Michael addition activators

The selective nucleophilic displacement of one ortho nitro group from 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene by esters of mercap-toacetic acid followed by oxidation leads to 2-(alkoxycarbonyl)methylsulfonyl compounds. These sulfones react with aromatic aldehydes under Knoevenagel conditions to produce thiochroman 1,1-dioxides 477, probably via a stilbene and a subsequent intramolecular Michael addition. Activating groups other than nitro are compatible with the route (Scheme 167) <2003RJ0397>. 

Svedendahl, M., Jovanovic, B., Fransson, L., and Berglund, R, Suppressed native hydrolytic activity of a lipase to reveal promiscuous Michael addition activity in water. ChemCatChem 2009,1 (2), 252-258. 

The addition of active methylene compounds (ethyl malonate, ethyl aoeto-acetate, ethyl plienylacetate, nltromethane, acrylonitrile, etc.) to the aP-double bond of a conjugated unsaturated ketone, ester or nitrile In the presence of a basic catalyst (sodium ethoxide, piperidine, diethylamiiie, etc.) is known as the Michael reaction or Michael addition. The reaction may be illustrated by the addition of ethyl malonate to ethyl fumarate in the presence of sodium ethoxide hydrolysis and decarboxylation of the addendum (ethyl propane-1 1 2 3-tetracarboxylate) yields trlcarballylic acid ... 

The addition of large enolate synthons to cyclohexenone derivatives via Michael addition leads to equatorial substitution. If the cyclohexenone conformation is fixed, e.g. as in decalones or steroids, the addition is highly stereoselective. This is also the case with the S-addition to conjugated dienones (Y. Abe, 1956). Large substituents at C-4 of cyclic a -synthons direct incoming carbanions to the /rans-position at C-3 (A.R. Battersby, 1960). The thermodynamically most stable products are formed in these cases, because the addition of 1,3-dioxo compounds to activated double bonds is essentially reversible. 

Acetoxy-l,7-octadiene (40) is converted into l,7-octadien-3-one (124) by hydrolysis and oxidation. The most useful application of this enone 124 is bisannulation to form two fused six-membered ketonesfl 13], The Michael addition of 2-methyl-1,3-cyclopentanedione (125) to 124 and asymmetric aldol condensation using (5)-phenylalanine afford the optically active diketone 126. The terminal alkene is oxidi2ed with PdCl2-CuCl2-02 to give the methyl ketone 127 in 77% yield. Finally, reduction of the double bond and aldol condensation produce the important intermediate 128 of steroid synthesis in optically pure form[114]. 

The method was applied to the synthesis of (-t-)-l9-nortestosterone by the following sequence of reactions. Michael addition of the bisannulation reagent 124 to the optically active keto ester 129 and decarboxylation afforded 130, and subsequent aldol condensation gave 131. Selective Pd-catalyzed oxidation of the terminal double bond afforded the diketone 132 in 78% yield. Reduction of the double bond and aldol condensation gave ( + )-19-nortestosterone (133)[114]. 

Addition of HCN to unsaturated compounds is often the easiest and most economical method of making organonitnles. An early synthesis of acrylonitrile involved the addition of HCN to acetylene. The addition of HCN to aldehydes and ketones is readily accompHshed with simple base catalysis, as is the addition of HCN to activated olefins (Michael addition). However, the addition of HCN to unactivated olefins and the regioselective addition to dienes is best accompHshed with a transition-metal catalyst, as illustrated by DuPont s adiponitrile process (6—9). 

Another impo2rtant P—C-hond-forming reaction is the base-cataly2ed Michael addition to activated double bonds. For example, dimethyl phosphite can be added to dimethyl maleate to yield tetramethylphosphonosucciaate [2788-26-3] (TMPS), an iatermediate ia the synthesis of 2-phosphonobutane-l,2,4-tricarboxyhc acid [37971-36-1] (PBTC) with 98% yield (20). 

Vinylpyridine (23) came into prominence around 1950 as a component of latex. Butadiene and styrene monomers were used with (23) to make a terpolymer that bonded fabric cords to the mbber matrix of automobile tires (25). More recendy, the abiUty of (23) to act as a Michael acceptor has been exploited in a synthesis of 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) (24) (26). The sequence consists of a Michael addition of (23) to 4-cyanopyridine (15), replacement of the 4-cyano substituent by dimethylamine (taking advantage of the activation of the cyano group by quatemization of the pyridine ring), and base-cataly2ed dequatemization (retro Michael addition). 4-r)imethyl aminopyri dine is one of the most effective acylation catalysts known (27). 

An asymmetric synthesis of estrone begins with an asymmetric Michael addition of lithium enolate (178) to the scalemic sulfoxide (179). Direct treatment of the cmde Michael adduct with y /i7-chloroperbenzoic acid to oxidize the sulfoxide to a sulfone, followed by reductive removal of the bromine affords (180, X = a and PH R = H) in over 90% yield. Similarly to the conversion of (175) to (176), base-catalyzed epimerization of (180) produces an 85% isolated yield of (181, X = /5H R = H). C8 and C14 of (181) have the same relative and absolute stereochemistry as that of the naturally occurring steroids. Methylation of (181) provides (182). A (CH2)2CuLi-induced reductive cleavage of sulfone (182) followed by stereoselective alkylation of the resultant enolate with an allyl bromide yields (183). Ozonolysis of (183) produces (184) (wherein the aldehydric oxygen is by isopropyUdene) in 68% yield. Compound (184) is the optically active form of Ziegler s intermediate (176), and is converted to (+)-estrone in 6.3% overall yield and >95% enantiomeric excess (200). 

Poly(vinyl alcohol) undergoes Michaels addition with compounds containing activated double bonds, including acrylonitrile (145—150), acrylamide (151—153), A/-methylolacrylamide (154—156), methyl vinyl ketone (157,158), acrolein (157), and sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate (159). The reactions have been carried out under conditions spanning from homogeneous reactions in solvent to heterogeneous reactions occurring in the swollen powder or fiber. 

Hydrogen cyanide adds to an olefinic double bond most readily when an adjacent activating group is present in the molecule, eg, carbonyl or cyano groups. In these cases, a Michael addition proceeds readily under basic catalysis, as with acrylonitrile (qv) to yield succinonitnle [110-61-2], C4H4N2, iu high yield (13). Formation of acrylonitrile by addition across the acetylenic bond can be accompHshed under catalytic conditions (see Acetylene-DERIVED chemicals). 

A thiol, usually under basic catalysis, can undergo Michael addition to an activated double bond, resulting in protection of the sulfhydryl group as a substituted 5-ethyl derivative. 

Maleimides have three principal reaction pathways. These are radical addition to vinyl compounds the Michael addition with compounds having active hydrogens and the Diels-Alder reaction with dienes (Fig. 3). Any of the three can be tools for forming thermosetting adhesives. 

Recently, the Michael addition of the optically active Q ,y-disubstituted tetronic acids 146c,e with a variety of Q ,/3-unsaturated aldehydes, ketones, esters, and nitriles was studied (Scheme 53) (99H1321). 

Michael addition of dialkyl cuprate reagents to optically active 4-phenyl-l,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydropyrido[2,l-c][l,4]oxazin-l-one afforded stereoselec-tively 9-alkylperhydro derivatives 228 in a mixture Et20 and THF at -40 °C in the presence of Cul in good yields (99TL3699). 

The apparently loose structural requirements for antihista-iiiinic agents have already been alluded to. Thus, active compounds. ire obtained almost regardless of the nature of the atom that connects the side chain with the benzhydryl moiety. In fact, a methylene group, too, can also serve as the bridging group. Reaction of the aminoester, 95 (obtained by Michael addition of... 

Incorporation of a carbonyl group into the alkyl side chain also proved compatible with biologic activity. The key intermediate (76) is obtainable by Michael addition of the anion from diethyl malonate to methylvinyl ketone followed by ketalization with ethylene glycol. Condensation of 76 with hydrazobenzene leads to the pyrazolodione hydrolysis of the ketal group affords ketasone (78). ... 

Fusion of an all cyclic ring onto the piperidine so as to form a perhydroisoquinoline is apparently consistent with analgesic activity. Synthesis of this agent, ciprefadol (68), starts with the Michael addition of the anion from cyclohexanone 56 onto acrylonitrile (57). Saponification of the nitrile to the corresponding acid ( ) followed by Curtius rearrangement leads to isocyanate Acid... 

Asymmetric Michael addition of chiral enolates to nltroalkenes provides a useful method for the preparation of biologically important compotmds. The Michael addition of doubly deprotonated, optically active fi-hydroxycarboxylates to nltroalkenes proceeds v/ith high dias-tereoselecdvity to give fityr/iro-hydroxynitroesters fEq, 4,58, ... 

From the foregoing it can be seen that the nitro group can be activated for C-C bond formation in various ways. Classically the nitro group facilitates the Henry reaction, Michael addition, and Diels-Alder reaction. Komblum and Russell have introduced a new substitution reaction, which proceeds via a one electron-transfer process The Spj l reactions have... 

Fermenting baker s yeast also catalyzes the 1,4-addition of a formal trifluoroethanol-d1-synthon to a,/i-unsaturated aldehydes, to give optically active l,l,l-trifluoro-2-hydroxy-5-alka-nones52. Presumably, the mechanism involves oxidation of the alcohol to the corresponding aldehyde followed by an umpolung step with thiamine pyrophosphate and Michael addition to the a,/i-unsaturated aldehyde. For example, l,l,l-trifluoro-2-hydroxy-5-hexanone (yield 26%, ee 93%) is thus obtained from trifluoroethanol and l-bnten-3-one. 

The Enders method has also been used as a key step in the synthesis of optically active Ar-heterocycles. The use of cyclic 1,3-diketones for the preparation of the SAMP or RAMP lithium azaenolates is shown by the synthesis of substituted 4,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2,5(l//,3//)-quinolinediones 2. Michael addition of 1 with, for example, benzylidene propanedioates followed by removal of the auxiliary and lactamization gives 2 with > 98% ee201. 

High enantioselectivities may be reached using the kinetic controlled Michael addition of achiral tin enolates, prepared in situ, to a,/i-unsaturated carbonyl compounds catalyzed by a chiral amine. The presence of trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate as an activator is required in these reactions236. Some typical results, using stoichiometric amounts of chiral amine and various enolates are given below. In the case of the l-(melhylthio)-l-[(trimethylsilyl)thio]ethene it is proposed that metal exchange between the tin(II) trifluoromethanesulfonate and the ketene acetal occurs prior to the 1,4-addition237,395. 

The highest enantioselectivities in the base-catalyzed Michael additions have so far been obtained using achiral bases complexed to chiral crown ethers. The addition of methyl 2,3-dihydro-l-oxo-1//-indene-2-carboxylate (1) to 3-buten-2-one using 4 mol% of a [l,T-binaphthalcnc]-2,2 -diol derived optically active crown ether 3 in combination with potassium AY/-butoxide as the base illustrates this successful method 259 260 It is assumed that the actual Michael donor is the potassium enolate complex of 1 and crown ether 3. 

Optically active y-alkoxycyclopentenones have become popular in the diastereoselective synthesis of hms-3,4-disubstituted cyclopentanones. The Michael addition to these cyclic enones catalyzed by sodium ethoxide in ethanol277 or by potassium tm-butoxide278 279 proceeds under kinetic control trans with respect to the y-substituent. 

The use of enantiomerically pure (R)-5-menthyloxy-2(5.//)-furanone results in lactone enolates, after the initial Michael addition, which can be quenched diastereoselectively trans with respect to the /J-substituent. With aldehydes as electrophiles adducts with four new stereogenic centers arc formed with full stereocontrol and the products are enantiomerically pure. Various optically active lactones, and after hydrolysis, amino acids and hydroxy acids can be synthesized in this way317. 

In principle, numerous reports have detailed the possibility to modify an enzyme to carry out a different type of reaction than that of its attributed function, and the possibility to modify the cofactor of the enzyme has been well explored [8,10]. Recently, the possibility to directly observe reactions, normally not catalyzed by an enzyme when choosing a modified substrate, has been reported under the concept of catalytic promiscuity [9], a phenomenon that is believed to be involved in the appearance of new enzyme functions during the course of evolution [23]. A recent example of catalytic promiscuity of possible interest for novel biotransformations concerns the discovery that mutation of the nucleophilic serine residue in the active site of Candida antarctica lipase B produces a mutant (SerlOSAla) capable of efficiently catalyzing the Michael addition of acetyl acetone to methyl vinyl ketone [24]. The oxyanion hole is believed to be complex and activate the carbonyl group of the electrophile, while the histidine nucleophile takes care of generating the acetyl acetonate anion by deprotonation of the carbon (Figure 3.5). 

Two syntheses of hongconin (18), a naturally occurring isochroman-4-one which exhibits antianginal activity, have been described. One utilises the annulation of phthalide unit to optically pure dihydropyran-3-ones <96JOC455>, whilst a similar Michael addition to the bicyclic pyranone levo ucosenone and subsequent enolate methylation are essentials of the second route <96JOC459>. 

---