Enolates, boron reactions with imines

An interesting example from carbohydrate chemistry is the boron trifluoride-diethyl ether complex catalyzed nucleophilic addition of silyl enol ethers to chiral imines (from n-glyceralde-hyde or D-serinal)22. This reaction yields unsaturated y-butyrolactones with predominantly the D-arabino configuration (and almost complete Cram-type erythro selectivity). 

Asymmetric Mannich reactions provide useful routes for the synthesis of optically active p-amino ketones or esters, which are versatile chiral building blocks for the preparation of many nitrogen-containing biologically important compounds [1-6]. While several diastereoselective Mannich reactions with chiral auxiliaries have been reported, very little is known about enantioselective versions. In 1991, Corey et al. reported the first example of the enantioselective synthesis of p-amino acid esters using chiral boron enolates [7]. Yamamoto et al. disclosed enantioselective reactions of imines with ketene silyl acetals using a Bronsted acid-assisted chiral Lewis acid [8]. In all cases, however, stoichiometric amounts of chiral sources were needed. Asymmetric Mannich reactions using small amounts of chiral sources were not reported before 1997. This chapter presents an overview of catalytic asymmetric Mannich reactions. 

Boron enolates bearing menthol-derived chiral ligands have been found to exhibit excellent diastereo- and enantio-control on reaction with aldehydes34 and imines.35 Highly diastereo- and enantio-selective aldol additions of geometrically defined trichlorosilyl ketone enolates (31) and (32) have been achieved by promoting the reactions with chiral Lewis bases, of which (,S., S )-(33) proved to be the most effective.36 Moderate enantiomeric excesses have been achieved by using chiral ammo alcohols as catalysts for the Baylis-Hillman condensation of aldehydes with methyl vinyl ketone the unexpected pressure effect on the reaction has been rationalized.37... 

The stereochemical analysis of the metal enolate-imine reaction appears to be simpler in the case of boron enolates Z-OB enolates react with -imines leading preferentially to anti products , while it-OB enolates can give either syn or anti products or syn-anti mixtures, depending on the particular substrate The results were rationalized considering a chair-like TS for the Z-OB enolates and a chair-like V5. a boat-like TS for the -OB enolates (see equations 40 and 41). ... 

In recent years, catalytic asymmetric Mukaiyama aldol reactions have emerged as one of the most important C—C bond-forming reactions [35]. Among the various types of chiral Lewis acid catalysts used for the Mukaiyama aldol reactions, chirally modified boron derived from N-sulfonyl-fS)-tryptophan was effective for the reaction between aldehyde and silyl enol ether [36, 37]. By using polymer-supported N-sulfonyl-fS)-tryptophan synthesized by polymerization of the chiral monomer, the polymeric version of Yamamoto s oxazaborohdinone catalyst was prepared by treatment with 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl boron dichloride ]38]. The polymeric chiral Lewis acid catalyst 55 worked well in the asymmetric aldol reaction of benzaldehyde with silyl enol ether derived from acetophenone to give [i-hydroxyketone with up to 95% ee, as shown in Scheme 3.16. In addition to the Mukaiyama aldol reaction, a Mannich-type reaction and an allylation reaction of imine 58 were also asymmetrically catalyzed by the same polymeric catalyst ]38]. 

The reactions of enolates with aldehydes (aldol reactions) or with imines have been widely developed since the 1970s. Asymmetric aldol-type reactions are very important in the multistep synthesis of complex molecules such as ionophores or p-lactam antibiotics. Chirality has been introduced either on the substituents of boron, on the metal ligands or on the carbon skeleton of the enolate. Aldol reactions are usually run at low temperatures, and when metal enolates are used, the reactions are sometimes easily reversible [160, 209],... 

Table 13 Reactions of Boron Enolate (106) with Imines ...

The one-pot condensation of an ester enolate with an imine is a very powerful synthetic procedure toward azetidin-2-ones (Equation 183). Various types of esters and imines can be utilized. Although in the vast majority the reactions have been mediated by lithium, various other metals mediate the reaction as well. Some examples include zinc, aluminium, tin, boron, indium, and titanium <1996MI119>. Theoretical studies on these reactions have been reviewed <1998JCC1826>. 

In their synthesis of the pyrimidine segment of the potent antitumor antibiotic bleomycin, Umezawa, Ohno and coworkers have described the reaction of highly functionalized imine (96) with malonic acid monoethyl ester to afford 3-amino ester (97 equation 16)." The low yield of (97) is largely due to elimination of the amino side chain, giving the corresponding acrylate derivative. A subsequent modification of this reaction using a boron enolate overcomes this problem and will be discussed in Section 4.1.3.2.2.ii. 

Condensation Reactions. Boron trichloride converts ketones into (Z)-boron enolates at —95 °C in the presence of Diisopropyl-ethylamine. These enolates react with aldehydes with high syn diastereoselectivity (eq 2). A similar condensation of imines with carbonyl compounds also provides crossed aldols in reasonable yields. The reaction was extended to the asymmetric aldoi condensation of acetophenone imine and benzaldehyde by using isobornylamine as a chiral auxiliary (48% ee). ... 

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