Functional group activation carbonyl compounds, unsaturated

Cinchona-based primary amine catalysis in the asymmetric functionalization of carbonyl compounds has been reviewed and their modularly designed thioamide 0 derivatives have been applied successfully to direct cross-aldol reactions between aldehydes and ketones, reactions of activated carbonyl compounds (isatins) with acetylphosphonate as the enol precursor, and C( 1) functionalization of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds by aldehydes and ketones. Cross-aldol addition to C(3) of isatins by the methyl group of 4-aryl-tra 5 -cf, -unsaturated methyl ketones has also been promoted... 

Since aromatic substitutions, aliphatic substitutions, additions and conjugate additions to carbonyl compounds, cycloadditions, and ring expansion reactions catalyzed by Fe salts have recently been summarized [17], this section will focus on reactions in which iron salts produce a critical activation on unsaturated functional groups provided by the Lewis-acid character of these salts. 

Kelly and colleagues91 explored the use of bisphenylenediol 103 as a catalyst in Diels-Alder reactions of a,/i-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Activation of the dieno-phile occurred through double hydrogen bonding of the two hydroxyl functions on 103 to the carbonyl group on the dienophile. The reaction of cyclopentadiene with methyl vinyl ketone (equation 31) at ambient temperature showed, after a reaction time of 10 minutes, 3% of product formation in the absence of 103 against 90% of product formation in the presence of 0.4 equivalents of 103. 

Although the Michael addition of metal ynolates to a,/ -unsaturated carbonyl compounds is expected to give six-membered cycloadducts, 1,2-addition to carbonyl groups usually precedes 1,4-addition. The cycloaddition of the lithium-aluminum ate complex of silyl-substimted ynolate 112 with ethyl benzylideneacetoacetate (113), which is doubly activated by the ester and keto functions, gives the y-lactone 114 via a [4 4- 2] type cycloaddition (equation 46). Diethyl benzylidenemalonate (115) affords the uncyclized ketene 116 by reaction with 112 (equation 47). This could be taken as evidence for a stepwise mechanism for equation 46. ... 

It should be noted that related coupling reactions have been developed for aromatic compounds having carbonyl- and nitrogen-containing functional groups with unsaturated compounds, especially by using ruthenium and rhodium catalysts, which involve precoordination of the neutral functional groups followed by ortho-C-H activation [7,9,153,154]. 

As with malonate, the two strong electron-withdrawing functional groups of cyanoacetate significantly enhance the acidity of the methylene group. Accordingly, it can be readily deprotonated and the anion reacts with abroad spectrum of electrophiles, such as alkyl and activated aryl halides, carbonyl compounds, a,/3-unsaturated carbonyl or carboxyl derivatives, and nitrous acid. 

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