Ketones diketones, synthesis

It is well known that ir-allylpalladium complexes (86) are easily formed by the reaction of PdCb with P. y-unsaturated esters or ketones (85). An attempted oxidation of. y-unsaturated esters and ketones with the PdCl2/CuCl/02 catalyst system in aqueous DMF led to ir-allylpalladium complex formation as the main reaction, and the oxidation of the alkenic bond was hardly observed to a significant extent. However, in aqueous dioxane or THF, the oxidation became the main reaction, giving y-keto esters and 1,4-diketones (87), respectively, with high regioselectivity (Scheme 26).Some results are shown in Table 2. In all cases, no P-keto ester or 1,3-diketone was detected. At the end of the reaction, formation of a considerable amount of the ir-allylpalladium complex (86) was observed. y-Keto esters and 1,4-diketones are useful intermediates for Ae preparation of cyclopentanedione and cyclopentenone, respectively, by base-catalyzed cyclization. Tliis regioselective oxidation provides a unique and efficient synthetic method for y-keto ester and 1,4-diketone synthesis. 

New Applications of Tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) in Organic Chemistry, A. J. Fatiadi (1986). This review with 501 references deals with reactions of tetracyanoethylene used in organic synthesis. Information on molecular complexes, ozonization of alkenes and acetylenes, dehydrogenation and tricyanovinylation, reactions of TCNE oxide, reactions with ketones and diketones, synthesis of heterocycles and cationic polymerizations are included in this survey. Some industrial and analytical applications are also discussed. 

Debus synthesis, Radiszewski synthesis, dehydrogenation of imidazolines, from a-halo ketones, Wallach synthesis, from aminonitrile and aldehyde and Marckwald synthesis [116]. There have been reports of several assisted syntheses of imidazoles from 1,2-diketones and aldehydes in the presence of a variety of catalysts [117]. 

This synthesis of the pyrrole ring system, due to Knorr, consists in the condensation of an a-aminoketone with a 1,3-diketone or the ester of a p-keto-acid, a-Aminoketones are unstable in the free state, readily undergoing self-condensation consequently they must be prepared, by the reduction of an a-nitroso (or oximino) ketone, in the presence of the 1,3-diketone or p-ketoester, to ensure rapid interaction. 

The synthesis will therefore normally produce a 2,4-substituted pyrrole, with in addition an ester group or an acyl group at the 3-position, if a keto ster or a diketone respectively has been employed, and an ester group or an alkyl (aryl) group at the 5-position, according to the nature of the amino-ketone. 

The high nucleophilicity of sulfur atoms is preserved, even if it is bound to electron withdrawing carbonyl groups. Thiocarboxylales, for example, substitute bromine, e.g. of a-bromo ketones. In the presence of bases the or-acylthio ketones deprotonate and rearrange to episulfides. After desulfurization with triphenylphosphine, 1,3-diketones are formed in good yield. Thiolactams react in the same way, and A. Eschenmoser (1970) has used this sequence in his vitamin B]2 synthesis (p. 261). 

Acetoxy-l,7-octadiene (40) is converted into l,7-octadien-3-one (124) by hydrolysis and oxidation. The most useful application of this enone 124 is bisannulation to form two fused six-membered ketonesfl 13], The Michael addition of 2-methyl-1,3-cyclopentanedione (125) to 124 and asymmetric aldol condensation using (5)-phenylalanine afford the optically active diketone 126. The terminal alkene is oxidi2ed with PdCl2-CuCl2-02 to give the methyl ketone 127 in 77% yield. Finally, reduction of the double bond and aldol condensation produce the important intermediate 128 of steroid synthesis in optically pure form[114]. 

Synthesis and Properties. A number of monomers have been used to prepare PQs and PPQs, including aromatic bis((9-diamines) and tetramines, aromatic bis(a-dicarbonyl) monomers (bisglyoxals), bis(phenyl-a-diketones) and a-ketones, bis(phenyl-a-diketones) containing amide, imide, and ester groups between the a-diketones. Significant problems encountered are that the tetraamines are carcinogenic, difficult to purify, and have poor stabihty, and the bisglyoxals require an arduous synthesis. 

Diketones are intermediates for synthesis of perfumes and natural products, and several preparative methods have been developed (327) in the simplest preparative methods, ketone enolates ate oxidatively dimerized (328) ... 

The alkylation reactions of enolate anions of both ketones and esters have been extensively utilized in synthesis. Both very stable enolates, such as those derived from (i-ketoesters, / -diketones, and malonate esters, as well as less stable enolates of monofunctional ketones, esters, nitriles, etc., are reactive. Many aspects of the relationships between reactivity, stereochemistry, and mechanism have been clarified. A starting point for the discussion of these reactions is the structure of the enolates. Because of the delocalized nature of enolates, an electrophile can attack either at oxygen or at carbon. 

Selective fluonnation in polar solvents has proved commercially successful in the synthesis of 5 fluorouracil and its pyrimidine relatives, an extensive subject that will be discussed in another section Selective fluonnation of enolates [47], enols [48], and silyl enol ethers [49] resulted in preparation of a/phn-fluoro ketones, fieto-diketones, heta-ketoesters, and aldehydes The reactions of fluorine with these functionalities is most probably an addition to the ene followed by elimination of fluonde ion or hydrogen fluoride rather than a simple substitution In a similar vein, selective fluonnation of pyridmes to give 2-fluoropyridines was shown to proceed through pyridine difluondes [50]... 

The reaction of a cyclic ketone—e.g. cyclohexanone 1—with methyl vinyl ketone 2 resulting in a ring closure to yield a bicyclic a ,/3-unsaturated ketone 4, is called the Robinson annulation This reaction has found wide application in the synthesis of terpenes, and especially of steroids. Mechanistically the Robinson annulation consists of two consecutive reactions, a Michael addition followed by an Aldol reaction. Initially, upon treatment with a base, the cyclic ketone 1 is deprotonated to give an enolate, which undergoes a conjugate addition to the methyl vinyl ketone, i.e. a Michael addition, to give a 1,5-diketone 3 ... 

Isoxazoles are stable toward many reagents yet undergo alkylation and hydrogenolysis readily. These features make isoxazoles, which may be considered masked diketones, a useful grouping in synthesis (22). Alkylation of 3,5-dimethyllsoxazole, followed by hydrogenolysis and hydrolysis, have been used to prepare a number of diketones (44) and tetraones (4i). Isoxazoles can be opened readily lo the amino ketone, a vinylogous amide (9). 

Mixed Claisen-like reactions can also be carried out between an ester and a ketone, resulting in the synthesis of a jS-diketone. The reaction works best when the ester component has no a hydrogens and thus can t act as the nucleophilic donor. For example, ethyl formate gives high yields in mixed Claisen condensations with ketones. 

The first step of the Robinson annulation is simply a Michael reaction. An enamine or an enolate ion from a jS-keto ester or /3-diketone effects a conjugate addition to an a-,/3-unsaturated ketone, yielding a 1,5-diketone. But as we saw in Section 23.6,1,5-diketones undergo intramolecular aldol condensation to yield cyclohexenones when treated with base. Thus, the final product contains a six-membered ring, and an annulation has been accomplished. An example occurs during the commercial synthesis of the steroid hormone estrone (figure 23.9). 

In this example, the /3-diketone 2-methyJ-l,3-cyclopentanedione is used to generate the enolate ion required for Michael reaction and an aryl-substituted a,/3-unsaturated ketone is used as the acceptor. Base-catalyzed Michael reaction between the two partners yields an intermediate triketone, which then cyclizes in an intramolecular aldol condensation to give a Robinson annulation product. Several further transformations are required to complete the synthesis of estrone. 

Carbonyl condensation reactions are widely used in synthesis. One example of their versatility is the Robinson anuulation reaction, which leads to the formation of an substituted cyclohexenone. Treatment of a /3-diketone or /3-keto ester with an a,/3-unsaturated ketone leads first to a Michael addition, which is followed by intramolecular aldol cyclization. Condensation reactions are also used widely in nature for the biosynthesis of such molecules as fats and steroids. 

Macrocycle Synthesis Cyfclic Ketones, Ketoalkenes, Diketones and Dienes of Ring Size C21 to C26, Forbes. M.D.E. Dang, Y. Org. Prep, Proceed, Int, 1993, 25, 309... 

---