Lithium phosphonium salts

The phosphonium salt (116) gave the phosphorane (117) with phenyl-lithium although it has hydrogen atoms attached to carbon bonded to phosphorus. ... 

The cage-like phosphonium salt (17) with phenyl-lithium in THF gave the phosphorane (18) which probably owes its great stability to the relief of strain in the ring structure on changing the bond angle at phosphorus to 90°. For the photolysis of (18) see Chapter 10, Section 1. 

Further evidence has been adduced for the configurational stability of phosphoranyl radicals. Thus photolysis of iodobenzene in the presence of (11) gave a 95% yield of (12). Reaction of the phosphonium salt (13) with lithium alkyls produces the phosphoranyl radical (14). ... 

This accounts for the considerable discrepancy between the alkene Z/E ratio found on work-up and the initial oxaphosphetan ais/trans ratio. By approaching the problem from the starting point of the diastereomeric phosphonium salts (19) and (20), deprotonation studies and crossover experiments showed that the retro-Wittig reaction was only detectable with the erythreo isomer (19) via the cis-oxaphosphetan (17). Furthermore, it was shown that under lithium-salt-free conditions, mixtures of (19) and (20) exhibited stereochemical drift because of a synergistic effect (of undefined mechanism) between the oxaphosphetans (17) and (18) during their decomposition to alkenes. 

The reduction of optically active phosphonium salts by lithium aluminum hydride, which probably does involve 70 as an intermediate, affords racemic phosphines, presumably by pseudorotation in 70 before it decomposes 63). 

Finally, Cristau and coworkers have reported on a quite efficient preparation of triphenylphosphine oxide (Figure 2.13) by a similar addition-elimination reaction of red phosphorus with iodobenzene in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst followed by oxidation of an intermediate tetraarylphosphonium salt.42 This approach holds the potential for the preparation of a variety of triarylphosphine oxides without proceeding through the normally used Grignard reagent. Of course, a variety of approaches is available for the efficient reduction of phosphine oxides and quaternary phosphonium salts to the parent phosphine, including the use of lithium aluminum hydride,43 meth-ylpolysiloxane,44 trichlorosilane,45 and hexachlorodisilane.46... 

Preparation.—The hydroxyalkylphosphines (106) (obtained by the cleavage of THF or tetrahydropyran with lithium diorganophosphides) are converted in good yield into the cyclic phosphonium salts (107), (108) on treatment with hydrogen bromide followed by a weak base.108... 

Tellurophosphoranes, obtained through a transylidation reaction between tellurenyl halides and phosphoranes, react with aldehydes to give the expected vinylic tellurides as an E Z isomeric mixture (method a). One other methodology involves the treatment of equimolar amounts of phenyl tellurenyl bromide and phosphonium salts with t-BuOK followed by an aldehyde (method b). Under these lithium-salt-free conditions, (Z)-vinylic tellurides are the main products. ... 

The bis-ylide ligands [R2P(CH2)2] can easily be prepared by treatment of the phosphonium salts [R2PMe2] (R = Me, Ph) with strong deprotonating reagents such as lithium derivatives, NaNH2, or non stabilized ylides R3P=CH2. However, Au Ag, and Cu complexes (99) were prepared by reaction of ClMPMe3 (M = Ag, Au) or CuCl with excess of R3P=CH2 [202, 203] (Scheme 30). 

The overall sequence of three steps may be called the Wittig reaction, or only the final step. Phosphonium salts are also prepared by addition of phosphines to Michael olefins (like 5-7) and in other ways. The phosphonium salts are most often converted to the ylides by treatment with a strong base such as butyllithium, sodium amide,640 sodium hydride, or a sodium alkoxide, though weaker bases can be used if the salt is acidic enough. For (PhjP CHj, sodium carbonate is a strong enough base.641 When the base used does not contain lithium, the ylide is said to be prepared under "salt-free conditions.642... 

Bicycloannelation.1 The a -enolate of an a,j -cyclohexenone reacts with this phosphonium salt to form a tricyclof3.2.1,0 ]octane in low to moderate yield. This reaction was used in a short synthesis of the pcntacyclic dilcrpcnc trachyloban-19-oic acid (4). Reaction of the lithium enolale of 2, prepared from podocajpic acid, with I provided the pcntacyclic ketone 3, which was reduced by the Wolff-Kishncr reaction to 4. 

Polystyrene-bound benzaldehydes can be smoothly olefinated with benzyl- or cin-namylphosphonium salts in DMF or THF using sodium methoxide as a base (Entry 1, Table 5.5 [64-67]). Alkylphosphonium salts, however, only react with resin-bound aldehydes upon deprotonation with stronger bases, such as butyllithium [30,68-70]. The more acidic acceptor-substituted phosphonium salts, on the other hand, even react with resin-bound aldehydes and ketones upon treatment with tertiary amines, DBU, sodium ethoxide, or lithium hydroxide [71-75], but stronger bases are also used occasionally [76]. 

Fluonnated ylides have also been prepared in such a way that fluorine is incorporated at the carbon p to the carbamomc carbon Various fluoroalkyl iodides were heated with tnphenylphosphine in the absence of solvent to form the necessary phosphonium salts Direct deprotonation with butyllithium or lithium dusopropy-lamide did not lead to y hde formation, rather, deprotonation was accompanied by loss of fluonde ion However deprotonation with hydrated potassium carbonate in dioxane was successful and resulted in fluoroolefin yields of45-80% [59] (equation 54) p-Fluorinated ylides may also be prepared by the reaction of an isopropyli-denetnphenylphosphine yhde with a perfluoroalkanoyl anhydride The intermediate acyl phosphonium salt can undergo further reaction with methylene tnphenylphosphorane and phenyllithium to form a new ylide, which can then be used in a Wittig olefination procedure [60] (equation 55) or can react with a nucleophile [61] such as an acetylide to form a fluonnated enyne [62] (equation 56)... 

Convenient alternatives to direct deprotonation of ethers are tin-lithium exchange [199, 258-261], halogen-magnesium exchange [262], or reductive cleavage of 0,Se-acetals [263, 264], Another synthetic equivalent of a-metalated ethers are (alkoxymethyl)phosphonium salts [265]. 

A mechanistic interpretation of the Wittig reaction, allowing the various experimental data collected during many years to bring into accord with theoretical demands, was reported only 25 years after its discovery4,7 9). Wittig already formulated a zwitterionic adduct of the form of a P—O-betain 52) (Scheme 2). This is better described by formula 6, since at that time almost exclusively lithium alkyls have been used for the deprotonation of the phosphonium salts. The reversibilitiy of the... 

When generating the ylide from the corresponding phosphonium salt, the choice of the method of formation is important for the stereochemistry of the reaction. With the original application of lithium alkyls as bases one equivalent of lithium halogenide is always formed this lowers the stereoselectivity. Not before the development of methods for the preparation of salt-free ylide solutions, such as the sodium amide... 

For the preparation of the second component 421 of the cockroach pheromone Burgsthaler et al. 228) also used a Wittig reaction. Lithium acetylide is alkylated with the two halides 414 and 416 and the resulting alkynyl bromide 417 converted into the phosphonium salt. Olefination of the corresponding ylide with 9-bromo-2-nonanone 418 gives a (Z)/( )-mixture of olefin 419 which is converted into the pheromone 3,ll-dimethyl-29-hydroxynonacosan-2-one 421 by aeetoaeetate synthesis, hydrogenation, hydrolysis, and decarboxylation 228) (Scheme 73). 

Ketone synthesis. Lithium carboxylates react with (CaHjliPCI, to form an acyloxy-phosphonium salt (a), which reacts with Grignard reagents to provide ketones in generally high yield. If a free carboxylic acid is used, a tertiary amine is required to neutralize the... 

The Wittig reagent is prepared by the treatment of phosphonium salt with a strong base (such as PhLi, n-BuLi or lithium diisopropylamide). The phosphonium salts are prepared by the reaction of phosphines with alkyl halides. 

An additional approach toward the preparation of tertiary phosphines is by the reduction of more highly coordinated phosphorus species, particularly phosphine oxides [0=PR3] and phosphine sulfides [S=PR3] (see Section 5.2), but also phosphonium salts [ILtP+X"] and quasiphosphonium salts [R3P-YR +X ] (see Sections 4.2 and 4.4). Numerous reducing agents have been used to accomplish these conversions, including hexachlorodisilane [CbSi-SiCft], trichlorosilane [HSiCft], phenylsilane [PhSiHs], and lithium aluminum hydride [LiAlH4]. 

Deoxy sugars. The reagent can also be used for reductive elimination of a hydroxyl group. Thus the alkoxytris(dimethylamino)phosphonium salts are reduced in 90% yield by lithium triethylborohydride (equation I). ... 

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