Intramolecular acylation, Perkin reaction

The Perkin synthesis of cinnamic acids is considered to involve reaction of the enolate anion derived from the acid anhydride with the aldehyde, giving rise to the alkoxide (391). Intramolecular acylation follows and the resulting /3-acyloxy derivative undergoes elimination to the unsaturated acid (Scheme 125). 

In the laboratory of D. Ma, the asymmetric synthesis of several metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonists derived from a-alkylated phenylglycines was undertaken. The preparation of (S)-1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid (AIDA) started with the Perkin reaction of 3-bromobenzaldehyde and malonic acid. The resulting ( )-cinnamic acid derivative was hydrogenated and the following intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation afforded the corresponding indanone, which was then converted to (S)-AIDA. 

The generally accepted mechanism for the Perkin reaction is shown in Scheme 2. Much of the early woik leading to this view, which was the result of numerous investigations spanning a period of greater than SO years, has been reviewed in some detail. Formation of the anhydride enolate (1) and aldol-type condensation generates the alkoxide anhydride (2). Intramolecular acylation provides an acetoxycaibox-ylate (3), which forms a mixed anhydride elimination of acetic acid and hydrolysis affords the unsatu-... 

The Perkin reaction is believed to proceed by forming an enolate anion 5 from the acid anhydride 2, which subsequently reacts with the aldehyde 1 to form an alkoxide 6. The ensuing intramolecular acylation affords P-acyloxy derivative 8, which undergoes... 

---