Generation of Carbon Nucleophiles by Deprotonation

The stabilization of reaction intermediates RCjq and RC q to form dihydrofullerene derivatives can also be achieved by intramolecular nucleophilic substitutions (SjJ), if R contains a leaving group. As shown by Bingel [31], the generation of a carbon nucleophile by deprotonation of a-halo esters or a-halo ketones leads to a clean cyclopropanation of Cjq. 

The mechanism of the indolization of aniline 5 with methylthio-2-propanone 6 is illustrated below. Aniline 5 reacts with f-BuOCl to provide A-chloroaniline 9. This chloroaniline 9 reacts with sulfide 6 to yield azasulfonium salt 10. Deprotonation of the carbon atom adjacent to the sulfur provides the ylide 11. Intramolecular attack of the nucleophilic portion of the ylide 11 in a Sommelet-Hauser type rearrangement produces 12. Proton transfer and re-aromatization leads to 13 after which intramolecular addition of the amine to the carbonyl function generates the carbinolamine 14. Dehydration of 14 by prototropic rearrangement eventually furnishes the indole 8. 

In principle, numerous reports have detailed the possibility to modify an enzyme to carry out a different type of reaction than that of its attributed function, and the possibility to modify the cofactor of the enzyme has been well explored [8,10]. Recently, the possibility to directly observe reactions, normally not catalyzed by an enzyme when choosing a modified substrate, has been reported under the concept of catalytic promiscuity [9], a phenomenon that is believed to be involved in the appearance of new enzyme functions during the course of evolution [23]. A recent example of catalytic promiscuity of possible interest for novel biotransformations concerns the discovery that mutation of the nucleophilic serine residue in the active site of Candida antarctica lipase B produces a mutant (SerlOSAla) capable of efficiently catalyzing the Michael addition of acetyl acetone to methyl vinyl ketone [24]. The oxyanion hole is believed to be complex and activate the carbonyl group of the electrophile, while the histidine nucleophile takes care of generating the acetyl acetonate anion by deprotonation of the carbon (Figure 3.5). 

The finding that thiamine, and even simple thiazolium ring derivatives, can perform many reactions in the absence of the host apoenzyme has allowed detailed analyses of its chemistry [33, 34]. In 1958 Breslow first proposed a mechanism for thiamine catalysis to this day, this mechanism remains as the generally accepted model [35]. NMR deuterium exchange experiments were enlisted to show that the thiazolium C2-proton of thiamine was exchangeable, suggesting that a carbanion zwitterion could be formed at that center. This nucleophilic carbanion was proposed to interact with sites in the substrates. The thiazolium thus acts as an electron sink to stabilize a carbonyl carbanion generated by deprotonation of an aldehydic carbon or decarboxylation of an a-keto acid. The nucleophilic carbonyl equivalent could then react with other electro-... 

Breslow and co-workers elucidated the currently accepted mechanism of the benzoin reaction in 1958 using thiamin 8. The mechanism is closely related to Lapworth s mechanism for cyanide anion catalyzed benzoin reaction (Scheme 2) [28, 29], The carbene, formed in situ by deprotonation of the corresponding thiazolium salt, undergoes nucleophilic addition to the aldehyde. A subsequent proton transfer generates a nucleophilic acyl anion equivalent known as the Breslow intermediate IX. Subsequent attack of the acyl anion equivalent into another molecule of aldehyde generates a new carbon - carbon bond XI. A proton transfer forms tetrahedral intermediate XII, allowing for collapse to produce the a-hydroxy ketone accompanied by liberation of the active catalyst. As with the cyanide catalyzed benzoin reaction, the thiazolylidene catalyzed benzoin reaction is reversible [30]. 

The most common method for the synthesis of phosphinopeptides is the addition of a nucleophilic, trivalent phosphorus species to a carbon electrophile, including conjugated double bonds, alkylating agents, imines, and carbonyl compounds. By analogy with the phosphite ester additions described above, the nucleophilic form of a phosphinic acid is the trivalent species, generated from the more stable, pentavalent PH derivative by deprotonation or by silylation (cf. Scheme 2). 

More reactive carbon nucleophiles than enolates can also be prepared on insoluble supports (see Chapter 4) and are used to convert aldehydes or ketones into alcohols. Organolithium compounds have been generated on cross-linked polystyrene by deprotonation of formamidines and by metallation of aryl iodides (Table 7.5). Similarly, support-bound organomagnesium compounds can be prepared by metallation of aryl and vinyl iodides with Grignard reagents. The resulting organometallic compounds react with aldehydes or ketones to yield the expected alcohols (Table 7.5). 

In the Michael-addition, a nucleophile Nu is added to the / -position of an a,fi-unsaturated acceptor A (Scheme 4.1) [1], The active nucleophile Nu is usually generated by deprotonation of the precursor NuH. Addition of Nu to a prochiral acceptor A generates a center of chirality at the / -carbon atom of the acceptor A. Furthermore, the reaction of the intermediate enolate anion with the electrophile E+ may generate a second center of chirality at the a-carbon atom of the acceptor. This mechanistic scheme implies that enantioface-differentiation in the addition to the yfi-carbon atom of the acceptor can be achieved in two ways (i) deprotonation of NuH with a chiral base results in the chiral ion pair I which can be expected to add to the acceptor asymmetrically and (ii) phase-transfer catalysis (PTC) in which deprotonation of NuH is achieved in one phase with an achiral base and the anion... 

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