Ketenes from diazoketones

The Wolff Rearrangement allows the generation of ketenes from a-diazoketones. Normally, these ketenes are not isolated, due to their high reactivity to form diketenes. 

A stereoselective synthesis of aminoalkyl-substituted P-lactams (41) has been developed, the key step of which is [2+2] cycloaddition of imines to ketenes generated photochemically from diazoketones (42), which are derived from protected a-amino acids. A number of steroidal diazoketones related to progesterone have been synthesized as potential photoaffinity labelling reagents for the mineralocorticoid receptor. ... 

Georg and coworkers reported a C=C bond cycloaddition with a ketene to provide six-membered enaminones, under mild conditions (Scheme 92) (2010JA15512). From this intramolecular cycloaddition of a ketene created from diazoketone 289, employing a silver-catalyzed Wolff rearrangement, a six-membered enaminones such as 290 was obtained. 

Whereas metal-catalyzed decomposition of simple diazoketones in the presence of ketene acetals yields dihydrofurans 121,124,134), cyclopropanes usually result from reaction with enol ethers, enol acetates and silyl enol ethers, just as with unactivated alkenes 13). l-Acyl-2-alkoxycyclopropanes were thus obtained by copper-catalyzed reactions between diazoacetone and enol ethers 79 105,135), enol acetates 79,135 and... 

Considering the above-mentioned facts, according to which simple diazoketones yield dihydrofurans with ketene acetals but cyclopropanes with enol ethers, one exports an interlink between these clear-cut alternatives to exist, i.e. substrates from which both cyclopropanes and dihydrofurans result. In fact, providing an enol ether with a cation-stabilizing substituent in the a-position creates such a situation The Rh2(OAc)4-catalyzed decomposition of -diazoacetophenone in the presence of ethyl vinyl ether produces mainly cyclopropane 82 (R=H), but a small amount of dihydro-... 

Wolff rearrangement of a-diazoketones to give ketenes or subsequent products is an often used synthetic procedure the scope and limitations of which are well established 13 390), so that only a few new features of this reaction need to be considered here. Concerning its catalytic version, one knows that copper, rhodium and palladium catalysts tend to suppress the rearrangement390). A recent case to the contrary is provided by the Rh2(OAc)4-catalyzed decomposition of ethyl -2-diazo-3-oxopent-4-enoates 404 from which the p,y-unsaturated esters 405 are ultimately obtained via a Wolff rearrangement 236). The Z-5-aryl-2-diazo-3-oxopent-4-enoates undergo intramolecular insertion into an aromatic C—H bond instead (see Sect. 4.1). 

In 2001, Linder and Podlech studied the microwave-assisted decomposition of diazoketones derived from a-amino acids [340]. In the presence of imines, the initially formed ketene intermediates reacted spontaneously by [2+2] cydoaddition to form /3-lactams with a trans substitution pattern at positions C-3 and C-4 (Scheme 6.179) [340], In order to avoid the use of the high-boiling solvent 1,2-dichlorobenzene, most transformations were carried out in 1,2-dimethoxyethane under sealed-vessel conditions. Solvent-free protocols, in which the substrates were adsorbed onto an inorganic alumina support, led only to the corresponding homologated /3-amino acids. Evidently, traces of water present on the support trapped the intermediate ketene. 

Finally, Podlech has recently reported [125] the transformation of diazoketones 227, derived from a-amino acids, to ketenes that can react further with imines to afford /1-lactams 228 (Scheme 9.74). It was found that this route proceeds not only by... 

The diverse chemistry of carbenes is beyond the scope of this account, but a few typical reactions are shown here to illustrate the usefulness of the photochemical generation of these reactive species. A carbene can insert into a C—H bond, and this finds application in the reaction of an a-diazoamide to produce a P-lactam (5.29). Carbenes derived from o-diazoketones can rearrange to ketenes, and thus a route is opened up to ring-contraction for making more highly strained systems <5.301. Carbenes also react with alkenes, often by cycloaddition to yield cyclopropanes in a process that can be very efficient (5.31) and highly stereoselective (5.321. 

In 2005, reactions of ketenes generated from a-diazoketones with acyclic and cyclic imines have been investigated under both microwave and photoirradiation conditions [98]. The reported results indicated that the zwitterionic... 

Silver clusters 2.5 nm in diameter displayed unusual electrocatalytic properties in Wolff rearrangements of diazoketones.67 The reaction proceeds with electron transfer to and from the silver cluster. The presence of an a-ketocarbene/ketene was confirmed using pyridine as a nucleophilic probe and by UV-visible spectroscopy. Electrochemistry was used to support the role of the silver particles in the rearrangement. 

One method for the synthesis of hydroxyalkyl-substituted P-lactams is by the Staudinger reaction, the most frequently used method for the synthesis of P-lactams.86 This method for the preparation of 4-acetoxy- and 4-formyl-substituted P-lactams involves the use of diazoketones prepared from amino acids. These diazoketones are precursors for ketenes, in a diastereoselective, photochemically induced reaction to produce exclusively tram-substituted P-lactams. The use of cinnamaldimines 96, considered as vinylogous benzaldimines, resulted in the formation of styryl-substituted P-lactams. Ozonolysis, followed by reductive workup with dimethyl sulfide, led to the formation of the aldehyde 97, whereas addition of trimethyl orthoformate permitted the production of the dimethyl acetal 98 (Scheme 11.26). 

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