Magnesium enolates thiol carboxylic esters

Magnesium or lithium enolates of thiol carboxylic esters can be acylated with suitable reagents (c/ Volume 2, Part 1). Highly functionalized new derivatives are obtained. The example shown in equation (35)33,102 J5 closely related to the C-acylation of malonyl-CoA with acetyl-CoA, which plays an important role in the biosynthesis of polypeptides and fatty acids. (S)-4-Hydroxy-5-methyl-3-oxo-hexanoyl-L-leucine esters (41), 2-demethyl analogs of the Hip-Leu moiety of didemnin antibiotics, can be prepared via the 3-keto thiol carboxylic esters (40 equation 36). ° ... 

If we copy Nature rather more exactly, the Claisen ester condensation can be carried out under neutral conditions. This requires rather different reagents. The enol component is the magnesium salt of a malonate mono-thiol-ester, while the electrophilic component is an imidazolide—an amide derived from the heterocycle imidazole. Imidazole has a pK of about 7, Imidazolides are therefore very reactive amides, of about the same electrophilic reactivity as thiol esters. They are prepared from carboxylic acids with carbonyl diimidazole (CDI). 

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