Hexamethylphosphoric Triamide enolate reactivity

DMSO and /V, A- dime th y I fo nn a in i d c (DMF) are particularly effective in enhancing the reactivity of enolate ions, as Table 1.2 shows. Both of these compounds belong to the polar aprotic class of solvents. Other members of this class that are used as solvents in reactions between carbanions and alkyl halides include N-mcthyI pyrro I i donc (NMP) and hexamethylphosphoric triamide (HMPA). Polar aprotic solvents, as their name implies, are materials which have high dielectric constants but which lack hydroxyl groups or other... 

Intramolecular cyclization of 6-(mesyloxymethyl)bicyclo[4.4.0]dcc-l-cn-3-one using lithium diiso-propylamide produced almost exclusively the y-alkylation product tricyclo[5.3.1.01,6]undec-5-en-4-one (17), together with a trace amount of the 2-alkylation product tricyclo[5.3.1 016]undec-5-en-8-one (18).17 Surprisingly, the a-alkylation product 18 was the major product when the cyclization was carried out using potassium tert-butoxide.17 The preference for y-alkylation over a-alkylation can be rationalized by the Hammond postulate which favors y-alkylation due to the less reactant-like transition state when lithium diisopropylamide is used. Alternatively, when potassium /ert-butoxide and 18-crown-6 in hexamethylphosphoric triamide is used, the reactivity of the enolate anion is significantly enhanced. As a result, the transition state becomes reactant-like so that a-alkylation is the predominant process.17... 

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