Ketones stereoselective enolization

Ketones, in which one alkyl group R is sterically demanding, only give the trans-enolate on deprotonation with LDA at —12°C (W.A. Kleschick, 1977, see p. 60f.). Ketones also enolize regioseiectively towards the less substituted carbon, and stereoselectively to the trans-enolate, if the enolates are formed by a bulky base and trapped with dialkyl boron triflates, R2BOSO2CF3, at low temperatures (D A. Evans, 1979). Both types of trans-enolates can be applied in stereoselective aldol reactions (see p. 60f.). 

Addition of a hydroxy group to alkynes to form enol ethers is possible with Pd(II). Enol ether formation and its hydrolysis mean the hydration of alkynes to ketones. The 5-hydroxyalkyne 249 was converted into the cyclic enol ether 250[124], Stereoselective enol ether formation was applied to the synthesis of prostacyclin[131]. Treatment of the 4-alkynol 251 with a stoichiometric amount of PdCl2, followed by hydrogenolysis with formic acid, gives the cyclic enol ether 253. Alkoxypalladation to give 252 is trans addition, because the Z E ratio of the alkene 253 was 33 1. 

Detailed investigations indicate that the enolization process (LDA, THF) affords enolates 37 and 38 with at/east 97% (Z)-stereoselection. Related observations have recently been reported on the stereoselective enolization of dialkylthioamides (38). In this latter study, the Ireland-Claisen strategy (34) was employed to assign enolate geometry. Table 10 summarizes the enolization stereo selection that has been observed for both esters and amides with LDA. Complementary kinetic enolization ratios for ketonic substrates are included in Table 7. Recent studies on the role of base structure and solvent are now beginning to appear in the literature (39,40), and the Ireland enolization model for lithium amide bases has been widely accepted, A tabular survey of the influence of the ester moiety (ORj) on a range of aldol condensations via the lithium enolates is provided in Table 11 (eq. [24]). Enolate ratios for some of the condensations illustrated may be found in Table 10. It is apparent from these data that ( )-enolates derived from alkyl propionates (Rj = CH3, t-C4H9) exhibit low aldol stereoselectivity. In contrast, the enolates derived from alkoxyalkyl esters (Rj = CHjOR ) exhibit 10 1 threo diastereo-... 

In contrast to titanium enolates of ketones, titanium enolates of aldehydes exhibit practically no stereoselectivity in aldol reactions. However, titanation of dimethylhy-drazones of aldehydes with 1 results in substrates (2) that show high eryt/iro-selecti v i ty in aldol-type reactions with aldehydes (equation I). Bromotitanium tris(diethylamide) can be used in place of 1, but is less efficient, as is Ti(IV) isopropoxide.6... 

A stereoselective enolate protonation has been achieved by changing the counterion of the chiral alkoxide base employed the lithium alkoxide-generated enolate gives close to 90% of the /i-cpimcric ketone product, whereas the use of the potassium cation gives 99% a-epimer.293... 

Stereoselective functionalization of enolates derived from 2-acyl-2-alkyl-1,3-dithiane 1-oxides Stereoselective enolate alkylation. There has been much interest over recent years in the enantio- and diastereocontrol of enolate alkylation.19 Most methods which do not rely on asymmetric alkylating agents hinge on a derivatization of the ketonic substrate with an enantiomerically pure auxiliary. Examples of such chiral auxiliaries include oxazolines20 and oxazolidi-nones.21 We reasoned that the sulfoxide unit present in our 2-acyl-2-alkyl-1,3-dithiane 1-oxide substrates might be expected to influence the transition-state geometry of a ketone enolate, perhaps by chelation to a metal counterion, and hence control the stereochemistry of alkylation. 

The stereoselective enolization of 3-pentanone by LiTMP mixed aggregates with butyl-lithium was studied by Pratt and coworkers. The mixed aggregate resulted in a slightly higher stereoselectivity, which increased with decreasing amount of the lithium base. Semiempirical PM3 calculations were used in an attempt to determine the mechanism of ketone deprotonation by the mixed aggregate. Equations 20 and 21 show two alternative mechanisms for the formation of lithium acetone enolate in thf solution, involving... 

TABLE 2. Conditions for the stereoselective enolate formation of acyclic ketones according to equation 2... 

The base-induced abstraction of a proton a to a carbonyl group is not the only method for the preparation of ketone enolates alternative methods also can provide good regio-and stereoselectivities. Enol ethers 11 can be converted on addition of a Lewis acid into the corresponding enolates 12, which can attack the liberated benzyl cation under formation of a-benzylated ketones 13 (equation 4) in good yields (Table 3) °. 

Transmetallation of a lithium enolate to a copper enolate in Davies iron carbonyl system [(t) -C5H5)Fe(CO)(PPh3)COEt] allows for highly stereoselective additions to symmetrical ketones. Lithium enolates (83) alone give 2 1 to 6 1 ratios of (84a, RR S) and (84b, RS R), and additives e.g. SnCh, BF3, Et2AlCl, ZnCh) either completely suppress the 1,2-addition or do little to influence the dia-stereoselectivity. Addition of CuCN (1 equiv.), however, gives in most cases 10 1 to 60 1 product ratios (Scheme 14). 

The nitration of enol acetates with acetyl nitrate is a regiospecific electrophilic addition to the 3-carbon of the enol acetate, followed by a hydrolytic conversion of the intermediate to the a-nitro ketone. With enol acetates of substituted cyclohexanones the stereochemistry is kinetically established. So, 1-acetoxy-4-methylcyclohexene (22) yields the thermodynamically less stable rrans-4-methyl-2-nitrocylo-hexanone (24) in greater proportion cis. trans = 40 60) (equation 8). This mixture can be equilibrated in favor of the thermodynamically more stable cis diastereomer (23) (cis. trans = 85 15). Nitration of 1-ace-toxy-3-methylcyclohexene (25) leads to frans-3-methyl-2-nitrocyclohexanone (26), which is also the thermodynamically more stable isomer (equation 9). No stereoselection occurs in the kinetically controlled nitration with acetyl nitrate of l-acetoxy-5-methylcyclohexene (27 equation 10), but the 1 1 mixture of the 5-methyl-2-nitrocyclohexanones can be equilibrated in favor of the trcms diastereomer (28) (cis trans = 10 90). 2-Alkyl-2-nitrocyclohexanones cannot be prepared in acceptable yields by nitration of the corresponding enol acetates with acetyl nitrate. 

Introduction and stereochemical control syn,anti and E,Z Relationship between enolate geometry and aldol stereochemistry The Zimmerman-Traxler transition state Anti-selective aldols of lithium enolates of hindered aryl esters Syn-selective aldols of boron enolates of PhS-esters Stereochemistry of aldols from enols and enolates of ketones Silyl enol ethers and the open transition state Syn selective aldols with zirconium enolates The synthesis of enones E,Z selectivity in enone formation from aldols Recent developments in stereoselective aldol reactions Stereoselectivity outside the Aldol Relationship A Synthesis ofJuvabione A Note on Stereochemical Nomenclature... 

Table 20.2 Stereoselective enolization of representative ketones with RjBCl and amines [9]...

Regio- and stereo-selectivity in the intramolecular cyclization of enolates derived from 4,5-, 5,6-, and 6,7-epoxy-1-phenylalkan-l-ones (18a,b-2 a,b) has been explored. Competition between C- and O-alkylation routes have been discussed. The LHMDS-Sc(OTf)3 protocol seems to be a valuable tool for obtaining the corresponding y-hydroxy ketones stereoselectively from (18a,b) and (20a,b) whereas (19a,b) reacted cleanly only under alternative basic conditions, and yielded products of O-alkylation. 

Stereoselective aldol addition to the lithium enolates themselves has been achieved by reaction of the deprotonated benzyloxy-substituted iron complex 66b and subsequent reaction with symmetrical ketones. The enolate involved in this procedure is assumed to exist as a chelated species 67b. The aldol 68 is obtained in a diastereomeric ratio higher than 99 1. The reaction is, nevertheless, plagued by low chemical yield, because of deprotonation of acetone. Because a symmetric ketone is used as an electrophile, the reaction leads to the formation of just one new stereogenic center [117, 118]. 

Lhommet and coworkers prepared the chiral bicyclic carbamate 1189 from L-lysine by a method that involved an electrochemical methoxylation (Scheme 150). ° This precursor, in effect a disguised acyliminium ion, reacted with the sdylated enol 1190 and trimethylsilyl triflate to give a diaste-reomeric mixture of p-keto esters (+)-1191, hydrolysis and decarboxylation of which produced ketone (—)-1192 as the only discernible product. It was essential to reduce this ketone stereoselectively in order to set up the configuration of the target alkaloid s side chain correctly. Fortunately, this was achieved with either K-Selectride or with lithium triethylborohydride. 

However, diastereoselective transformations like this are not to be discussed within this monograph, as they do not fulfill the criteria of asymmetric synthesis, according to Marckwald s definition (in today s language) this would mean [...] those reactions, or sequences of reactions, which produce chiral nonracemic substances from achiral compounds with the intermediate use of chiral nonracemic materials, but excluding a separation operation [35]. Thus, diastereoselective conversions not included for that reason in this book are, for example, aldol additions, Mannich reactions, and Michael additions of enolates to ketones, imines, and cx,P-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, respectively, with any chiral skeleton. For such stereoselective enolate reactions that are not asymmetric syntheses, the reader is referred to the literature, which treated this topic in a comprehensive manner [36]. 

Stereoselectivities of 99% are also obtained by Mukaiyama type aldol reactions (cf. p. 58) of the titanium enolate of Masamune s chired a-silyloxy ketone with aldehydes. An excess of titanium reagent (s 2 mol) must be used to prevent interference by the lithium salt formed, when the titanium enolate is generated via the lithium enolate (C. Siegel, 1989). The mechanism and the stereochemistry are the same as with the boron enolate. 

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