Enolate anion formation

Rate and equilibrium constant measurements for the enolization of 3-phenylcoumaran-2-one (82) in aqueous dioxane indicate an enol content of ca 0.1%, a pKg, of 8.9 (6.0 for the enol tautomer), and a fairly symmetrical transition state for enolate anion formation the Brpnsted Pb = 0.52 Below pH 5, enolization is independent of pH, occurring via O-protonation of the enolate. 

Similarly, the amide ion could be used to abstract a proton from a ketone to produce an enolate anion (see Section 10.2) in an essentially irreversible reaction, since the difference in acidities of the ketone and ammonia is so marked. However, if the base chosen were ethoxide, then enolate anion formation would... 

These compounds ionize and act as sources of hydride and amide ions respectively, which are able to remove a-protons from carbonyl compounds. These ions are actually the conjugate bases of hydrogen and ammonia respectively, compounds that are very weak acids indeed. What becomes important here is that enolate anion formation becomes essentially irreversible the enolate anion formed is insufficiently basic to be able to remove... 

An enolate anion generated from a carboxylic acid derivative may be used in the same sorts of nucleophilic reactions that we have seen with aldehyde and ketone systems. It should be noted, however, that the base used to generate the enolate anion must be chosen carefully. If sodium hydroxide were used, then hydrolysis of the carboxylic derivative to the acid (see Section 7.9.2) would compete with enolate anion formation. However, the problem is avoided by using the same base, e.g. ethoxide, as is present in the ester... 

The racemization process involves removal of the a-hydrogen to form the enolate anion, which is favoured by both the enolate anion resonance plus additional conjugation with the aromatic ring. Since the a-protons in esters are not especially acidic, the additional conjugation is an important contributor to enolate anion formation. The proton may then be restored from either side of the planar system, giving a racemic product. 

To say ferf-butoxide is a smaller base and removes a proton from the alternative site is not sufficient. If it can remove a proton from the hindered position, then it can also remove one from the less-hindered position, so we ought to get a mixture of the two possible products. Here, we need to remember that although LDA forms the enolate anion in an irreversible manner, enolate anion formation using ferf-butoxide is an equilibrium and, therefore, reversible. Therefore, we see formation of the more favonrable prodnct, i.e. that with the five-membered ring. 

The methylene hydrogens between the two carbonyls are the most acidic, so this is where enolate anion formation occurs. Now follows an Sn2 reaction with the dibromide reagent. It is soon apparent that this sequence of enolate anion formation and Sn2 displacement can be repeated, since the substrate still contains an acidic hydrogen. We soon end up with an alkylated ketoester. 

In this case, we formulate the Claisen reaction between two ester molecules as enolate anion formation, nucleophilic attack, then loss of the leaving group. Now reverse it. Use hydroxide as the nucleophile to attack the ketone carbonyl, then expel the enolate anion as the leaving group. All that remains is protonation of the enolate anion, and base hydrolysis of its ester function. 

The mechanistic steps can be deduced by inspection of structures and conditions. Enolate anion formation from diethyl malonate under basic conditions is indicated, and that this must attack the epoxide in an Sn2 reaction is implicated by the addition of the malonate moiety and disappearance of the epoxide. The subsequent ring formation follows logically from the addition anion, and is analogous to base hydrolysis of an ester. Ester hydrolysis followed by decarboxylation of the P-keto acid is then implicated by the acidic conditions and structural relationships. 

Studies of relative rates, activation parameters, kinetic isotope, and solvent isotope effects, and correlation of rates with an acidity function, have elucidated the mechanisms of cyclization of diacetyl aromatics (23-26) promoted by tetramethyl-ammonium hydroxide in DMSO.32 Rate-determining base-catalysed enolate anion formation from (24-26) is followed by relatively rigid intramolecular nucleophilic attack and dehydration whereas the cyclization step is rate determining for (23). 

In chapter 21 we mentioned nitro compounds as promoters of conjugate addition they also stabilise anions strongly but do not usually act as electrophiles so that self-condensation is not found with nitro compounds. The nitro group is more than twice as good as a carbonyl group at stabilising an enolate anion. Nitromethane (p/ a 10) 1 has a lower pKa than malonates 4 (pKa 13). In fact it dissolves in aqueous NaOH as the enolate anion 3 formed in a way 2 that looks like enolate anion formation. 

Similarly, 144 has been obtained from the reaction of 1-trimethylsilylcyclopropyl methyl selenide with n-BuLi The a-bromosilane 147 underwent lithiation with n-BuLi in THF at —78 °C to provide 144 with superior efficiency to any other method, Eq. (46))81). 147 was prepared in large quantities by the Hunsdiecker degradation of the 1-trimethylsilylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid 146, obtained by successively reacting the commercially available cyclopropanecarboxylic acid with -BuLi (2 equivalents) and ClSiMe3 82). Uneventfully, 144 added to carbonyl compounds, except for cyclopentanone where enolate anion formation competed the 1-trimethylsilylcyclo-propylcarbinols 148 underwent acid-induced dehydration to the expected 1-trimethyl-silylvinylcyclopropanes 149 79-81) while base induced elimination (KH, diglyme, 90 °C) led to cyclopropylidenecycloalkanes 150 77), Eq. (47). 

You notice that we have drawn the intermediate ylid as an enolate just to emphasize that it is an enolate derivative it can also be represented either as the ylid or as a C=P phosphorane structure. If we look at the details of this sort of Wittig reaction, we shall see that ylid formation is like enolate anion formation (indeed it is enolate anion formation). Only a weak base is needed as the enolate is stabilized by the Ph3P+ group as well. 

There is still one proton between the two carbonyl groups so enolate anion formation is again easy and dehydration follows to give the unsaturated product. 

Though there are two sites for enolate anion formation, one would give a four-membered ring and can be ignored, Only enolization of the methyl group leads to a stable six-membered ring. 

This time the two possible sites for enolate anion formation would both lead to stable five-mem-bered rings, but one product cannot form a stable enolate anion under the reaction conditions so the other is preferred. 

In the next example, there are three possible sites for enolate anion formation, but only one product is formed and in good yield too. 

An intriguing enantioselective preparation of substituted quaternary 1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one scaffolds has been reported by Carlier et al. <03JA11482>. Enantioselective alkylation is used to prepare chiral products 64 (e.g. R = H R = Me, PhCH2 R = Me2CH) from non-racemic glycine-derived 1,4-benzodiazepinones. If the N1 substituent is sufficiently large (e.g. an isopropyl group) then the stereochemistry at the 3-position of the 3-substituted 1,4-benzodiazepinones is transmitted to the product despite the loss of chirality at C-3 on intermediate enolate anion formation. 

Two mechanisms have been proposed for alkaline-catalyzed chemical interesterification enolate anion formation and carbonyl addition. 

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