Metalation of imines

Since the first reports23 in 1963 on metalation of imines, a number of bases such as ethyl-1 or isopropylmagnesium bromide1 24, lithium9 and potassium diethylamide13, lithium diisopropyl-amide (LDA), lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide (LTMP)9 10,13, and lithium bis(trimethylsi-lyl)amide13 have been successfully applied in the preparation of imine-derived azaenolates. The most common of these reagents is LDA which has been applied in deprotonation reactions of the whole palette of different imines. 

Although we had good results in some subsequent reactions with alkyl halides, the metallation of imines by alkali amides has a limited applicability. We assume, on the basis of our results, that the pK values of the imines are close to that of ammonia. Thus, the reaction with alkali amides in this solvent will give rise to certain... 

In addition to altering the (EIZ) isomer ratio of enolates, HMPA has a noticeable effect on the metalation of imines and their subsequent alkylation (eq 9). When the metalation (by s-Butyllithium) of an asymmetric imine is performed in THF, a subsequent alkylation gives about a 1 1 mixture of regioisomers. In the presence of HMPA, however, only the regioisomer due to alkylation at the less-substituted site was observed. A synthetically useful solvent effect for HMPA is also observed in the asymmetric synthesis of trimethylsilyl enol ethers by chiral lithium amide bases. The asymmetric induction in THF can be greatly improved by simply adding HMPA as a cosolvent. 

Peracid oxidation of imines is the most general synthesis of oxaziranes (Section 5.08.4.1.1). Other peroxides and metal catalysis have also been employed. 

In both cases, the hydride ion approaches the double bond from the sterically more accessible side of the molecule. Reduction of imines by metals and acids, electrolytically or by formic acid gives saturated secondary amines (38,255). 

Chiral oxazolidines 6, or mixtures with their corresponding imines 7, are obtained in quantitative yield from acid-catalyzed condensation of methyl ketones and ( + )- or ( )-2-amino-l-phcnylpropanol (norephedrine, 5) with azeotropic removal of water. Metalation of these chiral oxazolidines (or their imine mixtures) using lithium diisopropylamide generates lithioazaeno-lates which, upon treatment with tin(II) chloride, are converted to cyclic tin(II) azaenolates. After enantioselective reaction with a variety of aldehydes at 0°C and hydrolysis, ft-hydroxy ketones 8 are obtained in 58-86% op4. 

The reductive couphng of imines can follow different pathways, depending on the nature of the one-electron reducing agent (cathode, metal, low-valent metal salt), the presence of a protic or electrophihc reagent, and the experimental conditions (Scheme 2). Starting from the imine 7, the one-electron reduction is facihtated by the preliminary formation of the iminiiim ion 8 by protonation or reaction with an electrophile, e.g., trimethylsilyl (TMS) chloride. Alternatively, the radical anion 9 is first formed by direct reduction of the imine 7, followed by protonation or reaction with the electrophile, so giving the same intermediate a-amino radical 10. The 1,2-diamine 11 can be formed from the radical 10 by dimerization (and subsequent removal of the electrophile) or addition to the iminium ion 8, followed by one-electron reduction of the so formed aminyl radical. In certain cases/conditions the radical 9 can be further reduced to the carbanion 12, which then attacks the... 

Scheme 2 Mechanism of the electrochemical or metal-promoted reductive coupling of imines in an acidic medium...

The direct reductive amination (DRA) is a useful method for the synthesis of amino derivatives from carbonyl compounds, amines, and H2. Precious-metal (Ru [130-132], Rh [133-137], Ir [138-142], Pd [143]) catalyzed reactions are well known to date. The first Fe-catalyzed DRA reaction was reported by Bhanage and coworkers in 2008 (Scheme 42) [144]. Although the reaction conditions are not mild (high temperature, moderate H2 pressure), the hydrogenation of imines and/or enam-ines, which are generated by reaction of organic carbonyl compounds with amines, produces various substituted aryl and/or alkyl amines. A dihydrogen or dihydride iron complex was proposed as a reactive intermediate within the catalytic cycle. 

So far, there is only one report describing the use of chiral NHC-metal complexes in catalytic asymmetric arylation of imines. This was achieved by using C -symmetric cationic NHC-Pd diaquo complex 20 (Scheme 7.6) [38]. The arylation of a variety of A-tosylimines with different arylboronic acids was carried out under mild conditions. The presence of electron-withdrawing or electron-donating substituents on both partners did not seem to affect the reaction and the corresponding chiral diarylamines were obtained in good to excellent yields and high enantiomeric excess. 

The insertion of unsaturated molecules into metal-carbon bonds is a critically important step in many transition-metal catalyzed organic transformations. The difference in insertion propensity of carbon-carbon and carbon-nitrogen multiple bonds can be attributed to the coordination characteristics of the respective molecules. The difficulty in achieving a to it isomerization may be the reason for the paucity of imine insertions. The synthesis of amides by the insertion of imines into palladium(II)-acyl bonds is the first direct observation of the insertion of imines into bonds between transition metals and carbon (see Scheme 7). The alternating copolymerization of imines with carbon monoxide (in which the insertion of the imine into palladium-acyl bonds would be the key step in the chain growth sequence), if successful, should constitute a new procedure for the synthesis of polypeptides (see Scheme 7).348... 

Rare-earth-metal triflates are efficient catalysts in Diels-Alder reactions, and Sc(OTf)3 is clearly more effective than Ln(OTf)3 as a catalyst.45,53-55 In the presence of 10mol.% Y(OTf)3 or Yb(OTf)3, only a trace amount of the adduct was obtained in the Diels-Alder reaction of methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) with isoprene. In contrast, the reaction proceeded smoothly to give the adduct in 91% yield in the presence of 10mol.% Sc(OTf)3 (Scheme 13).45 Sc(OTf)3 has also proved to be an efficient catalyst for the Diels-Alder reaction of imines (aza Diels-Alder reactions).56,57... 

Various chiral ligands with metal catalysts can be employed in the organosilane reduction of imines to amines. Many of these provide modest success. These include (oxazolino)diphenylphosphinoferrocene ligands with ruthenium,605 (—)-DIOP/Rh(I),606,607 3,3 -BINOL (l,l -bi-2-naphthol) and LiHMDS,608 and (S)-phenyl V-formylprolinamidc with trichlorosilane.609... 

I.3.4.2. Intermolecular Cycloaddition at C=X or X=Y Bonds Cycloaddition reactions of nitrile oxides to double bonds containing heteroatoms are well documented. In particular, there are several reviews concerning problems both of general (289) and individual aspects. They cover reactions of nitrile oxides with cumulene structures (290), stereo- and regiocontrol of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of imines and nitrile oxides by metal ions (291), cycloaddition reactions of o-benzoquinones (292, 293) and aromatic seleno aldehydes as dipolarophiles in reactions with nitrile oxides (294). 

The TEAF system can be used to reduce ketones, certain alkenes and imines. With regard to the latter substrate, during our studies it was realized that 5 2 TEAF in some solvents was sufficiently acidic to protonate the imine (p K, ca. 6 in water). Iminium salts are much more reactive than imines due to inductive effects (cf. the Stacker reaction), and it was thus considered likely that an iminium salt was being reduced to an ammonium salt [54]. This explains why imines are not reduced in the IPA system which is neutral, and not acidic. When an iminium salt was pre-prepared by mixing equal amounts of an imine and acid, and used in the IPA system, the iminium was reduced, albeit with lower rate and moderate enantioselectivity. Quaternary iminium salts were also reduced to tertiary amines. Nevertheless, as other kinetic studies have indicated a pre-equilibrium with imine, it is possible that the proton formally sits on the catalyst and the iminium is formed during the catalytic cycle. It is, of course, possible that the mechanism of imine transfer hydrogenation is different to that of ketone reduction, and a metal-coordinated imine may be involved [55]. 

Dehydrogenation of Imines and Alcohols by Shvo Complexes 191 Catalytic Hydrogenations with Metal-Ligand Bifunctional Catalysis 193... 

C. Reduction of Imines with Chiral Metal Hydride Reagents. 112... 

An electroreductive Barbier-type allyla-tion of imines (434) with allyl bromide (429) also occurs inaTHF-PbBr2/Bu4NBr-(Al/Pt) system to give homoallyl amine (436) (Scheme 151) [533]. The combination of Pb(II)/Pb(0) redox and a sacrificial metal anode in the electrolysis system plays a role as a mediator for both cathodic and anodic electron-transfer processes. The metals used in the anode must have a less positive anodic dissolution potential than the oxidation potentials of the organic materials in order to be present or to be formed in situ. In addition, the metal ion plays the role of a Lewis acid to form the iminium ion (437) by associating with imine (435) (Scheme 151). 

A new electrolysis system comprising two metal redox couples, Bi(0)/Bi(III) and A1(0)/A1(III), has been shown to be effective for electroreductive Barbier-type allylation of imines [533]. The electrode surface structure has been correlated with the activity towards the electroreduction of hydrogen peroxide for Bi monolayers on Au(III) [578], Electroreductive cycliza-tion of the 4-(phenylsulfonylthio)azetidin-2-one derivative (502) as well as the allenecarboxylate (505) leading to the corresponding cycKzed compounds (504) and (506) has been achieved with the aid of bimetallic metal salt/metal redox systems, for example, BiCh/Sn and BiCh /Zn (Scheme 175) [579]. The electrolysis of (502) is carried out in a DMF-BiCh/Py-(Sn/Sn) system in an undivided cell by changing the current direction every 30 s, giving the product (504)in 67% yield. 

Imine formation is an important reaction. It generates a C-N bond, and it is probably the most common way of forming heterocyclic rings containing nitrogen (see Section 11.10). Thns, cycliza-tion of 5-aminopentanal to A -piperideine is merely intramolecular imine formation. A further property of imines that is shared with carbonyl groups is their susceptibility to reduction via complex metal hydrides (see Section 7.5). This allows imines to be... 

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