Grignard, addition, aldehyde carboxylic ester

Stereoselective addition of a dithiane anion to chiral 2-metiiyl-3-trimethylsUyl-3-butenal combined with the stereoselective addition of a Grignard reagent to the chiral a-alkoxy ketone affords a practical method for the construction of a, y-dimethyl-a,p-dihydroxy compounds, useful intermediates for the synthesis of erythronolides (Scheme 33). -Hydroxy carboxylic esters were synthesized by the addition of ethyl 1,3-dithiolanyl-2-carboxylate enolate to a chiral aldehyde, followed by desulfurization. ... 

Addition to C=N. Chiral amines are synthesized by Grignard reaction of f-butanesulfinamdes. ° An access to p-branched a-amino acids involves addition of RMgX to 2W-azirene-2-carboxylic esters." Nitrones derived from serine and chiral ot-amino aldehydes (thence the amino acids) are sources of a,P-diamino acids and 1,2-diamines, respectively. 

The addition of Grignard reagents to aldehydes, ketones, and esters is the basis for the synthesis of a wide variety of alcohols, and several examples are given in Scheme 7.3. Primary alcohols can be made from formaldehyde (Entry 1) or, with addition of two carbons, from ethylene oxide (Entry 2). Secondary alcohols are obtained from aldehydes (Entries 3 to 6) or formate esters (Entry 7). Tertiary alcohols can be made from esters (Entries 8 and 9) or ketones (Entry 10). Lactones give diols (Entry 11). Aldehydes can be prepared from trialkyl orthoformate esters (Entries 12 and 13). Ketones can be made from nitriles (Entries 14 and 15), pyridine-2-thiol esters (Entry 16), N-methoxy-A-methyl carboxamides (Entries 17 and 18), or anhydrides (Entry 19). Carboxylic acids are available by reaction with C02 (Entries 20 to 22). Amines can be prepared from imines (Entry 23). Two-step procedures that involve formation and dehydration of alcohols provide routes to certain alkenes (Entries 24 and 25). 

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