Formaldehyde mukaiyama-type reaction

The silatropic ene pathway, that is, direct silyl transfer from an silyl enol ether to an aldehyde, may be involved as a possible mechanism in the Mukaiyama aldol-type reaction. Indeed, ab initio calculations show that the silatropic ene pathway involving the cyclic (boat and chair) transition states for the BH3-promoted aldol reaction of the trihydrosilyl enol ether derived from acetaldehyde with formaldehyde is favored [60], Recently, we have reported the possible intervention of a silatropic ene pathway in the catalytic asymmetric aldol-type reaction of silyl enol ethers of thioesters [61 ]. Chlorine- and amine-containing products thus obtained are useful intermediates for the synthesis of carnitine and GABOB (Scheme 8C.26) [62],... 

Mukaiyama aldol reactions of various silyl enol ethers or ketene silyl acetals with aldehydes or other electrophiles proceed smoothly in the presence of 2 mol % B(CgF5)3 [151a,c]. The following characteristic features should be noted (i) the products can be isolated as j8-trimethylsilyloxy ketones when crude adducts are worked-up without exposure to acid (ii) this reaction can be conducted in aqueous media, so that the reaction of the silyl enol ether derived from propiophenone with a commercial aqueous solution of formaldehyde does not present any problems (iii) the rate of an aldol reaction is markedly increased by use of an anhydrous solution of B(C6Fs)3 in toluene under an argon atmosphere and (iv) silyl enol ethers can be reacted with chloromethyl methyl ether or trimethylorthoformate hydroxymethyl, methoxy-methyl, or dimethoxymethyl Cl groups can be introduced at the position a to the carbonyl group. These aldol-type reactions do not proceed when triphenylborane is used (Eq. 92). 

As described in the sections above, it is well established that reactions of Lewis acid-activated aldehydes and ketones with silyl enolates afford -hydroxy or /7-sil-oxy carbonyl compounds (Mukaiyama aldol reactions). Occasionally, however, ene-type adducts, that is /-siloxy homoallyl alcohols, are the main products. The first example of the carbonyl-ene reaction of silyl enolates was reported by Snider et al. in 1983 [176]. They found that the formaldehyde-MesAl complex reacted smoothly with ketone TMS enolates to give y-trimethylsiloxy homoallyl alcohols in good yield. Yamamoto et al. reported a similar reaction of formaldehyde complexed with methylaluminum bis(2,6-diphenylphenoxide) [177]. After these early reports, Kuwajima et al. have demonstrated that the aluminum Lewis acid-promoted system is valuable for the ene reactions of several aldehydes [178] and for-maldimine [179] with silyl enolates bearing a bulky silyl group. A stepwise mechanism including nucleophihc addition via an acyclic transition structure has been proposed for the Lewis acid-promoted ene reactions. 

The first use of rare earth metals in the aldol reaction began in the case of cerium enolate (198). Subsequently, Kagan and Kobayashi groups reported systematically the use of rare earth metalscatalyzed for the Mukaiyama aldol-type reaction of silyl enol ethers with aqueous formaldehyde solution (199,200). The efficiency of rare earth metals in a Mukaiyama aldol reaction of 1-trimethylsiloxycyclohexene with benzaldehyde was examined in aqueous THF (Scheme 52). Of the rare earth metal trifiates screened, catalytic efficiency was increased in the order of Yb (91%) > Gd (89%) > Lu (88%) > Nd (83%) > Dy (73%) > Er (52%) > Ho(47%) > Sm (46%) > Eu (34%) > Tm (20%) > La (8%) > Y (trace) (201,202). For different aldol or aldol-type reactions, every rare earth metal occupied its special position in the aldol reaction with distinctive catalytic activity. There were several reviews concerning the rare earth metals catalyzed aldol reactions (203,204). New progress in this context will be discussed herein according to rare earth metals catalysis especially for the past 10 years. 

Mukaiyama aldol reactions of various silyl enol ethers or ketene silyl acetals with aldehydes or other electrophiles like chloromethyl methyl ether and trimethylorthoformate proceed smoothly in the presence of 2 mol% of 1 (eq 1) (3, 5). These reactions can be carried out in aqueous media, so that the reaction of silyl enol ethers with an aqueous solution of formaldehyde does not present any problems. Triphenylboron catalyzes no aldol-type reactions. 

---

See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

---