Oxonium ylides formation

Intramolecular oxonium ylide formation is assumed to initialize the copper-catalyzed transformation of a, (3-epoxy diazomethyl ketones 341 to olefins 342 in the presence of an alcohol 333 . The reaction may be described as an intramolecular oxygen transfer from the epoxide ring to the carbenoid carbon atom, yielding a p,y-unsaturated a-ketoaldehyde which is then acetalized. A detailed reaction mechanism has been proposed. In some cases, the oxonium-ylide pathway gives rise to additional products when the reaction is catalyzed by copper powder. If, on the other hand, diazoketones of type 341 are heated in the presence of olefins (e.g. styrene, cyclohexene, cyclopen-tene, but not isopropenyl acetate or 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene) and palladium(II) acetate, intermolecular cyclopropanation rather than oxonium ylide derived chemistry takes place 334 ). 

The intramolecular addition of acylcarbene complexes to alkynes is a general method for the generation of electrophilic vinylcarbene complexes. These reactive intermediates can undergo inter- or intramolecular cyclopropanation reactions [1066 -1068], C-H bond insertions [1061,1068-1070], sulfonium and oxonium ylide formation [1071], carbonyl ylide formation [1067,1069,1071], carbene dimerization [1066], and other reactions characteristic of electrophilic carbene complexes. 

Several examples have been reported for furanone formation by intramolecular C-H insertion of electrophilic carbene complexes [1006,1148] (Table 4.7). Yields can, however, be low with some substrates, possibly as a result of several potential side-reactions. Oxonium ylide formation and hydride abstraction, in particular, [1090,1149-1152] (see Section 4.2.9) seem to compete efficiently with the formation of some types of furanones. 

If chiral catalysts are used to generate the intermediate oxonium ylides, non-racemic C-O bond insertion products can be obtained [1265,1266]. Reactions of electrophilic carbene complexes with ethers can also lead to the formation of radical-derived products [1135,1259], an observation consistent with a homolysis-recombination mechanism for 1,2-alkyl shifts. Carbene C-H insertion and hydride abstraction can efficiently compete with oxonium ylide formation. Unlike free car-benes [1267,1268] acceptor-substituted carbene complexes react intermolecularly with aliphatic ethers, mainly yielding products resulting from C-H insertion into the oxygen-bound methylene groups [1071,1093]. 

Experimental Procedure 4.2.6. Oxonium Ylide Formation and 2,3-Sigmatropic Rearrangement Ethyl 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-pentenoate [1264]... 

Fig. 4.12. Synthesis of non-racemic griseofulvin based on intramolecular oxonium ylide formation [1262],...

Desymmetrization strategy in enantioselective oxonium ylide formation/[l,2]-shift reaction has been reported by Doyle and co-workers.With dirhodium(ii) tetrakis[methyl l-(3-phenylpropanoyl)-2-oxoimidazolidine-4(3 )-carboxylate] [Rh2(43 -MPPIM)4] as the catalyst, up to 88% ee is obtained (Equation (7)). 

Besides [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement and [l,2]-shift reactions, the oxonium ylide may undergo other reactions. The oxonium ylide intermediate can be trapped by a protic nucleophile. Oku and co-workers have developed a method for ring expansion of cyclic ethers through oxonium ylide formation. Bicyclic oxonium ylide... 

The dirhodium tetrakisbinaphthol phosphate (141) and (142) catalysts provided some of the best levels of asymmetric induction in oxonium ylide formation -[3.2] sigmatropic rearrangement reported to date (Scheme 36). ... 

Domino Reaction Initiated by Oxonium Ylide Formation... 

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