Organic synthesis, aldol reactions

Aldol reactions are one of the most important carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions in organic synthesis. These reactions are generally activated by base... 

The overall process is the addition of a CH-acidic compound to the carbon-carbon double bond of an o ,/3-unsaturated carbonyl compound. The Michael reaction is of particular importance in organic synthesis for the construction of the carbon skeleton. The above CH-acidic compounds usually do not add to ordinary carbon-carbon double bonds. Another and even more versatile method for carbon-carbon bond formation that employs enolates as reactive species is the aldol reaction. 

During 1989-93 lithium perchlorate iethyl ether (LiC104 EtiO, LP-DE) was studied as a reaction medium in organic synthesis when it was observed that cycloadditions, sigmatropic rearrangements, Michael additions and aldol condensations carried out in LP-DE occurred quickly and selectively under mild reaction conditions [33]. In addition, LP-DE allowed the reaction and subsequent work-up to be carried out under essentially neutral conditions. 

As expected, some sequences also occur where a domino anionic/pericyclic process is followed by another bond-forming reaction. An example of this is an anionic/per-icyclic/anionic sequence such as the domino iminium ion formation/aza-Cope/ imino aldol (Mannich) process, which has often been used in organic synthesis, especially to construct the pyrrolidine framework. The group of Brummond [450] has recently used this approach to synthesize the core structure 2-885 of the immunosuppressant FR 901483 (2-886) [451] (Scheme 2.197). The process is most likely initiated by the acid-catalyzed formation of the iminium ion 2-882. There follows an aza-Cope rearrangement to produce 2-883, which cyclizes under formation of the aldehyde 2-884. As this compound is rather unstable, it was transformed into the stable acetal 2-885. The proposed intermediate 2-880 is quite unusual as it does not obey Bredf s rule. Recently, this approach was used successfully for a formal total synthesis of FR 901483 2-886 [452]. 

The nitro-aldol reaction between nitroalkanes and carbonyl compounds to yield [3-nitro alcohols was discovered in 1895 by Henry.1 Since then, this reaction has been used extensively in many important syntheses. In view of its significance, there are several reviews on the Henry reaction.2-5 These reviews cover synthesis of (3-nitro alcohols and their applications in organic synthesis. The most comprehensive review is Ref. 3, which summarizes the literature before 1970. More recent reviews are Refs. 4 and 5, which summarize literatures on the Henry reaction published until 1990. 

Nitroacetaldehyde diethyl acetal is prepared by the reaction of nitromethane with triethyl orthoformate in the presence of ZnCl2 (Eq. 5.8).17 Jager and coworkers have used this reagent for the synthesis of amino sugars via nitro-aldol reaction.18 Preparation of this useful reagent is now described in volume 74 of Organic Synthesis.19... 

The conversion of primary or secondary nitro compounds into aldehydes or ketones is normally accomplished by use of the Nef reaction, which is one of the most important transformations of nitro compounds. Various methods have been introduced forthis transformation (1) treatment of nitronates with acid, (2) oxidation of nitronates, and (3) reduction of nitroalkenes. Although a comprehensive review is available,3 important procedures and improved methods published after this review are presented in this chapter. The Nef reaction after the nitro-aldol (Henry reaction), Michael addition, or Diels-Alder reaction using nitroalkanes or nitroalkenes has been used extensively in organic synthesis of various substrates, including complicated natural products. Some of them are presented in this chapter other examples are presented in the chapters discussing the Henry reaction (Chapter 3), Michael addition (Chapter 4), and Diels-Alder reaction (Chapter 8). 

Acyclic stereocontrol has been a striking concern in modern organic chemistry, and a number of useful methods have been developed for stereoregulated synthesis of conformationally nonrigid complex molecules such as macrolide and polyether antibiotics. Special attention has therefore been paid to the aldol reaction because it constitutes one of the fundamental bond constructions in biosynthesis. 

This chapter has introduced the aldol and related allylation reactions of carbonyl compounds, the allylation of imine compounds, and Mannich-type reactions. Double asymmetric synthesis creates two chiral centers in one step and is regarded as one of the most efficient synthetic strategies in organic synthesis. The aldol and related reactions discussed in this chapter are very important reactions in organic synthesis because the reaction products constitute the backbone of many important antibiotics, anticancer drugs, and other bioactive molecules. Indeed, study of the aldol reaction is still actively pursued in order to improve reaction conditions, enhance stereoselectivity, and widen the scope of applicability of this type of reaction. 

The aldol reaction is of fundamental importance in organic chemistry and has been used as a key reaction in the synthesis of many complex natural products. There are biocatalysts for this reaction (aldolases) and one (rabbit muscle... 

These enolates are important in organic synthesis in providing a source of nucleophilic enol for use in aldol and related reactions, and this is covered in Volume 9. 

The aldol reaction is probably one of the most important reactions in organic synthesis. In many industrially important hydroformylation processes selfcondensation of aldehydes is observed. Sometimes this consecutive reaction is favored as in the production of 2-ethyl hexanol. But synthetic applications of tandem hydroformylation/aldol reactions seem to be limited due regiose-lectivity problems of a mixed aldol reaction (Scheme 28). However, various tandem hydroformylation/intramolecular mixed aldol reactions have been described. 

Circulation flow system, measurement of reaction rate, 28 175-178 Clausius-Clapeyron equation, 38 171 Clay see also specific types color tests, 27 101 compensation behavior, 26 304-307 minerals, ship-in-bottle synthesis, metal clusters, 38 368-379 organic syntheses on, 38 264-279 active sites on montmorillonite for aldol reaction, 38 268-269 aldol condensation of enolsilanes with aldehydes and acetals, 38 265-273 Al-Mont acid strength, 38 270-271, 273 comparison of catalysis between Al-Mont and trifluorometfaanesulfonic acid, 38 269-270... 

Aldolase catalyses both aldol and reverse aldol reactions according to an organism s needs. In glycolysis, the substrate fmctose 1,6-diphosphate is cleaved by a reverse aldol reaction to provide one molecule of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and one molecule of dihydroxyacetone phosphate. In carbohydrate synthesis, these two compounds can be coupled in an aldol reaction to produce fmctose 1,6-diphosphate. 

The aldol reaction is one of the most fundamental and useful synthetic methods in organic synthesis and boron enolates are known (18) to be the most efficient intermediates in view of their mild reaction conditions and high stereoselectivity. Recently, stannous enolates... 

Lewis acids are quite often used as catalysts in organic synthesis. Although most Lewis acids decompose in water, it was found that rare earth triflates such as Sc(OTf)3, Yb(OTf)3, etc. can be used as Lewis acid catalysts in water or water-containing solvents (water-compatible Lewis acids) [6-9]. For example, the Mukaiyama aldol reactions of aldehydes with silyl enol ethers were catalyzed by Yb(OTf)3 in water-THF (1 4) to give the corresponding aldol adducts in high yields [10, 11]. Interestingly, when the reactions were carried out in dry THF (without water), the yield of the aldol adducts was very low (ca. 10%). Thus, this catalyst is not only compatible with water but also is activated by water, probably due to dissociation of the counteranions from the Lewis acidic metal. Furthermore, the catalyst can be easily recovered and reused. 

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