Isobutyraldehyde aldol reactions

Aldehydes fiad the most widespread use as chemical iatermediates. The production of acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and butyraldehyde as precursors of the corresponding alcohols and acids are examples. The aldehydes of low molecular weight are also condensed in an aldol reaction to form derivatives which are important intermediates for the plasticizer industry (see Plasticizers). As mentioned earlier, 2-ethylhexanol, produced from butyraldehyde, is used in the manufacture of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate [117-87-7]. Aldehydes are also used as intermediates for the manufacture of solvents (alcohols and ethers), resins, and dyes. Isobutyraldehyde is used as an intermediate for production of primary solvents and mbber antioxidants (see Antioxidaisits). Fatty aldehydes Cg—used in nearly all perfume types and aromas (see Perfumes). Polymers and copolymers of aldehydes exist and are of commercial significance. 

Many commercially important isobutyraldehyde derivatives are prepared through aldol and/or Tischenko condensation reactions. For example, isobutyraldehyde undergoes the aldol reaction to form isobutyraldol (2,2,4-trimethyl-3-hydroxypentanal [918-79-6]) which, when hydrogenated, gives 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol (TMPD) [144-19-4],... 

Neopentyl glycol (2,2-dimethyl-1-propanol [126-30-7]) another important iadustrial derivative of isobutyraldehyde, is obtained from the aldol reaction product of isobutyraldehyde with formaldehyde followed by hydrogenation. 

Typical starting materials, catalysts, and products of the enamine-catalyzed aldol reaction are summarized in Scheme 17. In proline-catalyzed aldol reactions, enantioselectivities are good to excellent with selected cyclic ketones, such as cyclohexanone and 4-thianone, but generally lower with acetone. Hindered aldehyde acceptors, such as isobutyraldehyde and pivalaldehyde, afford high enantioselectivities even with acetone. In general, the reactions are anti selective, but there are aheady a number of examples of syn selective enamine aldol processes [200, 201] (Schemes 17 and 18, see below). However, syn selective aldol reactions are still rare, especially with cychc ketones. 

At present, most enamine-catalyzed aldol reactions are reliable only with electron-poor aromatic aldehyde acceptors, hi addition, a handful of aliphatic aldehydes (e.g. isobutyraldehyde or pivalaldehyde) are often used as acceptors. The use of unbranched aldehyde acceptors is difficult, and generally only modest yields have been obtained. In addition, unsaturated aldehydes are curiously absent from the list of commonly used acceptors. On a positive side, it should be noted that even potentially racemizing a-chiral aldehydes have been employed as acceptors. As an example, in the recent synthesis of caUipeltoside C, MacMillan and coworkers were able to employ protected Roche aldehyde 113 as a starting material (Scheme 22) [204]. 

The aldehyde-aldehyde aldol reactions were first nsed in a natural product synthesis setting by Pihko and Erkkila, who prepared prelactone B in only three operations starting from isobutyraldehyde and propionaldehyde (Scheme 40). Crossed aldol reaction under proline catalysis, followed by TBS protection, afforded protected aldehyde 244 in >99% ee. A highly diastereoselective Mukaiyama aldol reaction and ring closure with aqueous HE completed the synthesis [112]. 

The substrate range scope and limitations Promising prospects for synthetic applications of the proline-catalyzed aldol reaction in the future were opened up by experimental studies of the range of substrates by the List [69, 70a, 73] and Barbas [71] groups. The reaction proceeds well when aromatic aldehydes are used as starting materials - enantioselectivity is 60 to 77% ee and yields are up to 94% (Scheme 6.19) [69, 70], The direct L-proline-catalyzed aldol reaction proceeds very efficiently when isobutyraldehyde is used as substrate - the product, (R)-38d, has been obtained in very good yield (97%) and with high enantioselectivity (96% ee). 

Other groups beside nitro can be reduced in the same step. So the diamine 19, needed for polyamine manufacture, could come from the unsaturated nitro compound 20 that would in turn come from an aldol reaction between the anion of nitromethane 1 and the aldehyde 21. This has a 1,5-diX relationship and acrylonitrile 23 is excellent at conjugate addition (chapter 21) so we can use isobutyraldehyde 24 as a starting material. 

Houk next examined the aldol reaction of cyclohexanone with benzaldehyde (Reaction 6.20) and isobutyraldehyde (Reaction 6.21) with (6)-proline as the catalyst. Four diastereomeric TSs starting from the enamine formed from cyclohexanone and proline were optimized at B3LYP/6-31G for each reaction. These transitions states, 53 and 55, are shown in Fignre 6.23. In all of these TSs, proton transfer from the carboxylic acid group to the carbonyl oxygen accompanies the formation of the new C-C bond, creating a carboxylale and alcohol product. 

The asymmetric Robinson annelation relies on an intramolecular aldol reaction to create the new chiral centre. More recently List19 and MacMillan20 have used proline 58 to catalyse intermolecular aldol reactions with nearly as good results. Acetone and isobutyraldehyde 89 can be condensed to give a single enantiomer of the aldol 90 in excellent yield and ee providing 30% proline is used as catalyst. 

At the moment the limit is reached when both components in a crossed aldol reaction are enolis-able aldehydes. One is indeed propionaldehyde 94 - a compound notorious for self-condensation - that reacts cleanly with isobutyraldehyde 89. However, it is necessary to add the propionaldehyde slowly by syringe pump. The aldol 95 is produced in very high yield considering the similarity of the two aldehydes but the most amazing aspect is the very high diastereo- and enantioselectivity.20... 

It turns out that one of the best ketones for these asymmetric crossed aldol reactions is hydroxy-acetone 96. Combination with isobutyraldehyde 89 gives an aldol that is also an anti-diol 97 with almost perfect selectivity.21 The proline enamine of hydroxyacetone is evidently formed preferentially on the hydroxy side. You will recall from chapter 25 that asymmetric synthesis of anti-diols is not as easy as that of syn diols. 

Stereoselective anti-aldol reactions. As part of a synthesis of polypropionate natural products, Evans et al. have studied the stereoselectivity of the reaction of isobutyraldehyde with the chiral /3-kctoimide la, which has been shown to undergo syn-sclectivc aldol reactions.4 Surprisingly, the (E)-boron cnolatc, generated in ether from dicyclohexylchloroborane and ethyldimcthylaminc, reacts with isobutyraldehyde to give the anti, am/-aldol 2 and the syn, anri-aldol 2 in the ratio 84 16. Similar diastereoselectivity obtains with the reaction of the isomeric /3-kctoimide lb. 

In certain cases, high levels of selectivity in the asymmetric aldol reaction can be achieved in the absence of a metal salt. The amino acid proUne catalyses the aldol reaction of aldehydes or ketones (which are enolizable) with aldehydes (preferably non-enolizable or branched to disfavour enolization) to give p-hydroxy-aldehydes or ketones. For example, use of acetone (present in excess) and isobutyraldehyde gave the (3-hydroxy-ketone 81 (1.88). The reaction involves an enamine intermediate and is thought to proceed via the usual Zimmerman-Traxler chair-shaped transition state. 

These silyl enol ethers are probably the best way of carrying out crossed aldol reactions with an aldehyde as the nucleophilic (enol or enolate) partner. An example is the reaction of the enol of the not very enolizable isobutyraldehyde with the very enolizable 3-phenylpropanal. Mixing the two aldehydes and adding base would of course lead to an orgy of self-condensation and cross-couplings. 

Scheme 5.4 A mmetric Aldol reaction of acetone and isobutyraldehyde.

In 2006, Takabe and Barbas et al. developed a water-compatible pyrrolidine-based diamine organocatalyst (Id) for direct asymmetric aldol reactions. The long hydrocarbon chain containing diamine (Id TFA) catalysed the aldol reaction in the presence of water at ambient temperature. Various ketones and isobutyraldehyde were treated with aromatic aldehydes to provide aldol products in high chemical yields, with favourable diastereos-electivity and high enantioselectivity (Scheme 9.5). ... 

The cross-aldol reaction between propionaldehyde (5a, R =Me in Scheme 4.12) and p-nitrobenzaldehyde gave the corresponding compound anti-29 (> 88% yield, 88% de and 99% ee), which has been used as the asymmetric key step in the synthesis of trichostatin A [76], In a similar way, using propionaldehyde (Sa, R =Me in Scheme 4.12) and an excess isobutyraldehyde (4 equiv, R =j-Pr) catalyzed by proline (10 mol%), product anti-29 (98% de and 99% ee) was obtained. Subsequent diastereoselective Mukaiyama aldol reaction followed by lactonization gave prelactone B [77]. The synthesis of (-)-enterolactone has been achieved by a cross-aldol reaction between methyl 4-oxobutyrate and 3-methoxybenzaldehyde catalyzed by proline (20 mol%) as a key step [78],... 

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