Peterson alkenation reactions with alkenes

This section deals with reactions that correspond to Pathway C, defined earlier (p. 64), that lead to formation of alkenes. The reactions discussed include those of phosphorus-stabilized nucleophiles (Wittig and related reactions), a a-silyl (Peterson reaction) and a-sulfonyl (Julia olefination) with aldehydes and ketones. These important rections can be used to convert a carbonyl group to an alkene by reaction with a carbon nucleophile. In each case, the addition step is followed by an elimination. 

Nucleophilic substitution of a,/3-epoxysilanes followed by the Peterson elimination is valuable for the stereoselective synthesis of alkenes.3 The reactions with lithium phenylsulfide and diphenylphosphide form alkenyl sulfides and alkenylphosphines, respectively, in a stereospecific manner. 7-Metallo-a,/ -epoxysilanes are isomerized to a-siloxyallylmetals by anionic ring opening and subsequent Brook rearrangement (Equation... 

The acid or base elimination of a diastereoisomerically pure p-hydroxysilane, 1, (the Peterson olefination reaction4) provides one of the very best methods for the stereoselective formation of alkenes. Either the E- or Z-isomer may be prepared with excellent geometric selectivity from a single precursor (Scheme 1). The widespread use of the Peterson olefination reaction in synthesis has been limited, however, by the fact that there are few experimentally simple methods available for the formation of diastereoisomerically pure p-hydroxysilanes.56 One reliable route is the Cram controlled addition of nucleophiles to a-silyl ketones,6 but such an approach is complicated by difficulties in the preparation of (a-silylalkyl)lithium species or the corresponding Grignard reagents. These difficulties have been resolved by the development of a simple method for the preparation and reductive acylation of (a-chloroalkyl)silanes.7... 

Synthesis and Reaction Chemistry of a,p-Unsaturated Acyl Complexes Derived from (2). Two methods for the preparation of optically active ( )- and (Z)-a,p-unsaturated iron acyls from (2) have been reported." One method involves aldol condensation of (2) with aldehydes followed by 0-methylation to produce diastereomeric acyls (18). This mixture (18) is then treated with Sodium Hydride to produce predominantly ( )-a,p-unsaturated acyl complexes (19) (eq 13). Alternatively, (2) can be depro-tonated and treated with Chlorotrimethylsilane to produce the C-silylated complex which is subsequently deprotonated and treated with an aldehyde. This Peterson alkenation produced mixtures... 

A series of molybdenum alkylidene complexes react with aldehydes, and in some cases ketones, to give the product of methylenation (equation 33). Some of the examples appear to involve an alkylidene, while others may follow an addition-elimination route typical of the Peterson alkenations. Probably the most interesting aspect of this work is the observation that some of the methylenation reactions can be carried out in aqueous or ethanolic media (equation 33). ... 

The first is a Wittig reaction with an unstabilized ylid, the second a Julia reaction, and the last two are Peterson reactions under different conditions. Each reaction is described in detail in the chapter. The Wittig reaction is under kinetic control and is a stereospecifically cis elimination. In this case the product is the Z-alkene. 

Anions of a-silyl phosphonates of type (153) also undergo additions to carbonyl compounds. The corresponding addition products, 3-silyl alkoxides, can react with ketones to yield the product of the Peterson alkenation or the Wittig reaction. In practice only the Peterson product (154) is obtained, indicating that loss of OSiMes is faster than elimination of C PPhs (Scheme 68). 72 If the a-silyl carbanion is adjacent to a chlorine atom (155), an internal displacement reaction follows the initial formation of the -silyl alkoxide, and epoxides (156) are formed (Scheme 69). 74... 

In the case of base-induced elimination, the Peterson alkenation relies on the strong bond formed between silicon and oxygen, and the ready propensity for silicon to be attacked by alkoxide, to drive the reaction. In the original study by Peterson, the -silylcarbinols were prepared by the addition of (trimethylsilyl)methylmagnesium chloride to the carbonyl. The caibinols were subsequently eliminated by treatment with sodium or potassium hydride or with sulfuric acid to form the methylene derivatives in excellent yield. The Peterson reaction has proven to be of general utility in the synthesis of alkenes. ... 

Unlike the Peterson alkenation, which is in principle similar, the phosphine oxide anion addition can be controlled to produce predominantly the erthyro isomer (206). The threo isomer can be obtained by selective reduction of the a-ketophosphine oxide (210), allowing highly stereoselective alkene fonna-tion. Since a two-step sequence is employed, this reaction does not require a stabilizing functionality to be conjugated to the phosphine oxide in order to produce the alkene. In fact, unlike the phosphonate HWE reagents, the reaction of a ketophosphine oxide (211) with a carbonyl derivative does not occur to produce the unsaturated carbonyl (213 Scheme 30). ° The addition step is presumably too rapidly reversible and the elimination of phosphine oxide too slow. 

As mentioned in the previous section, the Peterson reaction proceeds by an irreversible addition of the silyl-substituted carbanion to a carbonyl. It has generally been assumed that an intermediate p-oxidosi-lane is formed and then eliminated. In support of this mechanistic hypothesis, if an anion-stabilizing group is not present in the silyl anion, the p-hydroxysilanes can be isolated fixrm the reaction, and elimination to the alkene carried out in a separate step. Recent studies by Hudrlik indicate that, in analogy to the Wittig reaction, an oxasiletane (304) may be formed directly by simultaneous C—C and Si—O bond formation (Scheme 43). The p-hyd xysilanes were synthesized by addition to the silyl epoxide. When the base-induced elimination was carried out, dramatically different ratios of cis- to rranr-alkenes were obtained than from the direct Peterson alkenation. While conclusions of the mechanism in general await further study, the Peterson alkenation may prove to be more closely allied with the Wittig reaction than with -elimination reactions. 

The use of sulfur in the Peterson reaction can be extended to the optically pure lithio anion of S phe-nyl-S-(trimethylsilyl)tnethylW-tosylsulfoxiniine (330 equation 76). Unlike most Peterson alkenations t reaction is selective for the formation of the ( )-alkene isomer (331) with aldehydes. In addition, the stereochemistry of the sulfoximine is maintained. 

Comparative examples of the Wittig reaction and the Peterson alkenation with ketones (353 equation 82) and (355 equation 83), epoxy ketones (351 equation 81), or protected a-hydroxy ketones (348 equation 80) have tqtpeared. The reactions can proceed with high kinetic control for the (Z)-isomer and, as a result, the Peterson technology may form complementary isomers to the Wittig reaction. ... 

Boeckman and coworkers studied the reaction of bis(thmethylsilyl) ester (361) with aldehydes to form the silyl-substituted unsaturated ester (362 equation 86). The anion was formed with potassium or lithium diisopropylamide. Other metals, such as magnesium or aluminum, were introduce by treating the lithium anion with Lewis acids. The addition step produced a single diastereomer, en ling the effects of counterion and steric bulk on the elimination to be ascertained. Excellent selectivity for the ( )-isomer (362) may be obtained by using K or Li cations and a sterically hindered aldehyde. In studies directed toward the synthesis of substituted pseudomonic acid esters, the Peterson alkenation was utilized to form a mixture of (Z)- and ( )-alkene isomers, one example of which (365) is depicted in equation (87). In this example the conditions were optimized to form the highest degree of selectivity for the (Z)-alkene. 

SIUCON-STABILIZED METHYLENATION THE PETERSON ALKENATION 3.1J.1 Methylenation in Comparison with the Wittig Reaction... 

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