Esters conjugate addition reactions

Methacryhc acid and its ester derivatives are Ctfjy -unsaturated carbonyl compounds and exhibit the reactivity typical of this class of compounds, ie, Michael and Michael-type conjugate addition reactions and a variety of cycloaddition and related reactions. Although less reactive than the corresponding acrylates as the result of the electron-donating effect and the steric hindrance of the a-methyl group, methacrylates readily undergo a wide variety of reactions and are valuable intermediates in many synthetic procedures. 

The mechanism of the Fiesselmann reaction between methylthioglycolate and a,P-acetylenic esters proceeds via consecutive base-catalyzed 1,4-conjugate addition reactions to form thioacetal Enolate formation, as a result of treatment with a stronger base, causes a Dieckmann condensation to occur providing ketone 8. Elimination of methylthioglycolate and tautomerization driven by aromaticity provides the 3-hydroxy thiophene dicarboxylate 9. 

It will be recalled that one of the key operations in the synthesis of IJK ring system 86 is the intramolecular conjugate addition reaction (see 90—>89, Scheme 17b) to form ring J. In the context of compound 90, the electrophilic a,/ -unsaturated ester moiety and the potentially nucleophilic tertiary hydroxyl group reside in proximal regions of space, a circumstance that would seem to favor the desired cyclization evept (see Scheme 19). Indeed, exposure of a solution of 90 in THFto sodium hydride (1 equiv.) for one hour at 25 °C results in the formation of compound 89 in 92% yield. In... 

Some examples of conjugate addition reactions of allylic silanes are given in Scheme 9.5. Entries 1 to 3 illustrate the synthesis of several (3-allyl ketones. Note that Entry 2 involves the creation of a quaternary carbon. Entry 4 was used in the synthesis of a terpenoid ketone, (+)-nootkatone. Entry 5 illustrates fluoride-mediated addition using tetrabutylammonium fluoride. These conditions were found to be especially effective for unsaturated esters. In Entry 6, the addition is from the convex face of the ring system. Entry 7 illustrates a ring closure by intramolecular conjugate addition. 

As with other reactions, silyl esters of phosphorus acids constitute an important and useful category of reagents for conjugate addition reactions. With aldehydes, ketones, and esters, the silyl ester linkage is transferred to the carbonyl oxygen, facilitating the completion of the reaction, generating the free carbonyl or ester upon workup with a protic solvent (Equation 3.25). 

Silyl esters of trivalent phosphorus acids have been used successfully in conjugate addition reactions using acrylates,393 395 nitriles,394 amides,396 397 ketones and aldehydes,398-404 and nitro compounds.387... 

Evans, D.A., Hurst, K.M., and Takacs, J.M., New silicon-phosphorus reagents in organic synthesis. Carbonyl and conjugate addition reactions of silicon phosphite esters and related systems, /. Am. Chem. Soc., 100, 3467, 1978. 

Woodward et al. have used the binaphthol-derived ligand 40 in asymmetric conjugate addition reactions of dialkylzinc to enones [46]. Compound 40 has also been studied as a ligand in allylic substitutions with diorganozinc reagents [47]. To allow better control over selectivity in y substitution of the allylic electrophiles studied, Woodward et al. investigated the influence of an additional ester substituent in the jS-position (Scheme 8.25). 

Conjugate addition reactions to the E-alkenoate proceeded fruitfully [293]. Remarkably, ketone enolates added to the alkenoate (Eq. 106) to afford the Michael adducts in the absence of the three fluorine atoms, the retro-Michael reaction dominates, because a ketone enolate is more stable that the ester enolate generated by the conjugate addition process therefore some special driving... 

Inexpensive and readily available Grignard reagents and stable dinuclear Cu complexes have been used for the first time in catalytic enantioselective conjugate addition reactions to simple acyclic a -unsaturated methyl esters.95 These reactions have provided access to highly valuable -substituted chiral esters in good yields and with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee). 

The photoaddition of alkanes onto electron-poor alkynes (e.g., propiolate or acetilendicarboxylate esters) can be accomplished by a radical conjugate addition reaction [7]. Radicals have been generated either via hydrogen abstraction from cycloalkanes or via electron transfer from 2-alkyl-2-phenyl-l,3-dioxolanes. In the first case, the irradiation was pursued on an alkane solution of an aromatic ketone (used as the photomediator) and the alkyne. Under these conditions, methyl propiolate was alkylated upon irradiation in the presence of 4-trifluoromethylacetophenone to form acrylate 48 in 97% yield (E/Z= 1.3 1 Scheme 3.31) [78]. 

Diesters (malonates and substituted derivatives) combine three useful features in conjugate addition reactions they form stable enolate anions that undergo clean conjugate addition if required, one of the ester groups can be removed by hydrolysis and decarboxylation and, finally, the remaining acid or ester is ideal for conversion into other functional groups,... 

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