Organolithium reagents reactions with acetals

Unsaturated valerolactones (109) can be prepared in good yield from a-(n-butylthiomethylene)cyclohexanones by reaction with acetate enolates, followed by desulphurization and addition of an organolithium reagent (Scheme 22). ... 

The reaction of butyllithium with 1-naphthaldehyde cyclohexylimine in the presence of (/C )-l,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diol dimethyl ether in toluene at —78 °C, followed by treatment with acetate buffer, gave 2-butyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene-l-carbaldehyde, which was then reduced with sodium borohydride in methanol to afford (1 R,2.S)-2-butyl-1 -hydroxymcthyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene in 80% overall yield with 91 % ee83. Similarly, the enantioselective conjugate addition of organolithium reagents to several a,/J-unsaturated aldimines took place in the presence of C2-symmetric chiral diethers, such as (/, / )-1,2-butanediol dimethyl ether and (/, / )- ,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diol dimethyl ether. 

The (dienyl)iron cations of type (248) and (265) are susceptible to reaction with nucleophiles. For the (cyclohexadienyl)iron cations, nucleophilic attack always occurs at a terminal carbon, on the face of the ligand opposite to the metal, to afford / -cyclohexadiene products. Typical nucleophiles used are malonate anions, amines, electron-rich aromatics, silyl ketene acetals, enamines, hydrides, and aUyl silanes intramolecular nucleophilic addition is also possible. The addition of highly basic organometaUic nucleophiles (Grignard reagents, organolithiums) is often problematic this may be overcome by replacing one of the iron carbonyl... 

Enolizable A -trimethylsilylaldimines can be generated in situ by the addition of organolithium reagents to bis(trimethylsilyl)formamide. These undergo addition reactions with enolates to form 3-lactams. Phosphonium salts used in catalytic amounts promote the reaction between aryl aldimines and silylketene acetals to form 3-amino esters. Mannich bases with N-2-hydroxyethyl-N-methyl substitution are prepared by the reaction of the iminium salt synthon, 3-methyl-1,3-oxazolidine, with enol silanes in the presence of chloromethylsilanes. ... 

The cyclic vinyl ether 2,3-dihydro-1,4-dioxin is converted into its cyclic hemiacetal hydration product, tetrahydro-2-hydroxy-1,4-dioxin, in aqueous solution by an acid-catalyzed reaction <870K2746, 89JP043). Treatment of an alcohol with excess of 2,3-dihydro-1,4-dioxin at room temperature in the presence of copper(II) bromide in tetrahydrofuran leads to the corresponding acetal. This new protective group for alcohols, which is stable towards lithium aluminum hydride and organolithium reagents, can be removed by treatment with acidified aqueous methanol <85S806>. 

Enoxysilacyclobutanes. These compounds can be prepared by Wurtz coupling of 3-chloropropyltrichlorosiIane with Mg in ether. Introduction of one alkyl group is accomplished by reaction with an organolithium reagent, and the silyl chloride can then be used for the formation of silyl enol ethers. Such 0-silyl ketene acetals are extremely reactive in aldol condensations with aldehydes without catalysts. The reaction is syn-selective. An asymmetric version uses silyl ketene acetals bearing a chiral Si-alkoxy (e.g., 8-phenylmenthoxy) group instead of an alkyl substituent. 

The Corey-Winter reaction proceeds with complete stereospecificity by a syn elimination pathway, allowing the stereospecific synthesis of alkenes. Thus, anti-1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diol was converted into cis -stilbene (2.45), whereas the corresponding syn-diol gave irans -stilbene. The strained fi-cyclooctene was prepared from the Z-isomer using this procedure (2.46). An alternative stereospecific route to alkenes proceeds from the diol with ethyl orthoformate or WA(-dimethylformanude dimethyl acetal, or by conversion of the diol to a 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolane and treatment with an organolithium reagent to promote proton abstraction at C-2 and... 

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