Enolates aldol reaction, stereoselectivity

T. Nakata et al. developed a simple and efficient synthetic approach to prepare (+)-methyl-7-benzoylpederate, a key intermediate toward the synthesis of mycalamides. The key steps were the Evans asymmetric aldol reaction, stereoselective Claisen condensation and the Takai-Nozaki olefination. The diastereoselective Claisen condensation took place between a 5-lactone and the lithium enolate of a glycolate ester. 

Bernard , A., Capelli, A. M., Comotti, A., Gennari, C., Gardner, M., Goodman, J. M., Paterson, I. Origins of stereoselectivity in chiral boron enolate aldol reactions a computational study using transition state modeling. Tetrahedron 1991, 47, 3471-3484. 

Introduction and stereochemical control syn,anti and E,Z Relationship between enolate geometry and aldol stereochemistry The Zimmerman-Traxler transition state Anti-selective aldols of lithium enolates of hindered aryl esters Syn-selective aldols of boron enolates of PhS-esters Stereochemistry of aldols from enols and enolates of ketones Silyl enol ethers and the open transition state Syn selective aldols with zirconium enolates The synthesis of enones E,Z selectivity in enone formation from aldols Recent developments in stereoselective aldol reactions Stereoselectivity outside the Aldol Relationship A Synthesis ofJuvabione A Note on Stereochemical Nomenclature... 

The high syn stereoselectivity attained in zirconium enolate aldol reactions has proved useful in complex natural product synthesis. The zirconium-mediated aldol reaction of the chiral ethyl ketone (9) with a chiral aldehyde has been used by Masamune et al. to give selectively adduct (10), which was further elaborated into the ansa chain of rifamycin S (equation 1). Good enolate diastereofacial selectivity is also obtained here and leads to a predominance of one of the two possible syn adducts. A zirconium enolate aldol reaction also features in the Deslongchamps formal total synthesis of erythromycin A, where the di(cyclopentadienyl)chiorozirconium enolate from methyl propionate adds with high levels of Cram selectivity to the chiral aldehyde (11) to give the syn adduct (12 equation 2). A further example is... 

In some cases titanium enolates give as good, if not better, stereoselectivity as the corresponding boron enolate aldol reactions (Volume 2, Chapter 1.7). For example, the tri(isopropoxy)titanium enolate of the chiral ethyl ketone (27) has been found to undergo aldol reactions with aldehydes with very high dia-... 

The metal ion associated with the enolate has pronounced effect on stereoselectivity. Numerous titanium enolate-based asymmetric aldol methods have provided convenient access to aldol products in enantiomerically pure form. The titanium enolate aldol reaction has tremendous synthetic potential, because titanium reagents are readily available and inexpensive. This chapter will focus on the development of a variety of titanium enolate aldol reactions. 

---