Ethers, enol, addition with protons

Because of thetr electron deficient nature, fluoroolefms are often nucleophihcally attacked by alcohols and alkoxides Ethers are commonly produced by these addition and addition-elimination reactions The wide availability of alcohols and fliioroolefins has established the generality of the nucleophilic addition reactions The mechanism of the addition reaction is generally believed to proceed by attack at a vinylic carbon to produce an intermediate fluorocarbanion as the rate-determining slow step The intermediate carbanion may react with a proton source to yield the saturated addition product Alternatively, the intermediate carbanion may, by elimination of P-halogen, lead to an unsaturated ether, often an enol or vinylic ether These addition and addition-elimination reactions have been previously reviewed [1, 2] The intermediate carbanions resulting from nucleophilic attack on fluoroolefins have also been trapped in situ with carbon dioxide, carbonates, and esters of fluorinated acids [3, 4, 5] (equations 1 and 2)... 

An interesting synthesis of silyl enol ethers involves chain extension of an aldehyde. Aldehydes are converted to the silyl enol ether of a ketone upon reaction with lithium (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane and then a drrhodium catalyst. Initial reaction of lithium(trimethylsilyl)diazomethane [LTMSD, prepared in situ by reaction of butyllithium with (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane] to the aldehyde (e.g., 37) gave the alkoxide addition product. Protonation, and then capture by a transition-metal catalyst, and a 1,2-hydride migration gave the silyl enol ether, 38. 

The formation of the above anions ("enolate type) depend on equilibria between the carbon compounds, the base, and the solvent. To ensure a substantial concentration of the anionic synthons in solution the pA" of both the conjugated acid of the base and of the solvent must be higher than the pAT -value of the carbon compound. Alkali hydroxides in water (p/T, 16), alkoxides in the corresponding alcohols (pAT, 20), sodium amide in liquid ammonia (pATj 35), dimsyl sodium in dimethyl sulfoxide (pAT, = 35), sodium hydride, lithium amides, or lithium alkyls in ether or hydrocarbon solvents (pAT, > 40) are common combinations used in synthesis. Sometimes the bases (e.g. methoxides, amides, lithium alkyls) react as nucleophiles, in other words they do not abstract a proton, but their anion undergoes addition and substitution reactions with the carbon compound. If such is the case, sterically hindered bases are employed. A few examples are given below (H.O. House, 1972 I. Kuwajima, 1976). 

The structure of the products is determined by the site of protonation of the radical anion intermediate formed after the first electron transfer step. In general, ERG substituents favor protonation at the ortho position, whereas EWGs favor protonation at the para position.215 Addition of a second electron gives a pentadienyl anion, which is protonated at the center carbon. As a result, 2,5-dihydro products are formed with alkyl or alkoxy substituents and 1,4-products are formed from EWG substituents. The preference for protonation of the central carbon of the pentadienyl anion is believed to be the result of the greater 1,2 and 4,5 bond order and a higher concentration of negative charge at C(3).216 The reduction of methoxybenzenes is of importance in the synthesis of cyclohexenones via hydrolysis of the intermediate enol ethers. 

Enol ether additives were used to probe the protonation of 3-cyclopen-tenylidene (127). Treatment of A-nitroso-A-(2-vinylcyclopropyl)urea (124) with sodium methoxide generates 2-vinylcyclopropylidene (126) by way of the labile diazo compound 125 (Scheme 25). For simplicity, products derived directly from 126 (allene, ether, cycloadduct) are not shown in Scheme 25. The Skat-tebpl rearrangement of 126 generates 127 whose protonation leads to the 3-cyclopentenyl cation (128). In the presence of methanol, cyclopentadiene (130) and 3-methoxycyclopentene (132) were obtained.53 With an equimolar mixture of methyl vinyl ether and methanol, cycloaddition of 127 (—> 131)... 

Lithium Enolates. The control of mixed aldol additions between aldehydes and ketones that present several possible sites for enolization is a challenging problem. Such reactions are normally carried out by complete conversion of the carbonyl compound that is to serve as the nucleophile to an enolate, silyl enol ether, or imine anion. The reactive nucleophile is then allowed to react with the second reaction component. As long as the addition step is faster than proton transfer, or other mechanisms of interconversion of the nucleophilic and electrophilic components, the adduct will have the desired... 

Dehydrobromination of bromotrifluoropropene affords the more expensive trifluoropropyne [237], which was metallated in situ and trapped with an aldehyde in the TIT group s [238]synthesis of 2,6-dideoxy-6,6,6-trifluorosugars (Eq. 77). Allylic alcohols derived from adducts of this type have been transformed into trifluoromethyl lactones via [3,3] -Claisen rearrangements and subsequent iodolactonisation [239]. Relatively weak bases such as hydroxide anion can be used to perform the dehydrobromination and when the alkyne is generated in the presence of nucleophilic species, addition usually follows. Trifluoromethyl enol ethers were prepared (stereoselectively) in this way (Eq. 78) the key intermediate is presumably a transient vinyl carbanion which protonates before defluorination can occur [240]. Palladium(II)-catalysed alkenylation or aryla-tion then proceeds [241]. 

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