Enol silanes reaction with aldehydes, diastereoselectivity

Heathcock, C. H., Davidsen, S. K., Hug, K. T., Flippin, L. A. Acyclic stereoselection. 36. Simple diastereoselection in the Lewis acid mediated reactions of enol silanes with aldehydes. J. Org. Chem. 1986, 51,3027-3037. 

The most intensely studied aldol addition mechanisms are those beUeved to proceed through closed transition structures, which are best understood within the Zimmerman-Traxler paradigm (Fig. 5) [Id]. Superposition of this construct on the Felkin-Ahn model for carbonyl addition reactions allows for the construction of transition-state models impressive in their abiUty to account for many of the stereochemical features of aldol additions [50a, 50b, 50c, 51]. Moreover, consideration of dipole effects along with remote non-bonding interactions in the transition-state have imparted additional sophistication to the analysis of this reaction and provide a bedrock of information that may be integrated into the further development and refinement of the corresponding catalytic processes [52a, 52b]. One of the most powerful features of the Zimmerman-Traxler model in its application to diastereoselective additions of chiral enolates to aldehydes is the correlation of enolate geometry (Z- versus E-) with simple di-astereoselectivity in the products syn versus anti). Consequently, the analyses of catalytic, enantioselective variants that display such stereospecificity often invoke closed, cyclic structures. Further studies of these systems are warranted, since it is not clear to what extent such models, which have evolved in the context of diastereoselective aldol additions via chiral auxiliary control, are applicable in the Lewis acid-catalyzed addition of enol silanes and aldehydes. 

Acyl Silanes. Although acyl trimethylsilanes are known, they are usually unstable and lead to poor diastereoselectivity in aldol reactions. TBDMS acyl silanes, however, were prepared in 50% yield from 1-methoxy- 1-lithiopropene in the presence of TMEDA at rt (eq 20). The lithium enolates of TBDMS acyl silanes were treated with aldehydes to give the corresponding aldol products in reasonable yields. 

Numerous in-depth mechanistic studies have been performed on the Mukaiyama aldol reaction. " Although various mechanisms exist in the literature that take into account the various roles of the numerous catalysts used for the enantio- and diastereoselective Mukaiyama aldol reaction, the commonly accepted mechanism accounting for bond formation is shown below.The reaction begins with the coordination of a Lewis acid with aldehyde 4 to form complex 5. Due to its enhanced electrophilicity, complex 5 is attacked by the 7t-bond of the enol silane 6, giving rise to resonance stabilized cation 7. At this point, either intermolecular silyl cleavage upon hydrolysis or intramolecular silyl transfer to the product hydroxyl group occurs to give products such as 8 or 9. 

In contrast, the Mukaiyama aldol reaction used in the Heathcock synthesis of the C29-C44 fragment of spongistatin proceeded with comparatively reduced diastereoselectivity. The stereochemically complex enol silane 30 was eoupled to 29, a 2,3-57 -p-alkoxy aldehyde, resulting in... 

In investigations of double diastereodifferentiating Mukaiyama aldol reactions, Evans demonstrated that the coupling of end silane 195 either to aldehyde 196 or to aldehyde 198 affords the Felkin products 197 and 199, respectively, with excellent diastereoselectivity (Scheme 4.21) [36]. Because of the involvement of open transition states in these aldol reactions, no direct correlation was found between the starting end silane geometry and the observed simply selectivity (syn versus anti). This contrasts with the simple diastereoselectivity typically observed for cis- and trans-metal enolates that react through cyclic Zimmerman-Traxler transition states. By this strategy, the addition of enol silane 201 to 200 provided an advanced intermediate 202 in the synthesis of 6-deoxyerythronolide B (187, Scheme 4.22) [97]. 

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