Other Aldol-type Reactions

In the Mukaiyama cross-aldol reaction, an aldehyde and a ketene silyl acetal [e.g. (43)] react via Lewis acid catalysis to give a jS-silyloxy ester (44). The reaction 

A Mukaiyama-type aldol reaction of silyl ketene thioacetal (48) with an aldehyde with large and small a-substituents (e.g. Ph and Me), catalysed by boron trifluoride etherate, gives mainly the iyn-isomer (49), i.e. Cram selectivity. For the example given, changing R from SiBu Me2 to Si(Pr )3 raises the syn preference considerably, which the authors refer to as the triisopropylsilyl effect. Even when the and R groups are as similar as ethyl and methyl, a syn. anti ratio of 5.4 was achieved using the triisopropylsilyl ketene thioacetal. 

Samarium and other lanthanide iodides have been used to promote a range of Mukaiyama aldol and Michael reactions. The syntheses show promise as enantio-selective transformations, but the precise mechanistic role of the lanthanide has yet to be elucidated. 

A bulky methylaluminium diphenoxide has been used as a co-catalyst with trimethylsilyl triflate to effect diastereoselective Mukaiyama aldols, including cases with less reactive aldehydes, and with ketones.  

Q -Phenylthiomethyl-jS-hydroxy esters (50) can be prepared, predominantly as the iyn-isomer, by a stereoselective one-pot Michael-aldol tandem reaction. The seleno analogue can similarly be prepared (again, mainly syn), using PhSeLi in diethyl ether, but phenoxide ion is not sufficiently reactive for this sequence. 

A diastereoselective titanium-enolate aldol reaction of (.S )-1 -bcnzyloxy-2-mclhyl - (g) pentan-3-one has been reported.151 

The Maitland-Japp synthesis of highly substituted tetrahydropyran-4-ones152a (e.g. 

from pentan-3-one and two benzaldehydes) has been re-explored and generalized (g) into a one-pot diastereoselective preparation.15215 

Proline catalyses an aldol-type addition of acyl cyanides (RCOCN) to acetone to give ft-kclocyanohydri ns (42) sodium hydroxide treatment gives the corresponding 1,3-diketone (43), by elimination of HCN.153 

Palladium enolate chemistry has been exploited to perform a range of catalytic enantioselective reactions on carbonyl substrates, including aldol, Michael, Mannich-type, and a-fluorination.154 

Migration of silyl groups from a- to /3-oxygen in a sodium aldol reaction has been 

A cationic rhodium complex, [(Me5Cp)Rh(j/6-benzene)]2+, catalyses direct aldol condensation of ketones.153 

A DFT study of enolborane addition of o -heteroatom-substituted aldehydes has focused on the relevance of the Cornforth and polar Felkin-Anh (PKA) models for asymmetric induction.154 Using chiral substrates, MeCH(X)CHO, polar (X = F, Cl, (g) OMe) and less polar (X = SMe, NMe2, PMe2) substituents have been examined. The former favour Cornforth TS structures, the latter PKA. TS preferences have been correlated with the relative energy of the corresponding rotamer of the uncomplexed aldehyde. An in-depth study of addition of ( and (Z)-enolborane nucleophiles to 2-methoxypropanal successfully predicts experimentally determined diastereofacial selectivities. 

Direct aldol-type condensations of aldehydes with ethyl diazoacetate to give /S-hydroxy-a-diazocarbonyl compounds, R-CH(0H)-C(=N2)-C02Et, are catalysed by tetrabutylammonium hydroxide.155 

A nickel hydride complex, NiHCl(diphenylphosphinoethane), catalyses the tandem isomerization-aldolization reaction of allylic alcohols with aldehydes.156 The atom- (g) efficient process proceeds at or below ambient temperature with low catalyst loading, and works well even for bulky aldehydes. Magnesium bromide acts as a co-catalyst, and mechanistic investigations suggest that a free enol is formed, which then adds to the aldehyde in a hydroxyl-carbonyl-ene -type reaction. 

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Chromium carbene complexes, 82 Methyl acrylate, 183 (2R,4R)-Pentanediol, 237 Titanium(IV) chloride, 304 Nitroaldols Nitromethane, 199 Intramolecular reactions Methyl acrylate, 183 Other aldol-type reactions Bis(2-pyridinethiolato)tin(II), 40 Alkoxycarbonylation (see Carboalkoxy-lation)... 

Unexpectedly, the trienyl silyl ketene acetal (122) reacts with p-dimethylaminobenzoyl chloride and zinc bromide at the a-position to give the ester (123) as the only isolable product.It is not known at this time whether such a-selectivity is general for other aldol-type reactions of (122) or limited to acylations. ... 

Formaldehyde condenses with itself in an aldol-type reaction to yield lower hydroxy aldehydes, hydroxy ketones, and other hydroxy compounds the reaction is autocatalytic and is favored by alkaline conditions. Condensation with various compounds gives methylol (—CH2OH) and methylene (=CH2) derivatives. The former are usually produced under alkaline or neutral conditions, the latter under acidic conditions or in the vapor phase. In the presence of alkahes, aldehydes and ketones containing a-hydrogen atoms undergo aldol reactions with formaldehyde to form mono- and polymethylol derivatives. Acetaldehyde and 4 moles of formaldehyde give pentaerythritol (PE) ... 

Besides the aldol reaction in the true sense, there are several other analogous reactions, where some enolate species adds to a carbonyl compound. Such reactions are often called aldol-type reactions the term aldol reaction is reserved for the reaction of aldehydes and ketones. 

We have seen many examples of chemical reactions involving enolate anions, and should now realize just how versatile they are in chemical synthesis (see Chapter 10). We have also seen several examples of how equivalent reactions are utilized in nature. For the triose phosphate isomerase mechanism above, we did not actually invoke a distinct enolate anion intermediate in the enolization process, but proposed that there was a smooth flow of electrons. For other reactions, we shall also need to consider whether enolate anions are actually involved, or whether a more favourable alternative exists. The aldol-type reaction... 

Other removal procedures include reaction of the bicyclic lactam 4 with hydride (R6 = H) or an alkyl metal (R6 = alkyl). After hydrolysis of the bicyclic azahemiketal 5, ketoaldehydes or diketones 6 result. These can then be used in intramolecular aldol-type reactions to furnish enantiomerically pure cyclopentenones 7 (n = 1). The same reaction sequence can be used to prepare cyclohexenones (see Table 9)3-6 7l 1 ... 

From the illustrated (S)-valinol imide (175), the derived dibutylboryl enolates undergo condensation with a broad range of aldehydes in greater than 99% asymmetric induction for both newly formed asymmetric centers 180). Evans et al. have shown that the propionyl sidely chain in (175) may be replaced by other alkanoyl substituents without loss of stereoselectivity in the aldol type reaction 180). 

Other chiral magnesium enolates derived from amides are known to react with aldehydes. For example, the aldol-type reaction of magnesium enolate of —)-trans-2-N,N-diethylacetamide-l,3-dithiolanes-5 -oxide with isobutyraldehyde affords a single diastere-omer in 82%. The relative stereochemistry of the adduct originates from a rigid transition state 87 where the oxygen atoms of the enolate and the aldehyde are coordinated to the magnesium atom. ... 

Highly stereoselective aldol reactions of lithium ester enolates (LiCR1 R2CC>2R3) with (/0-2-(/ -tolylsulfiny I (cyclohexanone have been attributed to intermediacy of tricoordinate lithium species which involve the enolate and the sulfinyl and carbonyl oxygens of the substrates.43 The O-metallated /<-hydroxyalkanoatcs formed by aldol-type reaction of carbonyl compounds with enolates derived from esters of alkanoic acids undergo spontaneous intramolecular cyclization to /1-lactones if phenyl rather than alkyl esters are used the reaction has also been found to occur with other activated derivatives of carboxylic acids.44... 

The obviously low electrophilicity of the C=N double bonds of aldimines precludes the addition of the azaenolate to remaining aldimine in the course of aldimine deprotonation. The aldimine enolate is obtained quantitatively and then reacted with the alkylating reagent. This step results cleanly in the desired product, again because of the low electrophilicity of imines as the alkylation progresses, azaenolate and the alkylation product coexist without reacting with each other, no aldol-type reaction, no proton transfer. All the azaenolate is thus converted... 

Some other directing groups which involve the sp2 nitrogen can also function as a directing group in place of the pyridine ring. The reaction of aromatic imines with CO and ethylene in the presence of Ru3(CO)12 did not stop at the carbonylation step, but rather indenone derivatives were the final products and were formed via an intramolecular aldol-type reaction of the expected carbonylation products in situ (Eq. 27) [44]. The treatment of the reaction mixture with silica gel selectively afforded indenones in good yields. 

Although the reduction of a-heteroatom-substituted carbonyl compounds is the most popular method for the generation of Sm(III) enolates, other substrates react with Sml2 to form Sm(III) enolates that undergo aldol-type reactions as part of larger, sequential processes. 

This condensation is essentially an aldol-type reaction of an aldehyde with the methylene group of an anhydride. The sodium salt may be replaced by other basic catalysts such as potassium carbonate oi tertiary amines. If the acid residue in the anhydride is not the same as that in the sodium salt, an equilibrium between these substances may occur before condensation. Thus, a mixture of acetic anhydride and sodium butyrate or a mixture of butyric anhydride and sodium acetate gives cinnamic acid and a-ethylcinnamic acid in the same ratio. ... 

Mukaiyama aldol reactions of various silyl enol ethers or ketene silyl acetals with aldehydes or other electrophiles proceed smoothly in the presence of 2 mol % B(CgF5)3 [151a,c]. The following characteristic features should be noted (i) the products can be isolated as j8-trimethylsilyloxy ketones when crude adducts are worked-up without exposure to acid (ii) this reaction can be conducted in aqueous media, so that the reaction of the silyl enol ether derived from propiophenone with a commercial aqueous solution of formaldehyde does not present any problems (iii) the rate of an aldol reaction is markedly increased by use of an anhydrous solution of B(C6Fs)3 in toluene under an argon atmosphere and (iv) silyl enol ethers can be reacted with chloromethyl methyl ether or trimethylorthoformate hydroxymethyl, methoxy-methyl, or dimethoxymethyl Cl groups can be introduced at the position a to the carbonyl group. These aldol-type reactions do not proceed when triphenylborane is used (Eq. 92). 

Spectacular enantioselection has been observed in hydrogenation (cf. Section 2.2) [3] and hydrometallation of unsaturated compounds (cf. Section 2.6) [4], olefin epoxidation (cf Section 2.4.3) [5] and dihydroxylation (cf Section 3.3.2) [6], hydrovinylation (cf Section 3.3.3) [7], hydroformylation (cf Section 2.1.1) [4a, 8], carbene reactions [9] (cf Section 3.1.10), olefin isomerization (cf Section 3.2.14) [10], olefin oligomerization (cf Section 2.3.1.1) [11], organometallic addition to aldehydes [12], allylic alkylation [13], Grignard coupling reactions [14], aldol-type reactions [15], Diels-Alder reactions [12a, 16], and ene reactions [17], among others. This chapter presents several selected examples of practical significance. 

The Knoevenagel condensation is a base-catalyzed aldol-type reaction, and the exact mechanism depends on the substrates and the type of catalyst used. The first proposal for the mechanism was set forth by A.C.O. Hann and A. Lapworth Hann-Lapworth mechanism) In 1904." When tertiary amines are used as catalysts, the formation of a p-hydroxydlcarbonyl Intermediate is expected, which undergoes dehydration to afford the product. On the other hand, when secondary or primary amines are used as catalyst, the aldehyde and the amine condense to form an Imlnlum salt that then reacts with the enolate. Finally, a 1,2-ellmlnatlon gives rise to the desired a,p-unsaturated dicarbonyl or related compounds. The final product may undergo a Michael addition with the excess enolate to give a bis adduct. 

The Lewis acid-promoted aldol-type reaction of thiomethylsilanes with silyl enolates and subsequent fluoride ion-catalyzed cyclization leads, on the other hand, to tetrahydrothiophenes. In these reactions the thiomethylsilanes serve as thiocarbonyl ylide equivalents. 

Metal cations and other Lewis acids can replace protons as reagents/catalysts for carbonyl addition reactions. Metal cations, for example, are involved in hydride and organometallic addition reactions. Metal cations and Lewis acids are also key reagents in the aldol-type reactions that are considered in Section 7.7. 

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