Ketone Alkylation with aldehyde

Reactions of titanium alkyls with aldehydes and ketones are generally more stereospecific and selective than the corresponding Grignard reactions (416). 

Amino groups react very easily with aldehydes or ketones, and with aldehydes in the presence of amines, they can be acylated by the usual acylating agents, and they react with amidacetals, Vilsmeier reagents and nitroso compounds (Scheme 12). As mentioned earlier, alkylation leads mainly to AT(2)-alkylated products. The hydrazino group reacts in the same way as the amino group with aldehydes or ketones, with acyl chlorides or carboxylic anhydrides, with sulfonyl chlorides, ortho esters, carbon disulfide and with nitrous acid. The last three reactions have mainly been used for the synthesis of condensed 1,2,4-triazines. 

Thiophene is sufficiently acidic to be directly metallated upon treatment with n-BuLi (see Figure 4.1). This direct lithiation can also be realized with polystyrene-bound 3-(alkoxymethyl)thiophene [96]. The resulting organolithium compounds react as expected with several electrophiles, such as amides (to yield ketones), alkyl halides, aldehydes, and Me3SiCl [96]. 

Reaction of (50) with alkyl halides gives exclusive a-alkylation. With aldehydes and ketones, a-addi-tion again takes place to give (52) via intramolecular silyl transfer with concomitant loss of lithium cyanide (c/. 25 Scheme 30). Treatment of (52) with p-Ts0H H20 gives the cyclopentenone annelation product. The allylic cyanohydrin anion (53) also gives a-adducts upon treatment with aldehydes and ketones at -78 °C, whereas reaction with electrophiles at 0 C affords -y-adducts (c/. 25). 

Regitz and Maas (1986, Table 14.5) give 23 further examples of diazomethyl alkylation with aldehydes and ketones. A potential difficulty may be the dimerization of diazocarbonyl and related compounds in the presence of alkali hydroxides, by which l,4-dihydro-l,2,4,5-tetrazines are formed (see the discussion in Sect. 9.2). We know, however, of only one case in which this reaction interfered (Disterdorf and Regitz, 1976 diazomethyl(diphenyl)phosphine oxide, (H5C6)2P(0) —CH=N2). 

The only synthesis published to date by the medicinal chemists Cai et al. was not amenable to scale-up. The discovery route started with the 0-alkylation of 5-iodovanillin (230) with 2-iodoethanol in the presence of K2CO3 and 18-crown-6 ether in DMF to give compound 231 (Scheme 30.41). The Stetter reaction of 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl vinyl ketone (232) with aldehyde 231 in the presence of 3-benzyl-5-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-methylthiazolium chloride catalyst (233) and triethylamine in DMF gave the 1,4-dione (234). Reduction of 234 with sodium borohydride in a MeOH-THF mixture gave the corresponding 1,4-diol (235). Diol 235 was cyclized with 5% trifluoroacetic acid in CHCI3 to furnish a mixture of cis and trans isomers of 2,5-diaryl tetrahydrofurans. 

Lithiated indoles can be alkylated with primary or allylic halides and they react with aldehydes and ketones by addition to give hydroxyalkyl derivatives. Table 10.1 gives some examples of such reactions. Entry 13 is an example of a reaction with ethylene oxide which introduces a 2-(2-hydroxyethyl) substituent. Entries 14 and 15 illustrate cases of addition to aromatic ketones in which dehydration occurs during the course of the reaction. It is likely that this process occurs through intramolecular transfer of the phenylsulfonyl group. 

The 2-metalated thiazoles react with a variety of electrophilic substrates in a standard way, leading to addition products with aldehydes, ketones, carbon dioxide, epoxides, nitriles, Schiff bases, and to substitution products with alkyl iodides (12, 13, 437, 440). 

These compounds are sources of the nucleophilic anion RC=C and their reaction with primary alkyl halides provides an effective synthesis of alkynes (Section 9 6) The nucleophilicity of acetylide anions is also evident m their reactions with aldehydes and ketones which are entirely analogous to those of Grignard and organolithium reagents... 

Lithium dialkylamides are excellent bases for making ketone enolates as well Ketone enolates generated m this way can be alkylated with alkyl halides or as illus trated m the following equation treated with an aldehyde or a ketone... 

Reactions with Aldehydes and Ketones. An important use for alkylphenols is ia phenol—formaldehyde resias. These resias are classified as resoles or aovolaks (see Phenolic resins). Resoles are produced whea oae or more moles of formaldehyde react with oae mole of pheaol uader basic catalysis. These resias are thermosets. Novolaks are thermoplastic resias formed whea an excess of phenol reacts with formaldehyde under acidic conditions. The acid protonates formaldehyde to generate the alkylating electrophile (17). 

The tautomeric character of the pyrazolones is also illustrated by the mixture of products isolated after certain reactions. Thus alkylation normally takes place at C, but on occasion it is accompanied by alkylation on O and N. Similar problems can arise during acylation and carbamoylation reactions, which also favor C. Pyrazolones react with aldehydes and ketones at to form a carbon—carbon double bond, eg (41). Coupling takes place when pyrazolones react with diazonium salts to produce azo compounds, eg (42). 

By-Products. Almost all commercial manufacture of pyridine compounds involves the concomitant manufacture of various side products. Liquid- and vapor-phase synthesis of pyridines from ammonia and aldehydes or ketones produces pyridine or an alkylated pyridine as a primary product, as well as isomeric aLkylpyridines and higher substituted aLkylpyridines, along with their isomers. Furthermore, self-condensation of aldehydes and ketones can produce substituted ben2enes. Condensation of ammonia with the aldehydes can produce certain alkyl or unsaturated nitrile side products. Lasdy, self-condensation of the aldehydes and ketones, perhaps with reduction, can lead to alkanes and alkenes. 

The dianions derived from furan- and thiophene-carboxylic acids by deprotonation with LDA have been reacted with various electrophiles (Scheme 64). The oxygen dianions reacted efficiently with aldehydes and ketones but not so efficiently with alkyl halides or epoxides. The sulfur dianions reacted with allyl bromide, a reaction which failed in the case of the dianions derived from furancarboxylic acids, and are therefore judged to be the softer nucleophiles (81JCS(Pl)1125,80TL505l). 

Two substituents on two N atoms increase the number of diaziridine structures as compared with oxaziridines, while some limitations as to the nature of substituents on N and C decrease it. Favored starting materials are formaldehyde, aliphatic aldehydes and ketones, together with ammonia and simple aliphatic amines. Aromatic amines do not react. Suitable aminating agents are chloramine, N-chloroalkylamines, hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid and their simple alkyl derivatives, but also oxaziridines unsubstituted at nitrogen. Combination of a carbonyl compound, an amine and an aminating agent leads to the standard procedures of diaziridine synthesis. 

Sodium (metal). Used as a fine wire or as chips, for more completely drying ethers, saturated hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons which have been partially dried (for example with calcium chloride or magnesium sulfate). Unsuitable for acids, alcohols, alkyl halides, aldehydes, ketones, amines and esters. Reacts violently if water is present and can cause a fire with highly flammable liquids. 

OL Alkylation of aldehydes and ketones (Section 18.15) Alkylation of simple aldehydes and ketones via their enolates is difficult. p-Diketones can be converted quantitatively to their enolate anions, which react efficiently with primary alkyl halides. 

The reaction of a secondary amine with a ketone or with an open-chain aldehyde gives a mixture of isomers 164 and 165 (R = H, alkyl, or aryl). No consistent policy has been established as to which isomer is considered... 

The 2-substituted 1,3-benzodithioles 57 are readily lithiated and react as acyl anions with various electrophiles, including alkyl halides, aldehydes, ketones. 

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