Michael addition, asymmetric

In the asymmetric total synthesis of the marine natural product, methyl sarcoate, the key step for the introduction of the chirality, was achieved by using an asymmetric Michael addition. Asymmetric addition of /-PrMgCl to aminal ester 93 in the presence of a catalytic amount of Cul, followed by acidic hydrolysis of the aminal function, afforded the chiral aldehyde 94 in 60% yield (Equation 10) <2005TL1263>. 

Michael addition. Asymmetric arylation of 1-alkenylphosphonates and nitro-alkenes occurs in the presence of (acac)Rh(ethylene)2 and (S)-BINAP. 

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]. 

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). 

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, ... 

The Gabriel-Cromwell aziridine synthesis involves nucleophilic addition of a formal nitrene equivalent to a 2-haloacrylate or similar reagent [29]. Thus, there is an initial Michael addition, followed by protonation and 3-exo-tet ring-closure. Asymmetric variants of the reaction have been reported. N-(2-Bromo)acryloyl camphor-sultam, for example, reacts with a range of amines to give N-substituted (azir-idinyl)acylsultams (Scheme 4.23) [30]. 

The asymmetric Michael addition of chiral nonracemic ketone enolates has most frequently been used as part of the Robinson annulation methodology in the synthesis of natural products171-172. The enolates are then derived from carbocyclic chiral ketones such as (+)-nopinone, (-)-dihydrocarvone, or (-)-3-methylsabinaketone. 

Asymmetric Michael additions using chiral auxiliary containing donors have attracted widespread attention and various methods are now available that give high enantiomeric excess. 

The application of auxiliary control in the asymmetric Michael addition of chiral enolates derived from ketones is rare the only example known is the use of (27 ,37 )-2,3-butancdiol as an auxiliary. The ketal of (27 ,37 )-2,3-butanediol with 3-methyl-l,2-cyclohexanedione reacts with 3-buten-2-one using as base a catalytic amount of sodium ethoxide in ethanol195. 

Thus the product in such cases can exist as two pairs of enantiomers. In a di-astereoselective process, one of the two pairs is formed exclusively or predominantly as a racemic mixture. Many such examples have been reported. In many of these cases, both the enolate and substrate can exist as (Z) or (E) isomers. With enolates derived from ketones or carboxylic esters, (E) enolates gave the syn pair of enantiomers (p. 146), while (Z) enolates gave the anti pair. Addition of chiral additives to the reaction, such as proline derivatives, or (—)-sparteine lead to product formation with good-to-excellent asynunetric induction. Ultrasound has also been used to promote asymmetric Michael reactions. Intramolecular versions of Michael addition are well known. ... 

Scheme 31. Example of Cu-catalyzed asymmetric Michael addition...

Fig. 30 Asymmetric aza-Claisen rearrangement of (Z)-configured trifluoroacetimidates 44 3.1.2 Bispalladium-Catalyzed Michael-Addition of a-Cyanoacetates...

Fig. 31 Bis-Pd(II)-catalyzed asymmetric Michael addition of a-cyanoesters 57 to enones...

Jautze S, Peters R (2010) Catalytic asymmetric Michael additions of a-cyano acetates. Synthesis 365-388... 

Ethyl ethylthiomethyl sulphoxide anion 325 has been found to give better yield of 1,4-adducts compared with its methyl analogue . This anion has been used by Schlessinger and coworkers as a key reagent in the synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyl precursors of naturally occurring cyclopentenones, e.g. dihydrojasmone 379 (equation 219). Michael addition of the anion of optically active (-l-)-(S)-p-tolyl p-tolylthiomethyl sulphoxide 380 to the properly substituted cyclopentenone constitutes an important step in the asymmetric synthesis of optically active cyclopentenone 381, which is a precursor of 11-deoxy-ent-prostanoids (equation 220). The reaction proceeds with a high and y-asymmetric induction (92%), but with a poor a-stereoselection (52 48). 

Chiral PTC has been used effectively for making intermediates for drugs. Dolling and coworkers have used 8-R, 9-5, N-(p-trifluoromethylbenzyl) cinchonium bromide to carry out an important asymmetric alkylation, giving 95% ee (Starks, 1987). Nucleophilic epoxidations of enones, Darzens reaction, Michael additions, etc. are some examples of reactions rendered asymmetric through chiral PTCs (Nelson, 1999). 

By using 10 mol% of 51, MS4A, and t-BuSH, the desired product 52 was obtained in up to 98% ee in 80% yield. A complementary role by two metals (Ga and Li) in activating and positioning both of the substrates has been proposed. The MS4A (sodium aluminosilicate) accelerated the reaction however, the actual role of this additive was not clearly defined, although the possibilty that MS4A delivers Na ions was pointed out. Tomioka et al. reported the asymmetric Michael addition of an aromatic thiol to a,P-unsaturated esters in the presence of 8 mol% of 53 to provide 54 in up to 97% ee in 99% yield (Eq. 7.40) [47]. 

By using LaNa3-tris(binaphthoxide) (LSB) 55, catalytic asymmetric Michael addition of thiols to cycloalkenones took place to provide the adduct 56 with high ees in good yields (Eq. 7.41) [48]. 

Jenner investigated the kinetic pressure effect on some specific Michael and Henry reactions and found that the observed activation volumes of the Michael reaction between nitromethane and methyl vinyl ketone are largely dependent on the magnitude of the electrostriction effect, which is highest in the lanthanide-catalyzed reaction and lowest in the base-catalyzed version. In the latter case, the reverse reaction is insensitive to pressure.52 Recently, Kobayashi and co-workers reported a highly efficient Lewis-acid-catalyzed asymmetric Michael addition in water.53 A variety of unsaturated carbonyl derivatives gave selective Michael additions with a-nitrocycloalkanones in water, at room temperature without any added catalyst or in a very dilute aqueous solution of potassium carbonate (Eq. 10.24).54... 

The asymmetric Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to nitrostyrene is promoted by chiral alkaloid catalysts to give the addition products in good chemical yield, but the enantioselectivity is rather low (Eq. 4.47).62... 

Enantioselective synthesis of the antidepressant rolipram can be done by the asymmetric Michael addition of the enolate of IV-acetyloxazolidone to nitrostyrene. Chirally branched pyrrolidones like rolipram are highly active antidepressants with novel postsynaptic modes of action. The synthesis is shown in Scheme 4.13.78... 

Catalytic enantioselective nucleophilic addition of nitroalkanes to electron-deficient alke-nes is a challenging area in organic synthesis. The use of cinchona alkaloids as chiral catalysts has been studied for many years. Asymmetric induction in the Michael addition of nitroalkanes to enones has been carried out with various chiral bases. Wynberg and coworkers have used various alkaloids and their derivatives, but the enantiomeric excess (ee) is generally low (up to 20%).199 The Michael addition of methyl vinyl ketone to 2-nitrocycloalkanes catalyzed by the cinchona alkaloid cinchonine affords adducts in high yields in up to 60% ee (Eq. 4.137).200... 

Matsumoto and coworkers have introduced a new strategy for asymmetric induction under high pressure. The Michael addition of nitromethane to chalcone is performed at 10 kbar in the presence of a catalytic amount of chiral alkaloids. The extent of asymmetric induction reaches up to 50% ee with quinidine in toluene.201... 

Yamaguchi and coworkers have found that proline rubidium salts catalyze the asymmetric Michael addition of nitroalkanes to prochiral acceptors. When (25)-L-prolines are used, acyclic ( )-enones give (S)-adducts. Cyclic (Z)-enones give (R)-adducts predominantly (Eq. 4.139).203 Recently, Hanessianhas reported that L-proline (3 7% mol equiv) and 2,5-dimethylpiperazine are more effective to induce catalytic asymmetric conjugate addition of nitroalkanes to cycloal-kanones.204... 

---