Intramolecular Michael reactions

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. ... 

Unfortunately, much of Fiesselmann s work was documented only in patents and doctoral theses, allowing for the rediscovery of this classic reaction in recent years. In fact, as late as 1997, the Fiesselmann reaction of 5 with methylthioglycolate was rediscovered as a novel, tandem Michael addition/intramolecular Knoevenagel approach to thiophenes such as 6 ... 

The Robinson annulation is a two-step process that combines a Michael reaction with an intramolecular aldol reaction. It takes place between a nucleophilic donor, such as a /3-keto ester, an enamine, or a /3-diketone, and an a,/3-unsaturated ketone acceptor, such as 3-buten-2-one. The product is a substituted 2-cyclohexenone. 

The first step of the Robinson annulation is simply a Michael reaction. An enamine or an enolate ion from a jS-keto ester or /3-diketone effects a conjugate addition to an a-,/3-unsaturated ketone, yielding a 1,5-diketone. But as we saw in Section 23.6,1,5-diketones undergo intramolecular aldol condensation to yield cyclohexenones when treated with base. Thus, the final product contains a six-membered ring, and an annulation has been accomplished. An example occurs during the commercial synthesis of the steroid hormone estrone (figure 23.9). 

In this example, the /3-diketone 2-methyJ-l,3-cyclopentanedione is used to generate the enolate ion required for Michael reaction and an aryl-substituted a,/3-unsaturated ketone is used as the acceptor. Base-catalyzed Michael reaction between the two partners yields an intermediate triketone, which then cyclizes in an intramolecular aldol condensation to give a Robinson annulation product. Several further transformations are required to complete the synthesis of estrone. 

The following reaction involves an intramolecular Michael reaction followed by an intramolecular aldol reaction. Write both steps., and show their mechanisms. 

Robinson annulation reaction (Section 23.12) A synthesis of cyclohexenones by sequential Michael reaction and intramolecular aldol reaction. 

Finally, by a diastereoselective intramolecular double Michael reaction of a lithium dieno-late to an a,j6-unsaturated ester moiety, a spiro-fused bicyclo[2.2.2]octane may be prepared. These MIMIRC form the key step in the synthesis of ( )-atisine361 and (-t-)-alisirene362-365. 

In certain cases, Michael reactions can take place under acidic conditions. Michael-type addition of radicals to conjugated carbonyl compounds is also known.Radical addition can be catalyzed by Yb(OTf)3, but radicals add under standard conditions as well, even intramolecularly. Electrochemical-initiated Michael additions are known, and aryl halides add in the presence of NiBr2. Michael reactions are sometimes applied to substrates of the type C=C—Z, where the co-products are conjugated systems of the type C=C—Indeed, because of the greater susceptibility of triple bonds to nucleophilic attack, it is even possible for nonactivated alkynes (e.g., acetylene), to be substrates in this... 

Scheldt and co-workers have also accessed enolate equivalents from enals to furnish cyclopentanes 236 asymmetrically. Formation of the enolate equivalent from enals 235 with the NHC, followed by an intramolecular Michael reaction and 0-acylation, gives the lactone products 236, which are readily opened by either alcohols or amines to generate functionalised cyclopentane derivatives 237 in excellent ee. 

We have already discussed a large group of reactions in which carbanions add to the C=0 group (cf. pp. 221-234), including examples of intramolecular carbanion addition, e.g. an aldol reaction (p. 226), Dieckmann reaction (p. 230), and the benzilic acid rearrangement (p. 232), and also to the C=C—C=O system, the Michael reaction... 

Hassner and coworkers have developed a one-pot tandem consecutive 1,4-addition intramolecular cycloaddition strategy for the construction of five- and six-membered heterocycles and carbocycles. Because nitroalkenes are good Michael acceptors for carbon, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen nucleophiles (see Section 4.1 on the Michael reaction), subsequent intramolecular silyl nitronate cycloaddition (ISOC) or intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition (INOC) provides one-pot synthesis of fused isoxazolines (Scheme 8.26). The ISOC route is generally better than INOC route regarding stereoselectivity and generality. 

Figure 8. Possible transition state structures of the intramolecular Michael reaction of...

The direct, stereoselective conversion of alkynes to A-sulfonylazetidin-2-imines 16 by the initial reaction of copper(l) acetylides with sulfonyl azides, followed, in situ, by the formal [2+2] cycloaddition of a postulated A-sulfonylketenimine intermediate with a range of imines has been described <06AG(E)3157>. The synthesis of A-alkylated 2-substituted azetidin-3-ones 17 based on a tandem nucleophilic substitution followed by intramolecular Michael reaction of primary amines with alkyl 5-bromo-4-oxopent-2-enoates has been... 

Reactions with participation of the C=C bond are the most studied of INOCs. Normal products of such reactions are annulated isoxazolines. A synthesis of bicyclic isoxazolines via sequential Michael and intramolecular 1,3-dipolar additions (403) are mentioned as an example. Michael addition of 1-nitroalkadiene, R1R2C=CH(CH2) CH=CHN02 to allylic stannane R3R4C=C(R5)CH2SnR63... 

An intramolecular Michael reaction affording indolizidinones 166 was initiated by addition of tetrabutylammonium triphenyldifluorosilicate (TBAT) on allylsilanes 165 (Scheme 39) <2003TL6629>. 

A final example, from the work of Trost (49), represents the only case in which an intramolecular Michael reaction has been catalyzed by a chiral amine. When the achiral cyclohexanone is treated with (- )-quinine and heated in toluene solution, the bicyclic ketone is formed in 83% chemical and 30% enantiomeric yield (eq. [8]). 

This same picture unfolds when we examine the use of chiral amines in base-catalyzed reactions. Although in several individual cases (91,92) such as epox-idations (84), one Michael reaction (36), and an intramolecular aldol reaction (93), amino acids (11) or polypeptides (84) are better catalysts than quinine, the range of usefulness of quinine appears to warrant the term miracle catalyst. ... 

Deprotonation of acidic C6 by DBU gives a carbanion, which undergoes a Michael reaction to CIO. The new carbanion at CIO can deprotonate C3 to give a new carbanion, and this can undergo an aldol reaction to C12. Now our two new C-C bonds have been formed. We still have to break C2-C6 and two C-0 bonds. The alkoxide at 013 can deprotonate MeOH, which can then add to C2. Fragmentation of the C2-C6 bond follows to give a C6 enolate. The C6 enolate then deprotonates 013, and intramolecular transesterification occurs to form the 013-C7 bond and to break the C7-09 bond. MeO then comes back and promotes El elimination across the C3-C12 bond to break the Cl2-013 bond and give the product. The intramolecular transesterification explains why C7 becomes an acid and C2 remains an ester in the product. 

Strategies based on two consecutive specific reactions or the so-called "tandem methodologies" very useful for the synthesis of polycyclic compounds. Classical examples of such a strategy are the "Robinson annulation" which involves the "tandem Michael/aldol condensation" [32] and the "tandem cyclobutene electrocyclic opening/Diels-Alder addition" [33] so useful in the synthesis of steroids. To cite a few new methodologies developed more recently we may refer to the stereoselective "tandem Mannich/Michael reaction" for the synthesis of piperidine alkaloids [34], the "tandem cycloaddition/radical cyclisation" [35] which allows a quick assembly of a variety of ring systems in a completely intramolecular manner or the "tandem anionic cyclisation approach" of polycarbocyclic compounds [36]. 

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