Enolates aldol addition reactions

Scheme 13.71 shows the most recent version of a synthesis of (-l-)-discodermolide developed by Ian Paterson s group at Cambridge University. The synthesis was based on three major subunits and used boron enolate aldol addition reactions to establish the stereochemistry. 

Denmark SE, Stavenger RA (2000) The chemistry of trichlorosilyl enolates. Aldol addition reactions of methyl ketones. J Am Chem Soc 122 8837-8847... 

Note also the stereochemistry. In some cases, two new stereogenic centers are formed. The hydroxyl group and any C(2) substituent on the enolate can be in a syn or anti relationship. For many aldol addition reactions, the stereochemical outcome of the reaction can be predicted and analyzed on the basis of the detailed mechanism of the reaction. Entry 1 is a mixed ketone-aldehyde aldol addition carried out by kinetic formation of the less-substituted ketone enolate. Entries 2 to 4 are similar reactions but with more highly substituted reactants. Entries 5 and 6 involve boron enolates, which are discussed in Section 2.1.2.2. Entry 7 shows the formation of a boron enolate of an amide reactions of this type are considered in Section 2.1.3. Entries 8 to 10 show titanium, tin, and zirconium enolates and are discussed in Section 2.1.2.3. 

The first element of stereocontrol in aldol addition reactions of ketone enolates is the enolate structure. Most enolates can exist as two stereoisomers. In Section 1.1.2, we discussed the factors that influence enolate composition. The enolate formed from 2,2-dimethyl-3-pentanone under kinetically controlled conditions is the Z-isomer.5 When it reacts with benzaldehyde only the syn aldol is formed.4 The product stereochemistry is correctly predicted if the TS has a conformation with the phenyl substituent in an equatorial position. 

Zirconium enolates can also prepared by reaction of lithium enolates with (Cp)2ZrCl2, and they act as nucleophiles in aldol addition reactions.34... 

Aldol Addition Reactions of Enolates of Esters and Other Carbonyl Derivatives... 

Despite the ability to control ester enolate geometry, the aldol addition reactions of unhindered ester enolate are not very stereoselective.37... 

Among the most useful carbonyl derivatives are (V-acyloxazolidinones, and as we shall see in Section 2.3.4, they provide facial selectivity in aldol addition reactions. l,3-Thiazoline-2-thiones constitute another useful type of chiral auxiliary, and they can be used in conjunction with Bu2B03SCF3,44 Sn(03SCF3)2,45 or TiCl446 for generation of enolates. The stereoselectivity of the reactions is consistent with formation of a Z-enolate and reaction through a cyclic TS. 

The Mukaiyama aldol reaction refers to Lewis acid-catalyzed aldol addition reactions of silyl enol ethers, silyl ketene acetals, and similar enolate equivalents,48 Silyl enol ethers are not sufficiently nucleophilic to react directly with aldehydes or ketones. However, Lewis acids cause reaction to occur by coordination at the carbonyl oxygen, activating the carbonyl group to nucleophilic attack. 

The Mukaiyama aldol reaction can provide access to a variety of (3-hydroxy carbonyl compounds and use of acetals as reactants can provide (3-alkoxy derivatives. The issues of stereoselectivity are the same as those in the aldol addition reaction, but the tendency toward acyclic rather than cyclic TSs reduces the influence of the E- or Z-configuration of the enolate equivalent on the stereoselectivity. 

Stereochemical Control by the Enolate or Enolate Equivalent. The facial selectivity of aldol addition reactions can also be controlled by stereogenic centers in the nucleophile. A stereocenter can be located at any of the adjacent positions on an enolate or enolate equivalent. The configuration of the substituent can influence the direction of approach of the aldehyde. 

These examples and those in Scheme 2.6 illustrate the key variables that determine the stereochemical outcome of aldol addition reactions using chiral auxiliaries. The first element that has to be taken into account is the configuration of the ring system that is used to establish steric differentiation. Then the nature of the TS, whether it is acyclic, cyclic, or chelated must be considered. Generally for boron enolates, reaction proceeds through a cyclic but nonchelated TS. With boron enolates, excess Lewis acid can favor an acyclic TS by coordination with the carbonyl electrophile. Titanium enolates appear to be somewhat variable but can be shifted to chelated TSs by use of excess reagent and by auxiliaries such as oxazolidine-2-thiones that enhance the tendency to chelation. Ultimately, all of the factors play a role in determining which TS is favored. 

Enantioselective Catalysis of the Aldol Addition Reaction. There are also several catalysts that can effect enantioselective aldol addition. The reactions generally involve enolate equivalents, such as silyl enol ethers, that are unreactive toward the carbonyl component alone, but can react when activated by a Lewis acid. The tryptophan-based oxazaborolidinone 15 has proven to be a useful catalyst.148... 

The Reformatsky reaction is related to both organometallic and aldol addition reactions and probably involves a cyclic TS. The Reformatsky reagent from /-butyl bromoacetate crystallizes as a dimer having both O—Zn (enolate-like) and C—Zn (organometallic-like) bonds (see Figure 7.5).165... 

Z-vinyl iodide was obtained by hydroboration and protonolysis of an iodoalkyne. The two major fragments were coupled by a Suzuki reaction at Steps H-l and H-2 between a vinylborane and vinyl iodide to form the C(ll)-C(12) bond. The macrocyclization was done by an aldol addition reaction at Step H-4. The enolate of the C(2) acetate adds to the C(3) aldehyde, creating the C(2)-C(3) bond and also establishing the configuration at C(3). The final steps involve selective deprotonation and oxidation at C(5), deprotection at C(3) and C(7), and epoxidation. 

This finding is also in agreement with another three-component Michael/aldol addition reaction reported by Shibasaki and coworkers [14]. Here, as a catalyst the chiral AlLibis[(S)-binaphthoxide] complex (ALB) (2-37) was used. Such hetero-bimetallic compounds show both Bronsted basicity and Lewis acidity, and can catalyze aldol [15] and Michael/aldol [14, 16] processes. Reaction of cyclopentenone 2-29b, aldehyde 2-35, and dibenzyl methylmalonate (2-36) at r.t. in the presence of 5 mol% of 2-37 led to 3-hydroxy ketones 2-38 as a mixture of diastereomers in 84% yield. Transformation of 2-38 by a mesylation/elimination sequence afforded 2-39 with 92 % ee recrystallization gave enantiopure 2-39, which was used in the synthesis of ll-deoxy-PGFla (2-40) (Scheme 2.8). The transition states 2-41 and 2-42 illustrate the stereochemical result (Scheme 2.9). The coordination of the enone to the aluminum not only results in its activation, but also fixes its position for the Michael addition, as demonstrated in TS-2-41. It is of importance that the following aldol reaction of 2-42 is faster than a protonation of the enolate moiety. 

The utilization of a-amino acids and their derived 6-araino alcohols in asymmetric synthesis has been extensive. A number of procedures have been reported for the reduction of a variety of amino acid derivatives however, the direct reduction of a-am1no acids with borane has proven to be exceptionally convenient for laboratory-scale reactions. These reductions characteristically proceed in high yield with no perceptible racemization. The resulting p-amino alcohols can, in turn, be transformed into oxazolidinones, which have proven to be versatile chiral auxiliaries. Besides the highly diastereoselective aldol addition reactions, enolates of N-acyl oxazolidinones have been used in conjunction with asymmetric alkylations, halogenations, hydroxylations, acylations, and azide transfer processes, all of which proceed with excellent levels of stereoselectivity. 

Boron enolates can also be obtained from esters21 and amides,22 and these too undergo aldol addition reactions. Various combinations of boronating reagents and amines have been used, and the E Z ratios are dependent on the reagents and conditions. In most... 

Considerable effort has been devoted to finding Lewis acid or other catalysts that could induce high enantioselectivity in the Mukaiyama reaction. As with aldol addition reactions involving enolates, high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity requires involvement of a transition state with substantial facial selectivity with respect to the electrophilic reactant and a preferred orientation of the nucleophile. Scheme 2.4 shows some examples of enantioselective catalysts. 

The group of Samuel Danishefsky at the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research in New York has also been active in the synthesis of the natural epothilones and biologically active analogs. One of these syntheses also uses the olefin metathesis reaction (not shown). The synthesis in Scheme 13.51 uses an alternative approach to create the macrocycle. One of the key steps is a Suzuki coupling carried out at step H-(l,2) between a vinylborane and vinyl iodide. The macrocyclization is an aldol addition reaction at step H-4. The enolate of the acetate adds to the aldehyde, creating the C(2)-C(3) bond of the macrolactone and also establishing the stereocenter at C-3. 

These reactions are divided into two sections. In the former, representative examples of organic electrophiles, which can be used in reactions with magnesium ketone enolates, are summarized. The second section shows that magnesium ketone enolates can be employed as interesting alternatives to their more known lithium counterparts in aldol addition reactions. This part is discussed in terms of regio- and stereoselectivity. 

Reviews on stoichiometric asymmetric syntheses M. M. Midland, Reductions with Chiral Boron Reagents, in J. D. Morrison, ed., Asymmetric Synthesis, Vol. 2, Chap. 2, Academic Press, New York, 1983 E. R. Grandbois, S. I. Howard, and J. D. Morrison, Reductions with Chiral Modifications of Lithium Aluminum Hydride, in J. D. Morrison, ed.. Asymmetric Synthesis, Vol. 2, Chap. 3, Academic Press, New York, 1983 Y. Inouye, J. Oda, and N. Baba, Reductions with Chiral Dihydropyridine Reagents, in J. D. Morrison, ed., Asymmetric Synthesis, Vol. 2, Chap. 4, Academic Press, New York, 1983 T. Oishi and T. Nakata, Acc. Chem. Res., 17, 338 (1984) G. Solladie, Addition of Chiral Nucleophiles to Aldehydes and Ketones, in J. D. Morrison, ed., Asymmetric Synthesis, Vol. 2, Chap. 6, Academic Press, New York, 1983 D. A. Evans, Stereoselective Alkylation Reactions of Chiral Metal Enolates, in J. D. Morrison, ed., Asymmetric Synthesis, Vol. 3, Chap. 1, Academic Press, New York, 1984. C. H. Heathcock, The Aldol Addition Reaction, in J. D. Morrison, ed., Asymmetric Synthesis, Vol. 3, Chap. 2, Academic Press, New York, 1984 K. A. Lutomski and A. I. Meyers, Asymmetric Synthesis via Chiral Oxazolines, in J. D. Morrison, ed., Asymmetric Synthesis, Vol. 3, Chap. 

Shibasaki has examined catalysis of a complex, prepared in situ from PdCl2, AgOTf, (R)-or (S)-BINAP, 4 A molecular sieves, and H20, in the aldol addition reaction of enolsilanes by (Eq. 8B2.5) [13]. Under these conditions, aryl methyl ketone-derived trimethylsilyl enolates add to benzaldehyde and hydrocinnamaldehyde, affording adducts with up to 73% ee. 

Yamamoto has recently described a novel catalytic, asymmetric aldol addition reaction of enol stannanes 19 and 21 with aldehydes (Eqs. 8B2.6 and 8B2.7) [14]. The stannyl ketones are prepared solvent-free by treatment of the corresponding enol acetates with tributyltin methoxide. Although, in general, these enolates are known to exist as mixtures of C- and 0-bound tautomers, it is reported that the mixture may be utilized in the catalytic process. The complexes Yamamoto utilized in this unprecedented process are noteworthy in their novelty as catalysts for catalytic C-C bond-forming reactions. The active complex is generated upon treatment of Ag(OTf) with (R)-BINAP in THF. Under optimal conditions, 10 mol % catalyst 20 effects the addition of enol stannanes with benzaldehyde, hydrocinnamaldehyde, or cinnamaldehyde to give the adducts of acetone, rerf-butyl methyl ketone (pinacolone), and acetophenone in good yields and 41-95% ee (Table 8B2.3). 

Phosphoramide Catalysis. In a series of elegant studies, Denmark has described a process utilizing trichlorosilyl enolates 27 and 28 as the nucleophilic component in catalytic, enantiose-lective aldol addition reactions (Scheme 8B2.3) [151. These enoxysilanes are prepared by treatment of stannyl enolates with SiCl4. Although trichlorosilyl enolates are sufficiently reactive entities to undergo addition to aldehydes rapidly at -78°C, Denmark documented that... 

Some of the most impressive advances in the area of catalytic, enantioselective aldol addition reactions have taken place in the development of catalytic methods for enantioselective acetate aldol additions, a reaction type that has long been recalcitrant. Thus, although prior to 1992 a number of chiral-auxiliary based and catalytic methods were available for diastereo- and enantiocontrol in propionate aldol addition reactions, there was a paucity of analogous methods for effective stereocontrol in the addition of the simpler acetate-derived enol silanes. However, recent developments in this area have led to the availability of several useful catalytic processes. Thus, in contrast to the state of the art in 1992, it is possible to prepare acetate-derived aldol fragments utilizing asymmetric catalysis with a variety of transition-metal based complexes of Ti(IV), Cu(II), Sn(II), and Ag(I). 

Mikami has carried out a number of investigations aimed at elucidating mechanistic aspects of this Si-atom transfer process. In particular, when the aldol addition reaction was conducted with a 1 1 mixture of enoxysilanes 60 and 62, differentiated by the nature of the 0-alkyl and 0-silyl moieties, only the adducts of intramolecular silyl-group transfer 63 and 64 are obtained (Scheme 8B2.6). This observation in addition to results obtained with substituted enol silanes have led Mikami to postulate a silatropic ene-like mechanism involving a cyclic, closed transition-state structure organized around the silyl group (Scheme 8B2.6). 

Significant efforts have extended the scope of catalytic enantioselective Mukaiyama aldol addition reactions beyond the acetate and propionate enoxysilanes and have been used traditionally. Recent reports describe novel addition reactions of silyl dienolates along with isobutyrate-derived enol silanes. 

Silylene transfer to a -unsaturated esters produces oxasilacyclopentenes and provides a new method for regio- and stereo-selective formation of enolate that can undergo facile and selective Ireland-Claisen rearrangements and aldol addition reactions to provide products with multiple contiguous stereocenters and quaternary carbon centers (Scheme 37). 

The mechanisms for metal-catalyzed and organocatalyzed direct aldol addition reactions differ one from another, and resemble the mode of action of the type 11 and type I aldolases, respectively. Some metal-ligand complexes, for example, 1-4 and 9 are considered to have a bifunctional character [22], embodying within the same molecular frame a Lewis acidic site and a Bronsted basic site. Whereas base would be required to form the transient enolate species as an active form of the carbonyl donor, the Lewis acid site would coordinate the acceptor aldehyde carbonyl, increasing its electrophilicity. By this means, both transition state stabilization and substrates preorganization would be provided (see Scheme 5 for a proposal). 

The first step is a Ferrier mercuration9 reaction on the enol ether double bond, which initiates ring-opening of the pyranoside to form 13 (Scheme 11.5). An intramolecular aldol addition reaction then ensues to give 14. After 0-mesylation, 15 undergoes an Elcb elimination reaction via enolate 16. 

The carbon that lost a proton is now a nucleophilic center and can therefore react with formaldehyde. As mentioned above, formaldehyde has an electrophilic center on carbon. Therefore, the carbon of formaldehyde can react with the nucleophilic carbon on the enolate of glycolaldehyde to form a new compound containing three carbon atoms, a three-carbon carbohydrate called glyceraldehyde. The overall reaction sequence is often called an aldol addition reaction, here of formaldehyde and glycolaldehyde. 

Boryl enolates prepared from A-propionylsultam reacted with aliphatic, aromatic and a,/Tunsaturated aldehydes to provide diastereomerically pure. qw-aldols (Equation (174), whereas the presence of TiCl4 caused complete reversal of the diastereoface selectivity giving anti-aldols (Equation (175)).676-678 Camphor-derived chiral boryl enolates 423 were highly reactive and highly anti-selective enolate synthon system in aldol addition reactions promoted by TiCl4 or SnCl4 co-catalyst (Equation (176)).679... 

A number of methods have been developed for accomplishing aldol addition reactions in a stereoselective manner. The preformed lithium enolates of alkyl esters normally react with aldehydes to give mixtures of the two diastereomeric g-hydroxy esters (eq 1). However, the enolates derived from... 

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