Homer-Emmons modification

SCHEME 6.68 The Homer-Emmons modification of the Wittig reaction is a generally useful alternative to the standard Wittig reaction. 

The Homer-Emmons modification is a variation of a Wittig reaction in which a phosphonate-stabilized carbanion in used instead... 

The Homer-Emmons modification uses a phosphonate-stabilized carbanion in a Wittig reaction. This reagent is an anion that is more nucleophilic than the usual Wittig ylide. The byproduct (R0)2P02 is water-soluble and easily separated from the product. These phosphonate-stabilized carbanions are compatible with carbonyl groups (especially esters) in the reagent. 

Widmer-Stoermer synthesis, 244 Willgerodt reaction, 65-66 Kindler modification, 65 Williamson synthesis. 35-37 Wittig reaction, Homer-Emmons modification, 74 Wittig synthesis, 17,20-21 Wolff rearrangement, 94 Wolff-Kishner method, 5,7 Wurtz-Fitiig reaction, 5 Wuitz reaction, 5... 

The Homer-Emmons addition of dialkyl carboalkoxymethylenephosphonates to aldehydes [22] has been widely used to generate a,p-unsaturated esters which, in turn, can be reduced to allylic alcohols. Under the original conditions of the Homer-Emmons reaction, the stereochemistry of the oc,(3-unsaturated ester is predominantly trans and therefore the trans allylic alcohol is obtained upon reduction. Still and Gennari have introduced an important modification of the Homer-Emmons reaction, which shifts the stereochemistry of the a,[i-unsaturated ester to predominantly cis [23], Diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBAL) has frequently been used for reduction of the alkoxycarbonyl to the primary alcohol functionality. The aldehyde needed for reaction with the Homer-Emmons reagent may be derived via Swern oxidation [24] of a primary alcohol. The net result is that one frequently sees the reaction sequence shown in Eq. 6A. 1 used for the net preparation of 3E and 3Z allylic alcohols. 

Using a similar strategy diene (124) has also been used to synthesize A -acetylneuraminic acid (129) via cycloadduct (126 Scheme 36)7 In contrast to the scheme used for KDO, the alkene resulting from the selenoxide elimination is oxidized to the aldehyde and the NeuAc side chain is installed by a modification of the Homer-Emmons reaction. Osmylation and reduction of the side chain followed by deprotection provides NeuAc (129). 

The second chirality source used in the synthesis of aminocyclopropane carboxylic acids was D-glyceraldehyde acetonide, which after Wittig-Homer-Emmons reaction provided the alkenes 61. Treatment with diazomethane and subsequent irradiation at low temperatures alforded the cyclopropanes 62, which were converted into several other derivatives by modification of the side chain (Scheme 11). Notably, the best results were obtained by irradiating in the presence of benzophenone as triplet sensitizer [33, 34]. Following a similar synthetic procedure allocoronamic acid 65 was prepared, which is one of the amino acids that can be processed by plant tissues and promises the possibility to control the enzymatic processes underlying plant growth and fruit ripening [35]. 

Similarly, 29 can be formed by the Homer-Wadsworth-Emmons modification of the Wittig reaction via the phosphonate 28 rather than the phosphorus ylide 27. In this case, the iodo compound mixture 26 is treated with trimethyl phosphite. Cyclization requires the use of lithium chloride/Hunig s base, ° and cyclization proceeds smoothly at room temperature in similar yield to the Wittig chemistry. Details of this process with isolation and characterization of the intermediates 26, 27, and 29 can be found in a recently published world patent application." Yields for the conversion of 24 into 27 are -77% overall cyclization yield from 27 to 29 is -85%. 

A widely used variation of the Wittig reaction is the Homer—Wadsworth—Emmons modification. 

The use of the phosphonate ester (Homer-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction) allows much easier separation of the product alkene, since the sodium phosphate byproduct is water soluble the byproduct of fhe Wiffig reaction, tri-phenylphosphine oxide, is not water soluble. In the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons modification, a conjugated, or electron-withdrawing, substituent (such as a phenyl or carbonyl group) on the nucleophilic carbon is used to assist in the stabilization of the carbanion. This modification (Experiment [19B]) maybe used as an alternative to Experiment [19A] for the preparation of (E)-stilbene. The "instant-ylide" Wittig reaction yields predominantly the E isomer of... 

For a discussion of the Wittig reaction and a list of references, including the mechanism and modifications, see Experiment [19]. The role of the phase-transfer catalyst in the Homer-Wadsworth-Emmons modification of the Wttig reaction is also discussed in some detail in that experiment. 

Because the Wittig reaction is so useful for the preparation of alkenes, chemists have explored several variations of it. One of the most useful of these, known as the Homer-Emmons-Wadsworth modification, uses a phosphonate ester derived from an a-haloester or a ketone to generate the Wittig carbanion. 

An important modification to the Wittig reaction is the use of stabilized phosphonate carbanions in olefin synthesis. This reaction, originally discovered by Homer but developed by Wadsworth and Emmons, is used extensively for transformation of a carbonyl... 

Related reactions Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination, Homer-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination - Still-Gennari modification, Julia-Lithgoe olefination, Takai-Utimoto olefination, Tebbe oiefination, Wittig reaction, Wittig reaction - Schiosser modification ... 

Several innovations have significantly extended the scope and synthetic utility of the classical Michaelis-Becker phosphonoacetate preparation. Eor example, the coupling of the Michaelis-Becker and Homer-Wadsworth-Emmons reactions for the synthesis of a-substituted acrylic acids represents a useful modification. According to Scheme 8.10, Michaelis-Becker alkylation of a dialkyl phosphite with a haloacetic acid in the presence of 3 eq of a base (one to neutralize the carboxyl group, one to form the phosphite conjugate base, and one to deprotonate the initially formed alkylation product) leads to the phosphoryl-stabilized anion directly. Treatment of the anion... 

The disadvantages of the Wittig reaction described in Section A led to the development of modified olefination methods based on phosphoryl-stabilized carbanions. The most important modification of the Wittig reaction in the field of carotenoid synthesis is olefination by means of phosphonate carbanions, as introduced by Homer [55] and by Wadsworth and Emmons [56]. 

---