°C, lOg (94.2 mmol) of benzaldehyde are added and the mixture is wanned to O C. After stirring for 6 h, the reaction is quenched by the addition of sat. NH4C1 soln. Extractive workup is followed by distillation yield 12.4 g (97%) 98% ee [determined by HPLC analysis. Baseline separation of rac-1 -phenyl-1 -propanol was achieved on a Bakerbond dinitrobenzoyl phenylglycine column (eluent 2-propanol/hexanc 1 3 flow rate l.OmL/ min detection UV 254 nm)] [a] 0 —47 (c = 6.11, CHC13). 

The tridentate ligands C, L and M are effective catalysts for the enantioselective addition of dialkylzincs to aromatic aldehydes16,17. In particular, ligands L and M qualify as members of the chemical enzyme (chemzyme) class of synthetic reagents17, since they function in a predictable, clear-cut mechanistic way. As demonstrated by X-ray diffraction, the actual catalyst is a monomeric zinc chelate 2 formed in toluene at 50 C by reaction of L or M with one equivalent of diethylzinc. 

After 19 hours, no reaction between the zinc chelate 2 and benzaldehyde can be detected at 20 °C. However, 10 mol % of the zinc chelate effectively catalyzes theenantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aromatic aldehydes. The predominant formation of the S-configurated products, effected by this conformationally unambiguous catalyst, can be explained by a six-mem-bered cyclic transition state assembly17. The fact that the zinc chelate formed from ligand M is an equally effective catalyst clearly demonstrates that activation of the aldehyde moiety does not occur as a consequence of hydrogen bond formation between the ammonium proton of the pyrrolidine unit and the aldehydic oxygen. 

The synthesis of 4-alkyl-y-butyrolactones 13 and 5-alkyl-<5-valerolactones 14 can be achieved in high enantiomeric excess by alkylation of ethyl 4-oxobutanoate and ethyl 5-oxopentanoate (11, n = 2, 3). The addition of diethylzinc, as well as dimethylzinc, leads to hydroxy esters 12 in high optical purity. When methyl esters instead of ethyl esters are used as substrates, the enantioselectivity of the addition reaction is somewhat lower. Alkaline hydrolysis of the hydroxy esters 12, followed by spontaneous cyclization upon acidification, leads to the corresponding y-butyro- and -valerolactones32. 

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