Enol formation mechanism

In the prostaglandin synthesis shown, silyl enol ether 216, after transmetaJ-lation with Pd(II), undergoes tandem intramolecular and intermolecular alkene insertions to yield 217[205], It should be noted that a different mechanism (palladation of the alkene, rather than palladium enolate formation) has been proposed for this reaction, because the corresponding alkyl enol ethers, instead of the silyl ethers, undergo a similar cyclization[20I],... 

Both parts of the Lapworth mechanism enol formation and enol halogenation are new to us Let s examine them m reverse order We can understand enol halogenation by analogy to halogen addition to alkenes An enol is a very reactive kind of alkene Its carbon-carbon double bond bears an electron releasing hydroxyl group which makes it electron rich and activates it toward attack by electrophiles... 

There have been numerous studies of the rates of deprotonation of carbonyl compounds. These data are of interest not only because they define the relationship between thermodynamic and kinetic acidity for these compounds, but also because they are necessary for understanding mechanisms of reactions in which enolates are involved as intermediates. Rates of enolate formation can be measured conveniently by following isotopic exchange using either deuterium or tritium ... 

The mechanism presumably involves partial opening of the ketal to permit enol formation, followed by bromination and reclosing of the ketal ... 

The mechanism of the Fiesselmann reaction between methylthioglycolate and a,P-acetylenic esters proceeds via consecutive base-catalyzed 1,4-conjugate addition reactions to form thioacetal Enolate formation, as a result of treatment with a stronger base, causes a Dieckmann condensation to occur providing ketone 8. Elimination of methylthioglycolate and tautomerization driven by aromaticity provides the 3-hydroxy thiophene dicarboxylate 9. 

Figure 22.1 MECHANISM Mechanism of acid-catalyzed enol formation. The protonated intermediate can lose H+, either from the oxygen atom to regenerate the kelo tautomer or from the a carbon atom to yield an enol.

Mechanism of base-catalyzed enol formation. The intermediate enolate ion, a resonance hybrid of two forms, can be protonated either on carbon to regenerate the starting keto tautomer or on oxygen to give an enol. 

Q Acid-catalyzed enol formation occurs by the usual mechanism. 

The fundamental aspects of the structure and stability of carbanions were discussed in Chapter 6 of Part A. In the present chapter we relate the properties and reactivity of carbanions stabilized by carbonyl and other EWG substituents to their application as nucleophiles in synthesis. As discussed in Section 6.3 of Part A, there is a fundamental relationship between the stabilizing functional group and the acidity of the C-H groups, as illustrated by the pK data summarized in Table 6.7 in Part A. These pK data provide a basis for assessing the stability and reactivity of carbanions. The acidity of the reactant determines which bases can be used for generation of the anion. Another crucial factor is the distinction between kinetic or thermodynamic control of enolate formation by deprotonation (Part A, Section 6.3), which determines the enolate composition. Fundamental mechanisms of Sw2 alkylation reactions of carbanions are discussed in Section 6.5 of Part A. A review of this material may prove helpful. 

By means of in situ NMR spectroscopy combined with deuterium incorporation experiments, van Leeuwen has elucidated the mechanism of termination by protonolysis, showing that the fl-chelates are in equilibrium with their enolate form by a p-H elimination/hydride migration process (Scheme 7.19). The enolate intermediates are regioselectively protonated at the C2 carbon atom by either MeOH or H2O to give Pd-OMe or Pd-OH and keto terminated copolymer. The enolate formation has been reported to be rate determining in the chain transfer [19]. 

The first step of the chain extension reaction mechanism has been shown to be enolate formation, the by-product of which is ethane gas. The nitrogen line should be attached to a large adapter to provide adequate venting of the gas. 

Section 17-1 we can be sure that this is related to enolization. Formation of either the enol or the enolate anion will destroy the asymmetry of the a carbon so that, even if only trace amounts of enol are present at any given time, eventually all of the compound will be racemized. However, the mechanism requires both that there be an a hydrogen and that the center of symmetry be located at this a carbon. Otherwise, acids and bases are ineffective in catalyzing racemization. 

Use of deuterated substrates gives hAd = 6.5. This is a primary kinetic deuterium isotope effect, indicating diat proton removal is an essential component of die rate-determining step. The lack of rate dependence on bromine requires diat bromine is added to die molecule after die rate-determining step. A mechanism consistent widi diese facts has proton removal and enolate formation rate determining. 

Stacey and Turton61 objected to Isbell s mechanism on two counts first, that he did not specify that a proton acceptor must be used to promote the reaction and second, that the orthoacetate intermediate would not be applicable in the conversion which they demonstrated (by absorption spectra data) to take place on treatment with dilute, aqueous sodium hydroxide. (The presence of the proton acceptor seems implicit in Isbell s general description of the process of enolization.) The mechanism of Stacey and Turton is shown in Formulas XXIV to XXVIII it calls for the donation of electrons by pyridine to the incipient, ionic proton at C2 and elimination of acetic acid between C2 and C3 with the formation of the partially acetylated enediol-pyridinium complex. The pyridinium ion is removed by acetic acid. Electronic readjustment results in the elimination of acetic acid from positions 4 and 5. The final step, conversion of XXVII to XXVIII, was not explained. Stacey and Turton considered that with sodium hydroxide the reaction proceeds after deacetylation by a similar mechanism except that hydroxyl groups take the place of acetyl groups. Neither mechanism requires a free hydroxyl group at Cl, a condition considered by Maurer to be essential to kojic acid formation. 

Pyrazines are formed from transamination reactions, in addition to carbon dioxide and formaldehyde. A requirement is that the carbonyl compound contains a dione and the amino group is alpha to the carboxyl group (16). If the hydrogen on the ct-carbon oI the amino acid is substituted, a ketone is produced. Newell (17) initially proposed a pyrazine formation mechanism between sugar and amino acid precursors. (See Figure 3). The Schiff base cation is formed by addition of the amino acid to the anomeric portion of the aldo-hexose, with subsequent losses of vater and a hydroxyl ion. Decarboxylation forms an imine which can hydrolyze to an aldehyde and a dienamine. Enolization yields a ketoamine, vhich dissociates to amino acetone and glyceraldehyde. 2,5-Dimethylpyrazine is formed by the condensation of the tvo molecules of amino acetone. 

In the presence of an electrophile, tautomerization of a substrate with a C=0 double bond to its enol only takes place when catalyzed by either a Bronsted- or a Lewis acid. The proton-catalyzed mechanism is shown for the ketone — enol conversion B — iso-B (Figure 12.4), the carboxylic acid —> enol conversion A — E (Figure 12.6), the carboxylic acid bromide — enol conversion E —> G (Figure 12.7) and the carboxylic acid ester — enol conversion diethyl-malonate —> E (Figure 12.9). Each of these enol formations is a two-step process consisting of the protonation to a carboxonium ion and the latter s deprotonation. The mechanism of a Lewis acid-catalyzed enolization is illustrated in Figure 12.5, exemplified by the ketone —> enol conversion A —> iso-A. Again, a protonation to a carboxonium ion and the latter s deprotonation are involved the Lewis acid-complexed ketone acts as a proton source (see below). 

The review starts with a discussion of the mechanism of keto-enol tautomerisation and with kinetic data. Included in this section are results on stereochemical aspects of enolisation (or enolate formation) and on regioselec-tivity when two enolisation sites are in competition. The next section is devoted to thermodynamic data (keto-enol equilibrium constants and acidity constants of the two tautomeric forms) which have greatly improved in quality over the last decade. The last two sections concern two processes closely related to enolisation, namely the formation of enol ethers in alcohols and that of enamines in the presence of primary and secondary amines. Indeed, over the last fifteen years, data have shown that enol-ether formation and enamine formation are two competitive and often more favourable routes for reactions which usually occur via enol or enolate. 

This principle can be extended to ketones whose enolates have less dramatic differences in stability. We said in Chapter 21 that, since enols and enolates are alkenes, the more substituents they carry the more stable they are. So, in principle, even additional alkyl groups can control enolate formation under thermodynamic control. Formation of the more stable enolate requires a mechanism for equilibration between the two enolates, and this must be proton transfer. If a proton source is available— and this can even be just excess ketone—an equilibrium mixture of the two enolates will form. The composition of this equilibium mixture depends very much on the ketone but, with 2-phenylcyclo-hexanone, conjugation ensures that only one enolate forms. The base is potassium hydride it s strong, but small, and can be used under conditions that permit enolate equilibration. 

We established in Chapter 12 a hierarchy for the electrophilic reactivity of acid derivatives that should by now be very familiar to you—acyl chlorides at the top to amides at the bottom. But what about the reactivity of these same derivatives towards enolization at the a position, that is, the CH2 group between R and the carbonyl group in the various structures You might by now be able to work this out. The principle is based on the mechanisms for the two processes, mechanism of nucleophilic attack mechanism of enolate formation... 

Cyclohexylamine gives a reasonably stable imine even with acetaldehyde and this can be isolated and lithiated with LDA to give the aza-enolate. The mechanism is similar to the formation of lithium enolates and the lithium atom binds the nitrogen atom of the aza-enolate, just as it binds the oxygen atom of an enolate. 

Alkylation of fl-aryleyclopentanones. Addition of 10 mole% of CuCN to the lithium enolate prepared from /3-arylcyclopentanones and LDA increases the amount of the less stable product of alkylation. Polyalkylation is also suppressed. Similar results are obtained when methyl- or phenylcopper is added to the enolate prepared by alkyUithium cleavage of trimethylsilyl enol ethers. The mechanism by which Cu(I) influences these alkylations is not as yet understood. The regiospecificity of enolate formation in the example Illustrated in equation (I) has been attributed to a directing efiect of the proximate phenyl group. This effect is also observed in the deprotonation of -arylcyclohexanones. Quantitative, but not qualitative, differences exist between five- and six-membered rings, probably because of conformational differences. ... 

The proposed mechanism involves a preequilibrium of enolate formation (HBO ") followed by a rate-determining electron transfer ... 

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