Enones, 367. organocoppers

Tandem conjugate addition-alkylation has proven to be an efficient means of introducing groups at both a- and (3-positions at enones.307 As with simple conjugate addition, organocopper reagents are particularly important in this application, and they are discussed further in Section 8.1.2.3. 

The mechanism of conjugate addition reactions probably involves an initial complex between the cuprate and enone.51 The key intermediate for formation of the new carbon-carbon bond is an adduct formed between the enone and the organocopper reagent. The adduct is formulated as a Cu(III) species, which then undergoes reductive elimination. The lithium ion also plays a key role, presumably by Lewis acid coordination at the carbonyl oxygen.52 Solvent molecules also affect the reactivity of the complex.53 The mechanism can be outlined as occurring in three steps. 

Tridachiahydropyrone belongs to the family of marine polypropionates [69]. Efforts towards its total synthesis have recently led to a revision of the structure with the new proposal 2-147 [70]. The construction of the highly substituted cyclohex-enone moiety 2-146 which could be incorporated into this natural product [71] has been described by Perkins and coworkers (Scheme 2.33) [70, 72]. The conjugate addition/ Dieckmann-type cydization utilizing organocopper species as Michael donors afforded the enantiopure 2-145 in 68% yield. A further methylation of the (3-ketoester moiety in 2-145 followed by an elimination led to the desired cydohex-enone 2-146. 

Conjugate additions to enals and enones.1 ClSi(CH,)3/HMPT markedly accelerates the Cu(I)-catalyzed conjugate addition of Grignard reagents to enals, enones, and unsaturated esters. The conjugate addition of organocopper reagents is also facilitated. 

During the last decade, a substantial number of novel (sometimes even stereoselective) strategies for the preparation of allenic prostaglandins have been devised. The approach used by Patterson involves a three-component coupling via a 1,4-addi-tion of the organocopper compound 121 to the enone 120, followed by alkylation of the enolate formed with the bromide 122 (Scheme 18.40) [121]. However, due to the notoriously low reactivity in the alkylation of the mixed copper-lithium enolate formed during the Michael addition [122], the desired product 123 was obtained with only 28% chemical yield (the alkylation was not even stereoselective, giving 123 as a 1 1 mixture of diastereomers). 

Tab. 6.1. Results of conjugate addition of organocopper reagents to enones 20 and 21.

Conjugate addition [2] to Michael acceptors is the most important and useful reaction in organocopper chemistry, and the reaction is often used as the key step in the synthesis of numerous natural and unnatural products. Perhaps one of the most efficient methods for the synthesis of quaternary carbon centers is organo-copper-mediated conjugate addition to /I, yS-disubstituted enones. 

The synthetic application of organocopper compounds received a major impetus from the study of the catalytic effect of copper salts on reactions of Grignard reagents with y.,(i-unsaturated ketones.1 Whereas Grignard reagents normally add to conjugated enones to give the 1,2-addition product, the presence of catalytic amounts of Cu(I) results in... 

In many cases a Lewis acid has been added to a cuprate to enhance its reactivity with an enone, but there are also examples for which the Lewis acid-organocopper reagents do not work well, (Scheme 10). Reaction of the bicyclic enonate (24) with Me2CuLi led to smooth conjugate addition,71 but the use of either Me2CuLiBF3 or MeCuBFj resulted in formation of a dark resinous material. It is often difficult to predict when the reaction will go astray, but it should be recognized that a Lewis acid-cuprate complex is not always an effective solution to a reactivity problem. 

The chiral organocopper compound (186) adds diastereoselectively to 2-methyl-2-cyclopentenone, allowing the preparation of optically active steroid CD-ring building blocks (Scheme 68).202-204 A related method was applied to a synthesis of the steroid skeleton via an intramolecular (transannular) Diels-Alder reaction of a macrocyclic precursor.203 Chiral acetone anion equivalents based on copper azaeno-lates derived from acetone imines were shown to add to cyclic enones with good selectivity (60-80% ee, after hydrolysis).206-208 Even better ee values are obtained with the mixed zincate prepared from (187) and dimethylzinc (Scheme 69). Other highly diastereoselective but synthetically less important 1,4-additions of chiral cuprates to prochiral enones were reported.209-210... 

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