Ethyl acrylate, Michael addition

Keywords ethyl 2-oxo-cyclohexanecarboxylate, ethyl acrylate, Michael addition, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid... 

Michael additions of III to reactive acceptors appear feasible. Derivatives were formed from acrylonitrile and ethyl acrylate. Although these were not fully characterized, they were observed by HPLC analysis. 

The combination of CsF with Si(OMe)4 58 is an efficient catalyst for Michael additions, e.g. of tetralone 130 to methacrylamide, followed hy cyclization of the addition product to the cyclic enamide 131 in 94% yield [67]. Likewise, addition of the lactone 132 to methyl cinnamate affords, after subsequent cyclization with tri-fluoroacetic acid, the lactam 133 in 58% yield [68] whereas < -valerolactam 134, with ethyl acrylate in the presence of Si(OEt)4 59/CsF, gives 135 in 98% yield [69]. Whereas 10mol% of CsF are often sufficient, equivalent amounts of Si(OEt)4 59 seem to be necessary for preparation of 135 [69] (Scheme 3.11). 

Notably, half of the tertiary product was the telomer 8, which incorporates an additional equivalent of olefin. In contrast, the Pt(0) precatalyst Pt(norbornene)3 (0.2 mol%) gave a 10 1 mixture of tertiary phosphine 9 and telomer 8 over 11 h at 5 5°C in toluene (Scheme 5-10, Eq. 2). The selectivity was higher (>95%) when only the final step [addition of PH(CH2CH2C02Et)2 to ethyl acrylate] was monitored by NMR. In contrast, Pt[P(CH2CH2CF3)3]2(norbomene) did not catalyze addition of PH, to CH2=CHCF3 thus, the olefin must be a Michael acceptor. [11]... 

Hydrophosphination of ethyl acrylate using PH3 (R = C02Me, Equation (17)) is catalyzed by a mixture of the zero-valent platinum complexes (72a c), which are formed upon addition of P CH2CH2C02Et 3 to Pt(norbornene)3] (Scheme 44). Failure of these complexes to bring about P H addition to CH2 = CHCF3 indicates that Michael activation of the alkene through I and R effects of the substituents is crucial for catalytic activity in this class of metal complexes.190... 

Imidazole has been condensed via a 1,4 Michael addition with ethyl acrylate by use of basic clays (Li+ and Cs+ montmorillonites) under solvent-free conditions with microwave irradiation [77] (Eq. 24). 

The microwave activation of Michael additions in the preparation of N-substituted imidazoles afforded excellent yields in very short reaction times under mild reaction conditions, Scheme 10.9. Basic clays (Li+, Cs+) exchanged montmorillonites were found to be very active and selective catalysts for the Michael addition of imidazole and ethyl acrylate [54]. 

Scheme 10.9 Michael addition of imidazole with ethyl acrylate.

Additional evidence for the contention that metathesis carbenes are nucleophilic was offered by Gassman in an interesting series of trapping experiments utilizing Michael acceptors as carbene traps (15, 17). Thus, an ethylidene carbene generated from 2-butene was trapped by ethyl acrylate to yield the expected ethylcyclopropyl ester, although yields were quite low. 

The Michael addition reaction of the serine-derived oxazolidine 326 with ethyl acrylate gave two products. The major product of the reaction was found to be the bicyclic compound 327, which was formed in 27% yield, accompanied by the unsaturated ester 328. The Dess-Martin oxidation of 327 resulted only in formation of the elimination product, the 7,7a-dihydro-177, 377-pyrrolo[l,2-r ]oxazole 328 (Scheme 46) <2001JOC7555>. 

However, in an intriguing reaction promoted by the para-nitro groups of the aryl-sulphone (1) (Scheme 6.25), the initial Michael adduct derived from acrylic esters produces the diarylpropanoic esters (2), together with the diesters (3) (from methyl or ethyl acrylate) [39]. A similar addition-rearrangement reaction has been observed with l-aryl-2-(4-nitrobenzenesulphonyl)ethanones [40]. Additionally, reaction of the sulphonylethanone with two equivalents of the acrylic ester produces a 4-hydroxy-1,4-diarylcyclohexane-1,3-dicarboxylate. 

Besides formaldehyde, Michael acceptors such as acrylonitrile and ethyl acrylate also serve as substrate to undergo the addition in the presence of various metal complexes [10-14]. Acrylonitrile affords P(CH2CH2CN)3 tcep (Scheme 3). The order of catalytic activity is reported to be Pt[P(CH2CH2CN)3]3>Pd[P(CH2CH2CN)3]3P IrCl[P(CH2CH2CN)3]3>Ni[P(C-H2CH2CN)3]3. The solvent effect on the rate is not significant. In acetonitrile, however, a small amount of a telomer is formed. 

The Michael reaction involves conjugate addition of a nucleophile onto an a,P-unsaturated carbonyl compound, or similar system. Such reactions take place in nature as well, and some can be potentially dangerous to us. For example, the a,P-unsaturated ester ethyl acrylate is a cancer suspect agent. This electrophile can react with biological nucleophiles and, in so doing, bind irreversibly to the nucleophile, rendering it unable to carry out its normal functions. A particularly important enzyme that can act as a nucleophile is DNA polymerase, which is responsible for the synthesis of strands of DNA, especially as part of a DNA repair mechanism (see Section 14.2.2). The nucleophilic centre is a thiol grouping, and this may react with ethyl acrylate as shown. 

Ishikawa and co-workers also reported a class of structurally modified guanidines for promotion of the asymmetric Michael reaction of ierf-butyl-diphenylimino-acetate to ethyl acrylate [124,125]. In addition to a polymer support design (Scheme 69), an optical resolution was developed to achieve chiral 1,2-substituted ethylene-l,2-di-amines, a new chiral framework for guanidine catalysis. The authors discovered that incorporating steric bulk and aryl substituents in the catalyst did improve stereoselec-tivitity, although the reactivity did suffer (Scheme 70, Table 4). 

This experimental procedure must be followed carefully to avoid partial decomposition of ethyl a-(hydroxymethyl)acrylate. The reaction is stopped rapidly after the addition of the carbonate solution (5 min) to prevent formation of high molecular weight by-products which result from transesterification and Michael addition, both of which occur in the basic medium. However, about 25% of the product is lost. Addition of diethyl ether during cooling minimizes side reactions. 

Scheme 4.15) began with a Michael addition between (5)-2-amino-l-propanol (94) and ethyl propiolate (95) to afford chiral amino acrylate (96) in 99% yield. 

The hrst step in the preparation of the antidepressant maprotiline (33-5) takes advantage of the acidity of anthrone protons for incorporation of the side chain. Thus treatment of (30-1) with ethyl acrylate and a relatively mild base leads to the Michael adduct saponihcation of the ester group gives the corresponding acid (33-1). The ketone group is then reduced by means of zinc and ammonium hydroxide. Dehydration of the hrst-formed alcohol under acidic conditions leads to the formation of fully aromatic anthracene (33-2). Diels-Alder addition of ethylene under high pressure leads to the addition across the 9,10 positions and the formation of the central 2,2,2-bicyclooctyl moiety (33-3). The hnal steps involve the construction of the typical antidepressant side chain. The acid in (33-3) is thus converted to an acid chloride and that function reacted with methylamine to form the amide (33-4). Reduction to a secondary amine completes the synthesis of (33-5) [33]. 

The presence of the propionamide fragment in the stmcture of the anti-inflammatory agent broperamole (125-1) is reminiscent of the heterocycle-based NSAID propionic acids. The activity of this agent may trace back to the acid that would result on hydrolysis of the amide. Tetrazoles are virtually always prepared by reaction of a nitrile with hydrazoic acid or, more commonly, sodium azide in the presence of acid in a reaction very analogous to a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. A more recent (and safer) version of the reaction noted later (see losartan, 77-4) uses tributyltin azide. In the case at hand, reaction of the anion of mefa-bromobenzonitrile (125-1) with sodium azide and an acid affords the tetrazole (125-2). Condensation of the anion from that intermediate with ethyl acrylate leads to the product from Michael addition saponiflcation gives the corresponding carboxylic acid (125-3). This is then converted to the acid chloride reaction with piperidine affords broperamole (125-4) [136]. 

Acrylates, for example, contain an a, 3-unsaturated carbonyl system and as such undergo Michael addition reactions. This is believed to be the basis of the carcinogenic properties of acrylates [21]. Incorporation of a methyl (-CH3) group on the a-carbon (to provide a methacrylate) decreases the electrophilicity (i.e., reactivity) of the (3-carbon [40], hence methacrylates do not undergo 1,4-Michael addition reactions as readily. Methacrylates often have commercial efficacy similar to that of acrylates in many applications, but are less likely to cause cancer because they are less reactive. This point can be demonstrated by comparing methyl methacrylate (6), which does not cause cancer in experimental animals [41], with ethyl acrylate (7), which causes cancer in experimental animals in assays similar to those used to test 6 [42]. 

Michael adducts are also formed from the reactions of pyrroles with ethyl propiolate and with but-l-yn-3-one. In addition to the expected acrylic ester, 1-methylpyrrole also yields ethyl 3,3-bis(l-methyl-2-pyrrolyl)propanoate in its reaction with ethyl propiolate (67MI30500, 67MI30501), whilst if both a -positions of the pyrrole ring are unsubstituted, a twofold Michael addition with but-l-yn-3-one occurs to give the 2,5-disubstituted pyrrole (76JHC1145). 

Bicyclic keto esters can easily be prepared by a process called a,a -annulation.29 Thus, treatment of the enamine of cyclopentanone (64) with ethyl a-(bromomethyl)acrylate (98) affords, after work-up, the bicyclic keto ester (99) in 80% yield (equation IS).2911 The mechanism probably involves an initial Michael addition and elimination (or a simple Sn2 or Sn2 alkylation) followed by an intramolecular Michael addition of the less-substituted enamine on the acrylate unit. The use of the enamine of 4,4-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)cyclohexanone (100 equation 26) with (98) gives a 45% yield of the adaman-tanedione diester (101) (yield based on 100 70% when based on 98) via a,a -annulation followed by Dieckmann condensation.29 Enamines of heterocyclic ketones can also serve as the initial nucleophiles, e.g. (102) and (103) give (105) via (104), formed in situ, in 70% yield (Scheme 11 ).29>... 

Kotsuki et al.909 have developed a method to effect the Michael addition of [3-ketoesters with ethyl acrylate in the presence of triflic acid under solvent-free conditions [Eq. (5.335)]. Nonactivated cyclohexanones as Michael donors and a,/3-unsaturated ketones as acceptors are also reactive. The use of menthyl acrylates did not result in any significant asymmetric induction. 

The aza-Michael reaction yields, complementary to the Mannich reaction, P-amino carbonyl compounds. If acrylates are applied as Michael acceptors, P-alanine derivatives such as 64 and 65 are obtained. The aza-Michael reaction can be catalyzed by Bronsted acids or different metal ions. Good results are also obtained with FeCl3, as shown in Scheme 8.29. The addition of HNEt2 to ethyl acrylate (41f), for example, requires 10mol% of the catalyst and a reaction time of almost 2 days [94], The addition of piperidine to a-amino acrylate 41g is much faster and yields a,P-diaminocarboxylic acid derivative 65 [95]. 

Jew and Park achieved a highly enantioselective synthesis of (2S)-a-(hydroxy-methyljglutamic acid, a potent metabotropic receptor ligand, through the Michael addition of 2-naphthalen-l-yl-2-oxazoline-4-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester 72 to ethyl acrylate under phase-transfer conditions [38]. As shown in Scheme 5.36, the use of BEMP as a base at —60 °C with the catalysis of N-spiro chiral quaternary ammonium bromide le appeared to be essential for attaining an excellent selectivity. 

The first step in the synthesis is the conjugate addition of methylamine to ethyl acrylate. Two sequential Michael addition reactions take place. 

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