Enolate anions from diethyl malonate

By analogy, the chemical Claisen condensation using the enolate anion from diethyl malonate in Figure 2.10 proceeds much more favourably than that using the enolate from ethyl acetate. The same acetoacetic acid product can be formed in the malonate condensation by hydrolysis of the acylated malonate intermediate and decarboxylation of the gem-diacid. 

The second step involves an elimination of the tertiary amine (ElcB mechanism) and a coniac. addition of the enolate anion of diethyl malonate to the resulting enone. This device prevent v reactive enone from combining with itself by releasing it only in the presence of an excess c -.ii nucleophile. 

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. 

Most barbiturates are made from diethyl malonate. The methylene protons between the two carbonyl groups are acidic and will give a highly stabilized enolate anion. 

In the late nineteenth century, Michael found that the enolate anion (46) derived from diethyl malonate reacts with ethyl acrylate at the P-carbon (as shown in the illustration) to give an enolate anion, 47, as the product. Remember from Chapter 22 (Section 22.7.4) that the a-proton of a 1,3-dicarbonyl compound such as diethyl malonate is rather acidic (pK of about 11), and even a relatively weak base will deprotonate to form the enolate anion. Michael addition of 46 with ethyl acrylate will give enolate anion 47, and aqueous acid workup leads to the isolated product, 48. Attack at the -carbon is possible because that carbon is less hindered than the acyl carbon, so reaction at the C=C unit is somewhat faster than attack at the acyl carbon. Michael addition occurs with relatively stable carbanion nucleophiles, such as malonate derivative 46 and some other common nucleophiles. Other conjugated carbonyl derivatives react similarly. 

Stabilized anions exhibit a pronounced tendency to undergo conjugate addition to a p unsaturated carbonyl compounds This reaction called the Michael reaction has been described for anions derived from p diketones m Section 18 13 The enolates of ethyl acetoacetate and diethyl malonate also undergo Michael addition to the p carbon atom of a p unsaturated aldehydes ketones and esters For example... 

The malonic ester synthesis is similar to the acetoacetic ester synthesis. It begins with deprotonation of diethyl malonate (pKa = 11) to produce an enolate anion that is the synthetic equivalent of the enolate anion derived from acetic acid ... 

There are two classical reaction sequences in organic chemistry that rely on enolate alkylation. One is the malonic ester synthesis.61 jjj synthetic example taken from the Clive and Hisaindee synthesis of brevioxime,62 diethyl malonate was treated with a base such as sodium ethoxide, under thermodynamic control conditions. The resulting enolate anion is treated with the indicated alkyl halide to give the alkylated product 81 (in 72% yield).Saponification of 81 to the dicarboxylic acid (82, in 99% yield), was followed by decarboxylation (sec. 2.9.D) and formation of the substituted acid 83, in 94% yield. ... 

The reaction of diethyl malonate (90) with sodium hydride generates enolate anion 91 as the conjugate base, and hydrogen gas is the conjugate acid. It has the three resonance contributors shown in the illustration, although 91A has the highest concentration of electron density, and 91 will react as a carbanion nucleophile. There is one extra resonance form in the malonate enolate anion relative to a simple ester due to the second carbonyl unit, and it means that 91 is more stable than the enolate derived from a monoester. In part, this accounts for the enhanced acidity and easier formation of the enolate anion using a weaker base. Once formed, 91 is a carbon nucleophile and it will react with both aldehydes and ketones, as well as with other esters. 

A variation in this approach used the lithium enolate of diethyl malonate in a reaction with the allylic acetate moiety in 1.187. Malonate anion reacted with an intermediate 7c-allyl palladium species [formed from the allylic acetate moiety in 1.187, catalyzed hy the palladium (0) species] to give ethyl 6-(N-Boc amino)-7-(4-benzyloxypheny l)-2-carboethoxyhept-4-enoate, 1.188. ... 

Rather than pyridine or ammonia, bases such as sodium hydride or sodium ethoxide can be used to generate a malonate enolate anion. Such enolates are easier to control, from a synthetic viewpoint, and allow a wider range of reactions. For this reason, they are collected into this section. An example is the reaction of the sodium enolate of diethyl 2-methylmalonate with the bromine moiety in phthalimide derivative 4.42. This displacement reaction was followed by removal of the phthalimidoyl group, hydrolysis of the esters and decarboxylation to give 2-methyl-6-aminohexanoic acid (4.4J),23 Phthalimide 4.42 was prepared by reaction of 1,4-dibromobutane with potassium phthalimide.23 The length of the carbon chain in the... 

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