Methyl Ketone-derived Enolates

Regioselective enolization toward the nitrogen-bearing carbon in an oxazolinyl-methyl ketone derived from aspartic acid has been observed [48], The nitrogen atom of the heterocycle is conjoint with the carbonyl, therefore the creation of a conjugate system via enolization is favorable. 

Shibasaki has examined catalysis of a complex, prepared in situ from PdCl2, AgOTf, (R)-or (S)-BINAP, 4 A molecular sieves, and H20, in the aldol addition reaction of enolsilanes by (Eq. 8B2.5) [13]. Under these conditions, aryl methyl ketone-derived trimethylsilyl enolates add to benzaldehyde and hydrocinnamaldehyde, affording adducts with up to 73% ee. 

The addition of ketone-derived enol silanes and aldehydes in the presence of 184 at -78 °C in propionitrile afforded the aldol adducts in excellent yields as well as diastereo- and enantioselectivity (Eq.29) [106]. The versatility of this catalyst is evidenced by the fact that enol silanes derived from aliphatic methyl and ethyl ketones as well as acetophenone are substrates for the aldol addition reaction. 

Scheme 8 Aldolization with methyl ketone-derived silyl enol ether...

Carbohydrate-derived methyl ketone enolates show absolutely no induced diastereosclcctivity with respect to aldehydes see ... 

An interesting strategy for the diastereoselective synthesis of five-membered carbocycles was achieved by the reaction of alkenylcarbene complexes and lithium enolates derived from simple methyl ketones [79]. The use of more or less coordinating solvents (THF or Et20) or the presence of cosolvents such as PMDTA allows the selective synthesis of one or the other diastereoisomer of the final cyclopentene derivative (Scheme 32). 

Another example of a [4S+1C] cycloaddition process is found in the reaction of alkenylcarbene complexes and lithium enolates derived from alkynyl methyl ketones. In Sect. 2.6.4.9 it was described how, in general, lithium enolates react with alkenylcarbene complexes to produce [3C+2S] cycloadducts. However, when the reaction is performed using lithium enolates derived from alkynyl methyl ketones and the temperature is raised to 65 °C, a new formal [4s+lcj cy-clopentenone derivative is formed [79] (Scheme 38). The mechanism proposed for this transformation supposes the formation of the [3C+2S] cycloadducts as depicted in Scheme 32 (see Sect. 2.6.4.9). This intermediate evolves through a retro-aldol-type reaction followed by an intramolecular Michael addition of the allyllithium to the ynone moiety to give the final cyclopentenone derivatives after hydrolysis. The role of the pentacarbonyltungsten fragment seems to be crucial for the outcome of this reaction, as experiments carried out with isolated intermediates in the absence of tungsten complexes do not afford the [4S+1C] cycloadducts (Scheme 38). 

Silyl enol ethers of alkenyl methyl ketones can be efficiently cyclized to cyclopentenones and cyclohexenones by treating them with stoichiometric amounts of palladium acetate244 an example indicating the elaboration of this approach to the synthesis of a reduced benzoxepinone derivative, and the suggested244 mechanism of the reaction, are depicted in Scheme 174. 

The development of enantioselective aldol reactions has been widely studied in conjunction with the synthesis of natural products. Highly enantioselective aldol reactions have been achieved by employing chiral enolates of ethyl ketones and propionic acid derivatives.(1) On the other hand, achieving high asymmetric induction in the asymmetric aldol reaction of methyl ketones is still a problem.(2)... 

In an interesting transformation, reaction of benzoyl trimethylsilane with lithium enolates derived from various methyl ketones gives rise to 1,2-cyclopropanediols, predominantly with the cis configuration, in good yields (Scheme 77). The reaction, which proceeds through addition, Brook rearrangement and cyclization, is also successful with a,/l-unsaturated acyl silanes vide infra, Section IV.D)187. 

Enolization of cationic ketones is accelerated by electrostatic stabilization of the enolate anion. Rate constants for water-, acetate-, and hydroxide ion-catalysed enolization of 2-acetyl- 1-methylpyridinium ion (94) have been measured13811 and compared with a 2-acetylthiazolium ion (95), a simple analogue of 2-acetylthiamine pyrophosphate.13811 For (94), qh = 1.9 x 102 M-1 s 1, about 1.1 x 106 times that for a typical methyl ketone such as acetone. Thermodynamically, it is >108 times more acidic (pAa values of 11.1 vs 19.3). These increases in kinetic and thermodynamic acidity are derived from through-bond and through-space effects, and the implications for enzymatic catalytic sites with proximal, protonatable nitrogen are discussed. The results for (94) suggest a pAa value of 8.8 for (95), a value that cannot be measured directly due to competing hydrolysis. 

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