P enolate

An interesting organometallic reaction is the Heck Arylation (Eqn. 1) (ref. 5), which is commonly run using a Pd(OAc>2 catalyst. This reaction is used to prepare aryl enol ethers which can be valuable synthetic intermediates in that they can be hydrolyzed to aldehydes or ketones, species which can be useful themselves or as intermediates in further reactions. The influence of reaction parameters on the rate and selectivity of this reaction was reported in a series of papers (refs. 2, 3). In these a brief mention in some tables was made that Pd/C was able to catalyze this reaction but no discussion of the use of this catalyst was included. We have found, though, that this reaction is readily promoted over dispersed Pd catalysts. When run with Pd(OAc)2 as the catalyst, the Heck reaction gives as the primary products the E (1) and Z (2) aryl P enol ethers in about a 2 1 ratio. The a isomer, 3, and ester, 4, are also produced but in much smaller amounts. When the reaction is run over Pd/A Oj, the same products are obtained but the P enol ethers 1 and 2 are produced in nearly a 3 1 ratio. Table 1 lists the product compositions of these reactions. 

Fischer, P, Enol ethers — structure, synthesis and reactions, Chem Ethers, Crown Ethers, Hydroxyl Groups Sulphur Analogues, 2, 761-820, 1980. 

Fig. 3. The flow of carbon in sucrose production from fatty acid, showing the disposition of individual carbon atoms in intermediates and the final products CO and sucrose. PEP, P-enol-pyruvate.

Control of stereoselectivity and double diastereodifferentiation was further investigated using resin-bound p-enolate 4 and both enantiomers of chiral aldehyde 8. After a sequence of aldol reaction as described previously, alcohol protection, and DDQ-mediated spiroketalization, reactions with aldehyde 8a(25) provided pure single diastereoisomer of the spiroketal 9. However, the reaction of 4 with aldehyde 8b(2l ) yielded 10 as the major diastereomer along with minor inseparable isomers (Scheme 7.2). Thus, although in both aldol reactions of the chiral enolate 4 with the enantiomeric aldehydes 8a and 8b the anti-aldol adduct is formed as the major product, the combination of 4 and 8a represents the matched case and the combination of 4 and 8b the mismatched case. 

Unlike glycolysis, which occurs strictly in the cell cytosol, gluconeogen-esis involves a complex interaction between the mitochondrion and the cytosol. This interaction is necessitated by the irreversibility of the pyruvate kinase reaction, by the relative impermeability of the inner mitochondrial membrane to oxaloacetate, and by the specific mitochondrial location of pyruvate carboxylase. Compartmentation within the cell has led to the distribution of a number of enzymes (aspartate and alanine aminotransferases, and NAD -malate dehydrogenase) in both the mitochondria and the cytosol. In the classical situation represented by the rat, mouse, or hamster hepatocyte, the indirect "translocation" of oxaloacetate—the product of the pyruvate carboxylase reaction—into the cytosol is effected by the concerted action of these enzymes. Within the mitochondria oxaloacetate is converted either to malate or aspartate, or both. Following the exit of these metabolites from the mitochondria, oxaloacetate is regenerated by essentially similar reactions in the cytosol and is subsequently decarboxylated to P-enolpyruvate by P-enol-pyruvate carboxykinase. Thus the presence of a membrane barrier to oxaloacetate leads to the functioning of the malate-aspartate shuttle as an important element in gluconeogenesis. 

M.p. 190-192 C. The enolic form of 3-oxo-L-gulofuranolactone. It can be prepared by synthesis from glucose, or extracted from plant sources such as rose hips, blackcurrants or citrus fruits. Easily oxidized. It is essential for the formation of collagen and intercellular material, bone and teeth, and for the healing of wounds. It is used in the treatment of scurvy. Man is one of the few mammals unable to manufacture ascorbic acid in his liver. Used as a photographic developing agent in alkaline solution. 

A mixture of an acid anhydride and a ketone is saturated with boron trifluoride this is followed by treatment with aqueous sodium acetate. The quantity of boron trifluoride absorbed usually amounts to 100 mol per cent, (based on total mola of ketone and anhydride). Catalytic amounts of the reagent do not give satisfactory results. This is in line with the observation that the p diketone is produced in the reaction mixture as the boron difluoride complex, some of which have been isolated. A reasonable mechanism of the reaction postulates the conversion of the anhydride into a carbonium ion, such as (I) the ketone into an enol type of complex, such as (II) followed by condensation of (I) and (II) to yield the boron difluoride complex of the p diketone (III) ... 

Suggestions as to the methods for identifying the above classes of compounds will be found under Class Reactiona in Section XI,7. Some fimther remarks upon enolic compounds (see Table IV,1I4A) may be made here. Enols may be divided into (a) p-keto esters and (b) 1 3-diketones. With 5 per cent, sodium hydroxide solution, a p-keto ester yields the salt of the corresponding acid, which when heated with dilute hydrochloric acid is decarboxylated to a ketone ... 

Silyl enol ether formation with RsSiCl-p EtsN gives thermodyanamic silyl enol ether... 

In the case of hindered enolates, the equillibrium favors reactants. Mg2+ and Zn2+ counterions will stabilize the intermediate p-alkoxycarbonyl and push the equillibrium towards products. (jAC.S 1973, 9.5,3310)... 

So far in this section we have combined enolate anions with other carbonyl compounds by direct attack at the carbonyl group. We can expand the scope of this reaction by using a,p-unsaturated carbonyl compounds as the electrophiles. This is the Michael reaction. Remind yourself of tliis by writing out the mechanism of a Michael reaction such as ... 

The trick is to make the enol - the stable enol of the p-keto ester ... 

The formation of the above anions ("enolate type) depend on equilibria between the carbon compounds, the base, and the solvent. To ensure a substantial concentration of the anionic synthons in solution the pA" of both the conjugated acid of the base and of the solvent must be higher than the pAT -value of the carbon compound. Alkali hydroxides in water (p/T, 16), alkoxides in the corresponding alcohols (pAT, 20), sodium amide in liquid ammonia (pATj 35), dimsyl sodium in dimethyl sulfoxide (pAT, = 35), sodium hydride, lithium amides, or lithium alkyls in ether or hydrocarbon solvents (pAT, > 40) are common combinations used in synthesis. Sometimes the bases (e.g. methoxides, amides, lithium alkyls) react as nucleophiles, in other words they do not abstract a proton, but their anion undergoes addition and substitution reactions with the carbon compound. If such is the case, sterically hindered bases are employed. A few examples are given below (H.O. House, 1972 I. Kuwajima, 1976). 

Ketones, in which one alkyl group R is sterically demanding, only give the trans-enolate on deprotonation with LDA at —12°C (W.A. Kleschick, 1977, see p. 60f.). Ketones also enolize regioseiectively towards the less substituted carbon, and stereoselectively to the trans-enolate, if the enolates are formed by a bulky base and trapped with dialkyl boron triflates, R2BOSO2CF3, at low temperatures (D A. Evans, 1979). Both types of trans-enolates can be applied in stereoselective aldol reactions (see p. 60f.). 

We begin with the discussion of intramolecular reactions. An example of a regioselec-tive Dieckmann condensation (J.P. Schaefer, 1967) used an educt with two ester groups, of which only one could form an enolate. Regioselectivity was dictated by the structure of the educt. 

Stereoselectivities of 99% are also obtained by Mukaiyama type aldol reactions (cf. p. 58) of the titanium enolate of Masamune s chired a-silyloxy ketone with aldehydes. An excess of titanium reagent (s 2 mol) must be used to prevent interference by the lithium salt formed, when the titanium enolate is generated via the lithium enolate (C. Siegel, 1989). The mechanism and the stereochemistry are the same as with the boron enolate. 

Methylsulfinyl enolates are more recently developed d -reagents. They are readily prepared from carboxylic esters and dimsyl anion. Methanesulfenic acid can be eliminated thermally after the condensation has taken place. An example is found in Bartlett s Brefeldin synthesis (P.A. Bartlett. 1978). 

If a Michael reaction uses an unsymmetrical ketone with two CH-groups of similar acidity, the enol or enolate is first prepared in pure form (p. llff.). To avoid equilibration one has to work at low temperatures. The reaction may then become slow, and it is advisable to further activate the carbon-carbon double bond. This may be achieved by the introduction of an extra electron-withdrawing silyl substituent at C-2 of an a -synthon. Treatment of the Michael adduct with base removes the silicon, and may lead as well to an aldol addition (G. Stork, 1973, 1974 B R.K. Boeckman, Jr., 1974). 

The hydrogenolyaia of cyclopropane rings (C—C bond cleavage) has been described on p, 105. In syntheses of complex molecules reductive cleavage of alcohols, epoxides, and enol ethers of 5-keto esters are the most important examples, and some selectivity rules will be given. Primary alcohols are converted into tosylates much faster than secondary alcohols. The tosylate group is substituted by hydrogen upon treatment with LiAlH (W. Zorbach, 1961). Epoxides are also easily opened by LiAlH. The hydride ion attacks the less hindered carbon atom of the epoxide (H.B. Henhest, 1956). The reduction of sterically hindered enol ethers of 9-keto esters with lithium in ammonia leads to the a,/S-unsaturated ester and subsequently to the saturated ester in reasonable yields (R.M. Coates, 1970). Tributyltin hydride reduces halides to hydrocarbons stereoselectively in a free-radical chain reaction (L.W. Menapace, 1964) and reacts only slowly with C 0 and C—C double bonds (W.T. Brady, 1970 H.G. Kuivila, 1968). 

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