Enals homoenolate equivalents

Recently, Bode et al. were able to demonstrate that the products formed after generation of the homoenolate equivalents 67 are determined by the catalytic base [64]. Strong bases such as KOt-Bu led to carbon-carbon bond-formation (y-butyrolactones), while weaker bases such as diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA) allowed for protonation of the homoenolate and the subsequent generation of activated carboxylates. The combination of triazolium catalyst 72 and DIPEA in THF as solvent required no additional additives and enabled milder reaction conditions (60 °C), accompanied by still high conversions in the formation of saturated esters out of unsaturated aldehydes (Scheme 9.21). Aliphatic and aromatic enals 62, as well as primary alcohols, secondary alcohols and phenols, are suitable substrates. a-Substituted unsaturated aldehydes did not yield the desired products 73. 

In 2013, the Chi group disclosed a substrate-independent selective generation of enolates over homoenolate equivalents in NHC-catalyzed reactions of enals and chalcones. Acid co-catalysts play vital roles in control of the reaction pathways, as the acid might promote the enal p-protonation by increasing the proton concentration. Also, the competing enolate/homoeno-late pathways were found to be sensitive to the steric bulkiness of the enal and enone substrates (Scheme 7.74). 

In 2013, the first successful generation of ds-homoenolate equivalents from ds-enals under the catalysis of N-heterocyclic carbene D4 was developed by the Chi group. The ds-homoenolate intermediates I undergo effective reaction with a,p-unsaturated imines to afford chiral cyclic ketones 62. Compared to the trans-enals, ds-enals show different stereoselectivities and new reactivity patterns (Scheme 20.29). 

Rhodium(I) catalyses adynamic kinetic asymmetric [3+2] annulation of aryl ketimines with racemic allenes, with good /Z-selectivity and up to 98% ee cw-Homoenolate equivalents have been generated from cts-enals using NHC catalysis they react with a,/0-unsaturated imines to form chiral cyclic ketone products. Their reactivities and stereoselectivities contrast with the better known trans-emls. 

The NHC-catalysed umpolung of enals into homoenolate equivalents is an efficient tactic to develop cyclization reactions. Substituted cyclopentanones (132) have been prepared in a diastereoselective manner via the reaction of enals and 4-nitro-5-styrylisoxazoles (133) in the presence of imidazolium salt (134) as... 

A-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) are also efficient organocatalytic tools for generating homoenolate equivalents from a,P-unsaturated aldehydes. These reactive intermediates display a versatile reactivity in a number of catalytic transformations attesting to an important synthetic potential [38]. Recently, Scheldt et al. [39a] accomplished the first enantioselective protonation of a homoenolate species generated by a chiral NHC precursor 93 in the presence of DIE A and an excess of ethanol as the achiral proton source (Scheme 3.46). The suggested mechanism involves an initial addition of NHC 93 to the enal 89 followed by a formal 1,2-proton shift resulting in the formation of the chiral homoenolate equivalent 91. A diastereose-lective P-protonation/tautomerization sequence leads to the acyl triazolinium inter-... 

Homoenolates generated catalytically with NHCs can also be employed for C-C and C-N bond formation. Bode and Glorias have independently accomplished the diastereoselective synthesis of y-butyrolactones by annulation of enals and aldehydes [121, 122]. Bode and co-workers envisioned that increasing the steric bulk of the acyl anion equivalent would allow reactivity at the homoenolate position. While trying to suppress the competing benzoin and enal dimerization the authors comment on the steric importance of the catalyst. Thiazolium pre-catalyst 173 proved unsuccessful at inducing annulation. A-mesityl substituted imidazolium salt 200 was found to provide up to 87% yield and moderate diastereoselectivities (Scheme 34). 

The proposed catalytic cycle is shown in Scheme 35 and begins with the imida-zolylidene carbene adding to the enal. Proton transfer provides acyl anion equivalent XLVII, which may be drawn as its homoenolate resonance form XLVIII. Addition of the homoenolate to aldehyde followed by tautomerization affords L the precursor for lactonization and regeneration of the carbene. 

The catalyzed generation of a chiral enolate equivalent, formed from an enal and a triazoHum-derived chiral V-heterocyclic car-bene, can undergo a hetero-Diels-Alderreaction withenones with excellent enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity (eq 14, left side). Alternatively, the authors have previously shown that stronger bases, such as DBU, instead result in a homoenolate... 

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