Intramolecular Sml2-mediated Barbier Reactions

1 Intramolecular Sml2-mediated Barbier Reactions Involving Addition to Aldehydes and Ketones 

Carbon-Carbon Bond-forming Reactions Using Sml2 

Both alkyl halide and allylic halide groups undergo efficient Barbier cyclisation on treatment with Sml2 between —78 °C and room temperature.132 

---

In 1993, Molander found that in the presence of catalytic Fe(III) salts, Sml2 mediates intramolecular Barbier additions to esters to give cyclic ketones (or cyclic hemiketals, if they prove to be stable).135 Double addition to the ester is not observed, nor is reduction of the cyclic ketone product. This suggests that the tetrahedral intermediate, a samarium alkoxide of a cyclic hemiketal, is partially stable to the reaction conditions and the ketone group is not revealed until work-up. Molander found that both alkyl and allyl halides could be used in the additions (Scheme 5.83).135... 

Molander has also studied the Sml2-mediated double Barbier additions of alkyl dihalides to ketoesters.22,23 These impressive anionic-anionic, inter-molecular-intramolecular sequences require the use of Nil2 as an additive and irradiation with visible light and allow access to a range of bicyclic and tricyclic systems. The reactions proceed by reduction of the more reactive alkyl halide, intermolecular Barbier addition to the ketone, lactonisation and a second Barbier addition to the lactone carbonyl (Scheme 6.18).22... 

Curiously, the relative stereochemistry between the carboxylate and the adjacent hydroxy group in the Sml2-mediated intramolecular pinacolic coupling reaction is opposite to that observed in the intramolecular Barbier reactions and ketone-alkene reductive coupling reactions discussed previously (compare... 

---