Asymmetric synthesis enol ethers

The most recent, and probably most elegant, process for the asymmetric synthesis of (+)-estrone appHes a tandem Claisen rearrangement and intramolecular ene-reaction (Eig. 23). StereochemicaHy pure (185) is synthesized from (2R)-l,2-0-isopropyhdene-3-butanone in an overall yield of 86% in four chemical steps. Heating a toluene solution of (185), enol ether (187), and 2,6-dimethylphenol to 180°C in a sealed tube for 60 h produces (190) in 76% yield after purification. Ozonolysis of (190) followed by base-catalyzed epimerization of the C8a-hydrogen to a C8P-hydrogen (again similar to conversion of (175) to (176)) produces (184) in 46% yield from (190). Aldehyde (184) was converted to 9,11-dehydroestrone methyl ether (177) as discussed above. The overall yield of 9,11-dehydroestrone methyl ether (177) was 17% in five steps from 6-methoxy-l-tetralone (186) and (185) (201). 

Analogous results were obtained for enol ether bromination. The reaction of ring-substituted a-methoxy-styrenes (ref. 12) and ethoxyvinylethers (ref. 10), for example, leads to solvent-incorporated products in which only methanol attacks the carbon atom bearing the ether substituent. A nice application of these high regio-and chemoselectivities is found in the synthesis of optically active 2-alkylalkanoic acids (ref. 13). The key step of this asymmetric synthesis is the regioselective and chemoselective bromination of the enol ether 4 in which the chiral inductor is tartaric acid, one of the alcohol functions of which acts as an internal nucleophile (eqn. 2). 

Simple 1,2,4-triazole derivatives played a key role in both the synthesis of functionalized triazoles and in asymmetric synthesis. l-(a-Aminomethyl)-1,2,4-triazoles 4 could be converted into 5 by treatment with enol ethers <96SC357>. The novel C2-symmetric triazole-containing chiral auxiliary (S,S)-4-amino-3,5-bis(l-hydroxyethyl)-l,2,4-triazole, SAT, (6) was prepared firmn (S)-lactic acid and hydrazine hydrate <96TA1621>. This chiral auxiliary was employed to mediate the diastereoselective 1,2-addition of Grignard reagents to the C=N bond of hydrazones. The diastereoselective-alkylation of enolates derived from ethyl ester 7 was mediated by a related auxiliary <96TA1631>. 

The oxidation of enol ethers and their derivatives is a useful method for the synthesis of a-hydroxy-ketones or their derivatives, which are versatile building blocks for organic synthesis. Since enol ethers and esters are types of olefin, some asymmetric epoxidation and dihydroxylation reactions have been applied to their oxidation. 

Palladium-catalyzed bis-silylation of methyl vinyl ketone proceeds in a 1,4-fashion, leading to the formation of a silyl enol ether (Equation (47)).121 1,4-Bis-silylation of a wide variety of enones bearing /3-substituents has become possible by the use of unsymmetrical disilanes, such as 1,1-dichloro-l-phenyltrimethyldisilane and 1,1,1-trichloro-trimethyldisilane (Scheme 28).129 The trimethylsilyl enol ethers obtained by the 1,4-bis-silylation are treated with methyllithium, generating lithium enolates, which in turn are reacted with electrophiles. The a-substituted-/3-silyl ketones, thus obtained, are subjected to Tamao oxidation conditions, leading to the formation of /3-hydroxy ketones. This 1,4-bis-silylation reaction has been extended to the asymmetric synthesis of optically active /3-hydroxy ketones (Scheme 29).130 The key to the success of the asymmetric bis-silylation is to use BINAP as the chiral ligand on palladium. Enantiomeric excesses ranging from 74% to 92% have been attained in the 1,4-bis-silylation. 

Perfect stereochemical control in the synthesis of sy -a-methyl-/ -hydroxy thioesters has been achieved by asymmetric aldol reaction between the silyl enol ether of. S -ethyl propanethioate (1-trimethylsiloxy-l-ethylthiopropene) and aldehydes using a stoichiometric amount of chiral diamine-coordinated tin(II)... 

The copper complex of these bis(oxazoline) compounds can also be used for hetero Diels-Alder reactions of acyl phosphonates with enol ethers.43 5 A favorable acyl phosphonate-catalyst association is achieved via complexation between the vicinal C=0 and P=0 functional groups. The acyl phosphonates are activated, leading to facile cycloaddition with electron-rich alkenes such as enol ethers. The product cyclic enol phosphonates can be used as building blocks in the asymmetric synthesis of complicated molecules. Scheme 5-36 shows the results of such reactions. 

The reaction of vinylcarbenoids with vinyl ethers can lead to other types of [3 + 2] cycloadditions. The symmetric synthesis of 2,3-dihydrofurans is readily achieved by reaction of rhodium-stabilized vinylcarbenoids with vinyl ethers (Scheme 14.17) [107]. In this case, (J )-pantolactone is used as a chiral auxihary. The initial cyclopropanation proceeds with high asymmetric induction upon deprotection of the silyl enol ether 146, ring expansion occurs to furnish the dihydrofuran 147, with no significant epi-merization during the ring-expansion process. 

Asymmetric alkylation of aldehydes is possible via enamines or azaenolates of imine derivatives (see Section D. 1.1.1.4.). Alkylation is also possible via enol ethers or esters (see Section 1.1.1.3.1.2.), although the use of these methods for asymmetric synthesis has not yet been explored. 

Silyl enol ethers, enol esters and alkyl enol ethers of ketones and aldehydes can be C-alkylated with reactive alkylating agents in the presence of Lewis acids86-90. However, information regarding the use of these reactions for diastereoselcctive or asymmetric synthesis is still limited. 

The silatropic ene pathway, that is, direct silyl transfer from an silyl enol ether to an aldehyde, may be involved as a possible mechanism in the Mukaiyama aldol-type reaction. Indeed, ab initio calculations show that the silatropic ene pathway involving the cyclic (boat and chair) transition states for the BH3-promoted aldol reaction of the trihydrosilyl enol ether derived from acetaldehyde with formaldehyde is favored [60], Recently, we have reported the possible intervention of a silatropic ene pathway in the catalytic asymmetric aldol-type reaction of silyl enol ethers of thioesters [61 ]. Chlorine- and amine-containing products thus obtained are useful intermediates for the synthesis of carnitine and GABOB (Scheme 8C.26) [62],... 

Stereoselective synthesis of /1-amino esters via asymmetric aldol-type and aza-Diels-Alder reactions has been reviewed.81 Siliranes react cleanly with benzaldehyde to produce oxasilacyclopentanes—with inversion—under conditions of Bu OK catalysis enolizable aldehydes yield silyl enol ethers.82... 

The DFT study of the 3 + 2-cycloaddition between ketene and TV-silyl-, IV-germyl-, and TV-stannyl-imines shows that the TV-germylimine reaction is a two-step process the TV-stannylimine reaction is a competition between two- and three-step processes whereas the TV-silyl process follows a three-step process44 A new and convenient synthesis of functionalized furans and benzofurans based on 3 + 2-cycloaddition/oxidation has been reported. The cyclization of cyclic 1,3-bis-silyl enol ethers (48) with l-chloro-2,2-dimethoxyethane (49), via a dianion, produced 5,6-bicyclic 2-alkylidenetetrahydrofurans (50), which are readily oxidized with DDQ to 2,3-unsubstituted benzofurans (51) (Scheme 13)45 The Evans bis(oxazoline)-Cu(II) complex catalyses the asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a -hydroxyenones with nitrones to produce isoxazolidines.46 The... 

Nevertheless, the use of chirally modified Lewis acids as catalysts for enantioselective aminoalkylation reactions proved to be an extraordinary fertile research area [3b-d, 16]. Meanwhile, numerous publications demonstrate their exceptional potential for the activation and chiral modification of Mannich reagents (generally imino compounds). In this way, not only HCN or its synthetic equivalents but also various other nucleophiles could be ami-noalkylated asymmetrically (e.g., trimethylsilyl enol ethers derived from esters or ketones, alkenes, allyltributylstannane, allyltrimethylsilanes, and ketones). This way efficient routes for the enantioselective synthesis of a variety of valuable synthetic building blocks were created (e.g., a-amino nitriles, a- or //-amino acid derivatives, homoallylic amines or //-amino ketones) [3b-d]. 

The imines 12 (X = 4-CH3-QH4-SO2 (Ts), Ar, C02R, COR, etc.) preformed or generated in situ from N,0- or N,N-acetals or hemiacetals are another important class of Mannich reagents frequently used for diastereo- and/or enantioselective aminoalkylation reactions catalyzed by chiral Lewis acids (usually copper or palladium BINAP complexes such as 13). Among other things excellent results were obtained in the aminoalkylation of silyl enol ethers or ketene acetals [24], A typical example is the synthesis of Mannich bases 14 depicted in Scheme 5 [24b], Because of their comparatively high electrophilicity imines 12 could even be used successfully for the asymmetric aminoalkylation of unactivated alkenes 15 (ene reactions, see Scheme 5) [24h, 25], and the diastereo- and/or enantioselective aminoalkyla-... 

The Claisen rearrangement was used in the asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-9(ll)-dehydroestrone methyl ether (5), a versatile intermediate in the synthesis of estrogens5 (Scheme 1. If). The key feature of the synthesis is the successful development of the asymmetric tandem Claisen-ene sequence. Thus, a solution of the cyclic enol ether 6 in toluene was heated in a sealed tube at 180 C for 60 hours to afford the product 9 in 76% isolated yield after deprotection of the silyl enol ether. The Claisen rearrangement of the allyl vinyl ether 6 occurred stereoselectively to give an intermediate (7), in which the 8,14-configuration was 90% syn. The stereoselectivity in the Claisen rearrangement can be explained... 

C. H. Heathcock, in Asymmetric Synthesis (Ed. J. P. Morrison), Vol. 3, Academic Press, New York, 1984, p. Ill for a review of stereocontrol in Michael addition reactions of enamines and enol ethers, see Reference 27. 

The most recent formal asymmetric synthesis of (+)-anatoxin-a was achieved through a highly diastereoselective [2+2] cycloaddition of dichloroketene with a chiral enol ether(63 Scheme 7.15) in order to reach the general stracture of 2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidine (66) for generating the acyliminum ion and getting the required bicycle skeleton (67) (Muniz et al. 2005). 

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