Lithium unsaturated carbonyl compounds

The stereoselective 1,4-addition of lithium diorganocuprates (R2CuLi) to unsaturated carbonyl acceptors is a valuable synthetic tool for creating a new C—C bond.181 As early as in 1972, House and Umen noted that the reactivity of diorganocuprates directly correlates with the reduction potentials of a series of a,/ -unsaturated carbonyl compounds.182 Moreover, the ESR detection of 9-fluorenone anion radical in the reaction with Me2CuLi, coupled with the observation of pinacols as byproducts in equation (40) provides the experimental evidence for an electron-transfer mechanism of the reaction between carbonyl acceptors and organocuprates.183... 

Considerable attention has been devoted to the preparation and chemistry of a,/3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, which are valuable intermediates in organic synthesis [125]. Acid-promoted hydrolysis of alkoxyallenes has therefore frequently been employed to prepare a variety of functionalized a,/8-unsaturated carbonyl compounds [12b, 41, 44, 60, 126]. A recent example is illustrated in Scheme 8.54with C-l-silylated alkoxyallene 218 as a convenient starting material for the synthesis of bicyclo[5.4.0]undec-4-en-2-one 221. Sequential deprotonation and silylation at the terminal C=C bond efficiently transformed 218 into a 1,3-disilylated allene which was converted into the acryloylsilane 219 under acidic conditions. A [3 + 4] annula-tion of intermediate 219 with lithium dienolate 220 furnished bicydic compound 221 in good yield [127]. 

In general, LiBr and NEt3 are employed in 1.5 and 1.2 equiv, respectively. Although the reaction becomes rather slower, catalytic amounts of LiBr/NEt3 (0.1 equiv each) are also sufficient. In reactions with the highly reactive dipolarophile N-methylmaleimide, the catalytic reaction results in a better yield. A similar lithiation is possible with a-substituted (alkylideneamino)acetates and (alkylideneamino)-acetamides to generate lithium enolates (86). Cycloadditions with a variety of a,(3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds leads to endo cycloadducts. However, the reaction with acrylonitrile is again nonstereoselective. 

One problem in the anti-selective Michael additions of A-metalated azomethine ylides is ready epimerization after the stereoselective carbon-carbon bond formation. The use of the camphor imines of ot-amino esters should work effectively because camphor is a readily available bulky chiral ketone. With the camphor auxiliary, high asymmetric induction as well as complete inhibition of the undesired epimerization is expected. The lithium enolates derived from the camphor imines of ot-amino esters have been used by McIntosh s group for asymmetric alkylations (106-109). Their Michael additions to some a, p-unsaturated carbonyl compounds have now been examined, but no diastereoselectivity has been observed (108). It is also known that the A-pinanylidene-substituted a-amino esters function as excellent Michael donors in asymmetric Michael additions (110). Lithiation of the camphor... 

The alkylation of caclohexanone has been studied as a model reaction in detail. Generally, enamino compounds (126) are allowed to react with alkyl halides or a, 3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The enamine (126a) is prepared directly from the ketone and a chiral secondary amine (route A). A metalloenamine (126b) can be synthesized from chiral azomethine, derived from the model ketone and a primary chiral amine (route B). The primary amine used for the formation of (126b) must possess an oxygen function. This oxygen function plays a key role in the coordination of the lithium ion in the complex (126b). 

Boron trifluoride etherate, 43 of alkynes and allenes Lithium 3-aminopropylamide, 160 of unsaturated carbonyl compounds Alumina, 217... 

Lithium diisopropylamide, 163 Phenyl azide-Aluminum chloride, 240 Halo carbonyl compounds (see also Unsaturated carbonyl compounds) a-Chloro acids Sodium nitrite, 282 a-Halo aldehydes and ketones... 

Lithium cuprates react with a, p-unsaturated carbonyl compounds by 1,4-addition. The diastereomers A and B will be the expected products whose relative proportions will depend upon the precise reaction conditions. On the assumption that stabilisation of the starting material in the conformation shown occurs through complexation with metal ions a preferential attack of the silyl group will take place from the side nearest the reader, i.e. from the least hindered side, and hence a preponderance of A in the product mixture will be expected. It was actually observed that not only the yield but also the diastereomeric ratio was strongly dependent upon the amount of dimethylsulfane in the reaction mixture (or complexed to the cuprate). In the presence of 0.75 mol% dimethylsulfane with respect to the added cuprate, the ratio of A to B is dramatically increased (diastereomeric ratio 97 3), whilst in the absence of dimethylsulfane it is approximately 1 1 [7]. 

The reduction of methyl 2-siloxycyclopropanecarboxylates can also be started at the ester function when lithium aluminum hydride in ether is the reagent. The resulting alcohols undergo the wellknown cyclopropylcarbinyl/homoallyl rearrangement upon treatment with acid to provide P/y-unsaturated carbonyl compounds 117. These are synthesized isomerically pure and in good yields in a number of cases, if the two-phase-system 2N hydrochloric acid/pentane is employed 78). Otherwise the very easy isomerization to the conjugated a,p-unsaturated compounds 118 occurs to some extend, which can intentionally be completed by base catalysis. 

The reactions of lithium diorganocuprates with a./3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds give excellent yields of 1.4-addition products ... 

Selenium-stabilized carbanions can be also generated by 1,4-addition of nucleophilic reagents to a-selanyl a,[3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The conjugate addition of trialkylsilyllithium compounds to 133, followed by reaction with allyl iodide, afforded the addition products 134 with good m-stereoselectivity (R = Me dr 86 14 R = Ph dr 94 6) (Scheme 34).214 The addition of lithium dialkylcuprates to 2-phenylselanylcycloalk-2-enones has also been used for the synthesis of natural products.215,216... 

Although the Michael addition of metal ynolates to a,/ -unsaturated carbonyl compounds is expected to give six-membered cycloadducts, 1,2-addition to carbonyl groups usually precedes 1,4-addition. The cycloaddition of the lithium-aluminum ate complex of silyl-substimted ynolate 112 with ethyl benzylideneacetoacetate (113), which is doubly activated by the ester and keto functions, gives the y-lactone 114 via a [4 4- 2] type cycloaddition (equation 46). Diethyl benzylidenemalonate (115) affords the uncyclized ketene 116 by reaction with 112 (equation 47). This could be taken as evidence for a stepwise mechanism for equation 46. ... 

Amide Enolates. The lithium (Z)-enolate can be generated from (5)-4-benzyl-3-propanoyl-2,2,5,5-tetra-methyloxazolidine and Lithium Diisopropylamide in THF at —78 °C. Its alkylations take place smoothly in the presence of Hexamethylphosphoric Triamide with high diastereoselec-tivity (eq 3), and its Michael additions to a,(3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds are also exclusively diastereoselective (eq 4). Synthetic applications have been made in the aldol reactions of the titanium (Z)-enolates of a-(alkylideneamino) esters. ... 

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