Olefins carbonyl ylide structures

NMR spectroscopic studies f111,13C, and 31P) are consistent with the dipolar ylide structure and suggest only a minor contribution from the ylene structure.234 Theoretical calculations support this view.235 The phosphonium ylides react with carbonyl compounds to give olefins and the phosphine oxide. 

While most of the initial studies have involved the transition metal-catalyzed decomposition of a-carbonyl diazo compounds and have been reviewed [3-51], it appears appropriate to highlight again some milestones of these transformations, since polycyclic structures could be nicely assembled from acyclic precursors in a single step. Two main reactivities of metalo carbenoids derived from a-carbonyl diazo precursors, namely addition to a C - C insaturation (olefin or alkyne) and formation of a ylid (carbonyl or onium), have been the source of fruitful cascades. Both of these are illustrated in Scheme 27 [52]. The two diazo ketone functions present in the same substrate 57 and under the action of the same catalyst react in two distinct ways. The initially formed carbenoid adds to a pending olefin to form a bi-cyclop. 1.0] intermediate 58 that subsequently cyclizes to produce a carbonyl ylide 59, that is further trapped intramolecularly in a [3 + 2] cycloaddition. The overall process gives birth to a highly complex pentacyclic structure 60. 

This cycloaddition methodology utilizing N-lithiated azomethine ylides has some advantages. (1) The ylides can be generated in situ concurrently with or prior to cycloaddition. (2) The ylides are highly reactive toward a number of carbonyl-activated olefins. (3) Wide structural modification of ylides is possible. (4) The cycloadditions are perfectly diastereoselective. (5) No demetallation procedure is necessary. (6) No critical epimerization occurs even in the reactions of cyano-stabilized ylides 144. 

Padwa subsequently described some intramolecular versions of this reaction. A structurally similar aryl ester, 55, a tethered to a terminal olefin was subjected to rhodium-catalyzed diazo decomposition. Carbonyl ylide formation followed by intramolecular cycloaddition resulted in tricyclic product 56 a, Eq. 39 [66 - 69]. Cycloaddition also occurred with the amide analogue 55 b. 

The initial step of olefin formation is a nucleophilic addition of the negatively polarized ylide carbon center (see the resonance structure 1 above) to the carbonyl carbon center of an aldehyde or ketone. A betain 8 is thus formed, which can cyclize to give the oxaphosphetane 9 as an intermediate. The latter decomposes to yield a trisubstituted phosphine oxide 4—e.g. triphenylphosphine oxide (with R = Ph) and an alkene 3. The driving force for that reaction is the formation of the strong double bond between phosphorus and oxygen ... 

Olefination Reactions Involving Phosphonium Ylides. The synthetic potential of phosphonium ylides was developed initially by G. Wittig and his associates at the University of Heidelberg. The reaction of a phosphonium ylide with an aldehyde or ketone introduces a carbon-carbon double bond in place of the carbonyl bond. The mechanism originally proposed involves an addition of the nucleophilic ylide carbon to the carbonyl group to form a dipolar intermediate (a betaine), followed by elimination of a phosphine oxide. The elimination is presumed to occur after formation of a four-membered oxaphosphetane intermediate. An alternative mechanism proposes direct formation of the oxaphosphetane by a cycloaddition reaction.236 There have been several computational studies that find the oxaphosphetane structure to be an intermediate.237 Oxaphosphetane intermediates have been observed by NMR studies at low temperature.238 Betaine intermediates have been observed only under special conditions that retard the cyclization and elimination steps.239... 

The Wittig reaction is a C,C-forming olefin synthesis from phosphonium ylides and carbonyl compounds (see also Section 4.7.4). In more than 99% of all Wittig reactions, ylides of the structure Ph3P+—CH-—X (i.e., triphenylphosphonium ylides) are used. Therein, X usually stands for H, alkyl, aryl, or C02-alkyl and seldom for other substituents. 

Facile reaction of electron-deficient olefins (dipolarophiles) such as rra/i5-dibenzoylethylene, dimethyl fumarate, furanonitrile, methyl vinyl ketone, ethyl crotonate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, and dimethyl maleate with a mesoionic compound containing a masked thiocarbonyl ylide skeleton gives stable 1 1 cycloadducts. The structure of the cycloadduct was established by its carbonyl absorption in IR spectra and the molecular ion peak [M]. The stereochemistry of the cycloadducts was, however, secured by NMR spectra (74JOC3631) (Scheme 100). 

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