Fragmentation reactions retro-aldol

This retro-aldol-typc fragmentation is possible because the chlorin chromophore stabilizes the anion formed on loss of the a-oxo acid residue. A related reactivity is observed in the reduction of 3-vinylchlorins, e.g. 24, to 3-ethylporphyrins, e.g. 25, in the presence of hydrogen iodide in acetic acid. The mechanism of this reaction can be represented as a sequence of tautomeric reactions which lead to the completely conjugated porphyrin system.32c-40-54... 

Another example of a [4S+1C] cycloaddition process is found in the reaction of alkenylcarbene complexes and lithium enolates derived from alkynyl methyl ketones. In Sect. 2.6.4.9 it was described how, in general, lithium enolates react with alkenylcarbene complexes to produce [3C+2S] cycloadducts. However, when the reaction is performed using lithium enolates derived from alkynyl methyl ketones and the temperature is raised to 65 °C, a new formal [4s+lcj cy-clopentenone derivative is formed [79] (Scheme 38). The mechanism proposed for this transformation supposes the formation of the [3C+2S] cycloadducts as depicted in Scheme 32 (see Sect. 2.6.4.9). This intermediate evolves through a retro-aldol-type reaction followed by an intramolecular Michael addition of the allyllithium to the ynone moiety to give the final cyclopentenone derivatives after hydrolysis. The role of the pentacarbonyltungsten fragment seems to be crucial for the outcome of this reaction, as experiments carried out with isolated intermediates in the absence of tungsten complexes do not afford the [4S+1C] cycloadducts (Scheme 38). 

Unfortunately, upon treating hydroxy ketone 56 with MeLi for extended reaction times, some sort of fragmentation reaction appeared to occur (Scheme 8.15). While the desired addition product 63 was not seen, the fragmentation that took place may be attributed to a retro-aldol reaction through intermediates such as 60 and 61. The tentatively assigned structure of final product 62 is shown, although it was not fully... 

These retro-Aldol and -Michael reactions can, obviously, follow an isomerization of the aldose to the corresponding ketose, leading thereby to different Aldol fragments or retro-Michael products. Keto-enol exchange as well as the retro-... 

Based on the stereospecific transketolase-catalyzed ketol transfer from hydroxy-pyruvate (20) to D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (18), we have thus developed a practical and efficient one-pot procedure for the preparation of the valuable keto-sugar 19 on a gram scale in 82% overall yield [29]. Retro-aldolization of D-fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (2) in the presence of FruA with enzymatic equilibration of the C3 fragments is used as a convenient in-situ source of the triose phosphate 18 (Scheme 2.2.5.8). Spontaneous release of CO2 from the ketol donor 20 renders the overall synthetic reaction irreversible [29]. 

Most of the synthetic reactions leading to substituted carbon compounds can be reversed. Retro-aldol or refro-Diels-Alder reactions, for example, are frequently used in the de-gradative fragmentation of complex molecules to give simpler fragments. In synthesis, such... 

The reaction conditions where the interaction terms are required to explain the 2-acetoxy-3-pentanone content occur in portions of the experimental space at low rhamnose concentration and at temperatures where the combination-heterocyclic compounds are not formed in large quantity. This also represents experimental points where DMHF had greater stability and thus the pool of retro-aldol fragments was lower. 

Base-catalyzed hydration of conjugated carbonyls, followed by retro-aldol fragmentation has been a common strategy for studying the reaction cascade (1-4). The kinetically important step in the base-catalyzed hydration of an alpha/beta unsaturated carbonyl is similar to a nucleophilic substitution reaction at carbon 3. The reaction cascade proceeds rapidly from the conjugated carbonyl through its hydration and subsequent fragmentation. 

A very useful extension of the de Mayo reaction has been recently introduced by Blechert et al. (Scheme 6.26) [78]. The retro-aldol fragmentation was combined with an intramolecular enantioselective allylation (asymmetric ring-expanding allylation) catalyzed by a chiral Pd complex. Bicycloheptane 68, for example, was accessible by intermolecular [2 + 2]-photocycloaddition of cyclopentenone 67 with allene. Further transformation in the presence of Pd2(dba)3 (dba = dibenzylideneacetone) and the chiral oxazoline ligand 69 (tBu-phox) resulted in the enantioselective formation of cycloheptadione 70. 

We should perhaps remind you here of the reversibility of the aldol reaction (Chapter 27) a retro-aldof is a fragmentation reaction with a carbonyl group as electron sink and OH as electron source. The aldof reaction usually goes in the other direction of course, but where steric or ring-strain factors are involved, this may not be the case. 

A similar rearrangement has been observed when the base attacks nitrosarcophaginates, in particular [Co(MENOsar)] + cation. At the first stage, a reaction of the retro-aldol type occurs to decompose the capping fragment. Then the base favours the detachment of an imine species, and the primary amine moiety is formed. The latter reacts... 

Retro-aldol and retro-Michael reactions occur under acidic conditions. The mechanisms are the microscopic reverse of the aldol and Michael reactions, as you would expect. One of the most widely used acid-catalyzed retro-aldol reactions is the decarboxylation of jS-ketoacids, malonic acids, and the like. Protonation of a carbonyl group gives a carbocation that undergoes fragmentation to lose CO2 and give the product. Decarboxylation does not proceed under basic conditions because the carboxylate anion is much lower in energy than the enolate product. 

Oxidative Cleavage Reactions. Among the numerous methods for 1,2-diol cleavage there exist only a few that involve catalytic ruthenium reagents, for example Ruthenium(III) Chloride with Sodium Periodate Attempted selective monooxidation of a 1,2-diol to the hydroxy aldehyde with catalytic TPAP and NMO resulted in carbon-carbon bond cleavage to provide the aldehyde (eq 11). Furthermore, attempted oxidation of an anomeric a-hydroxy ester failed instead, in this case decarboxy-lation/decarbonylation and formation of the lactone was observed (eq 12). However, Dimethyl Sulfoxide-Acetic Anhydride provided the required a-dicarbonyl unit. Retro-aldol fragmentations can also be a problem. ... 

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