Enolate anions, dianions, reaction with

A cyclic transition state model, that differs from the Zimmerman-Traxler and the related cyclic models inasmuch as it does not incorporate the metal in a chelate, has been proposed by Mulzer and coworkers [78] It has been developed as a rationale for the observation that, in the aldol addition of the dianion of phenylacetic acid 152, the high ti-selectivity is reached with naked enolate anions (e.g., with the additive 18-crown-6). Thus, it was postulated that the approach of the enolate to the aldehyde is dominated by an interaction of the enolate HOMO and the n orbital of the aldehyde that functions as the LUMO (Scheme 4.31), the phenyl substituents of the enolate (phenyl) and the residue R of the aldehyde being oriented in anti position at the forming carbon bond, so that the steric repulsion in the transition state 153 is minimized. Mulzer s frontier molecular orbital-inspired approach reminds of a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. However, the corresponding cycloadduct 154 does not form, because of the weakness of the oxygen-oxygen bond. Instead, the doubly metallated aldol adduct 155 results. Anh and coworkers also emphasized the frontier orbital interactions as being essential for the stereochemical outcome of the aldol reaction [79]. 

Under the conditions of the Birch reduction, IV-Boc amides such as 60 can be reductively alkylated in high yields, presumably via a dianion intermediate which is protonated by ammonia at C-5 leaving an enolate anion at C-2 <96JOC7664>. Quenching the reaction with alkyl halides or ammonium chloride then affords the 3-pyrrolines 61. 

When monomeric metaphosphate anion POf (102) is generated form the phos-phonate dianion 170 in the presence of the hindered base 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiper-idine, it undergoes reaction with added carbonyl compounds147), Thus, it phosphoryl-ates acetophenone to yield the enol phosphate, whereas in the presence of acetophenone and aniline the Schiff base is formed from both compounds, probably by way of the intermediate C6H5—C(CH3) (OPO e) ( NH2C6HS). This reactivity pattern closely resembles that of monomeric methyl metaphosphate 151 (see Sect. 4.4.2). 

The anion 7 is quite nucleophilic and undergoes exclusive C-alkylation upon reaction with electrophiles including chlorotrimethylsilane °. These reactivity patterns have led to the suggestion that enolates of iron-acyl complexes may be considered to behave similarly to the organic dianion 910- u. 

The direct a-alkylation of monoketones normally employs reaction of an alkyl halide or sulfonate with the enolate anion produced using a strong base. This method can be satisfactorily used with symmetrical ketones, which are to be dialkylated with a dihalide, and with intramolecular cyclization reactions, where the formation of five- and six-membered rings is often favored over the formation of three-, four-, seven-, and eight-membered rings (M. Mous-seron, 1937 W.S. Johnson, 1963). Regioselective alkylation of dianions according to Hauser s rule (see p. 9f.) is usually also a satisfactory procedure (F.W. Sum, 1979). 

Methanol-0-4 methyl nitrite, and dimethyl disulfide have been examined as potential chemical probes for distinguishing between alkoxides and enolates in the gas phase.171 Methanol-0-d proved to be unsuitable and methyl nitrite reacts too slowly in contrast, the reactive ambident behaviour of dimethyl disulfide results in elimination across the C—S bond on reaction with alkoxides ( hard bases ) and attack at sulfur by enolates ( soft bases ). This probe has been applied to investigation of the anionic oxy-Cope rearrangement. The dianionic oxy-Cope rearrangement is a key step in a squarate ester cascade involving stereoinduced introduction of two alkenyllithium reagents cis to each other.172... 

Ketone dilithio-c /S-dianions (30, formed by treatment of /3 -stannylketones, RCOCH2-CH2SnBuCl2, with 4 equiv. of BuLi) react with imines and hydrazone selectively at the /3-anion portion to give dilithium enolate amides (31).82 Subsequent reaction with electrophiles gives y-amino ketones and related heterocycles. 

Looking back on the history of ketone dianion chemistry, one soon notices that dianion species, derived from / -keto esters, have been in continuous steady use in organic synthesis3,4, as shown in Scheme 2. Thus, ethyl acetoacetate can be converted to the corresponding ketone o a -chainon via consecutive proton abstraction reactions. The resulting dienolate anion reacts with a variety of alkyl halides to give products, resulting from exclusive attack at the terminal enolate anions. 

Dianions of this type react with ketones, epoxides,and esters " as well as a wide variety of other electrophiles. As an example, the dilithio anion of 2-methylpropionic acid was condensed with the epoxide moiety in 229 to form an hydroxy acid, which cyclized to form the lactone ring in 230. Since most of the enolates of acid derivatives contain a leaving group, the alkoxide resulting from reaction with an epoxide often displaces that leaving group to give the lactone. 

Enolate hydroxylation is a problem of long standing. Direct oxygenation succeeds with the fully substituted enolates of certain a,a-disubstituted ketones and a variety of carboxylic acid derivatives (ester anions, acid dianions, amide anions), but the reaction of enolates, RCH = C(0 )R or CH2 = C(0 )R, with oxygen results in complex products of overoxidation. The stable... 

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