2-phenylpropanal

Thus cumene [98-82-8] (1-methylethylbenzene, 2-phenylpropane, isopropylbenzene), is a substituted aromatic compound ia the benzene (qv),... 

The addition of methylmagnesium iodide to 2-phenylpropanal is stereoselective in producing twice as much syn-3-phenyl-2-butanol as the anti isomer (entry 5). The stereoselective formation of a particular configuration at a new stereogenic center in a reaction of a chiral reactant is called asymmetric induction. This particular case is one in which the stereochemistry can be predicted on the basis of an empirical correlation called Cram s rule. The structural and mechanistic basis of Cramls rule will be discussed in Chapter 3. 

By treatment of a racemic mixture of an aldehyde or ketone that contains a chiral center—e.g. 2-phenylpropanal 9—with an achiral Grignard reagent, four stereoisomeric products can be obtained the diastereomers 10 and 11 and the respective enantiomer of each. 

Barton and co workers have explored the aryladon of various nucleophiles inclndmg nitroalkanes using bismuth reagents Reacdon of 2-nitropropane v/ith triphenylbismnth carbonate gives 2-nitro-2-phenylpropane in 80% yield Recently, this aryladon has been used for the synthesis of unusual amino acids Aryladon of ct-nitro esters v/ith triphenylbismnth dichloride followed by redncdon gives unique ct-amino acids fEq 5 68 ... 

Since the addition of dialkylzinc reagents to aldehydes can be performed enantioselectively in the presence of a chiral amino alcohol catalyst, such as (-)-(1S,2/ )-Ar,A -dibutylnorephedrine (see Section 1.3.1.7.1.), this reaction is suitable for the kinetic resolution of racemic aldehydes127 and/or the enantioselective synthesis of optically active alcohols with two stereogenic centers starting from racemic aldehydes128 129. Thus, addition of diethylzinc to racemic 2-phenylpropanal in the presence of (-)-(lS,2/ )-Ar,W-dibutylnorephedrine gave a 75 25 mixture of the diastereomeric alcohols syn-4 and anti-4 with 65% ee and 93% ee, respectively, and 60% total yield. In the case of the syn-diastereomer, the (2.S, 3S)-enantiomer predominated, whereas with the twtf-diastereomer, the (2f ,3S)-enantiomer was formed preferentially. 

Addition of 15-crown-5 to the higher-order cuprate led to a reagent that is totally unrcac-tive towards 2-phenylpropanal even at room temperature18. If, however, boron trifluoride-diethyl ether complex was added as additional ingredient, the reactivity was restored and, furthermore, the Cram selectivity increased to 90 10 (Table 4). Analogous results could be obtained by placing the crown-ether effect within the cuprate itself, as in reagent 10. 

An analogous stereochemical outcome was observed when the ethylation of racemic 2-phenyl-propanal was catalyzed by (-)-(/ )-l-(diisopropylamino)-3,3-dimethyl-2-butanol36. The reaction was run to 70% conversion and again the ratio of syn- to anff-diastercomers was 3 1. In this case, however, the 7 -configurated aldehyde was predominantly consumed and both enantiomers of the aldehyde were predominantly alkylated from the Re-side. The optical purity of the unreacted (S)-2-phenylpropanal was 85.7% ee. 

The nucleophilic acylation of 2-phenylpropanal or 3-phenyI-2-butanone with cyano(trimethyl-silyloxy)phenylmethyllithium proceeds with high Cram selectivity6. The primary addition product 7, after silyl migration and loss of lithium cyanide, gives the a-silyloxy ketones 86. 

To 5.4 mmol of LDA, prepared in 25 mL of diethyl ether from diisopropylamine and 2 M butyllithium in hexane, are added 847 mg (5.00 mmol) of 2-(trimethylsilyloxy)-3-pentenenitrile in 10 mL of diethyl ether at — 78 "C. After stirring for 45 min, 671 mg (5.00 mmol) of 2-phenylpropanal, dissolved in 10 mL of diethyl ether are added. After stirring for 2 h at — 78 X, 1.20 g (10.5 mmol) of trifluoroacetie acid are added carefully to the mixture at below —70CC. 15 mL of sat. aq NH4C1 and then diethyl ether are added and the reaction mixture is allowed to reach r.t. The phases are separated and extracted with aq NH,CI and... 

The direct allylation of 2-phenylpropanal proceeds with much lower selectivity [2-propenylmagnesium bromide 73 27 allyltrimethylsilane/titanium(IV) chloride 67 33]27. 

The results for the reaction of (S)-2-phenylpropanal and (Z)-2-butenylboronate may be reconciled with this transition state model if it is assumed that the phenyl substituent is smaller than methyl in the pair of transition states 6 and 7. analogous to 4 and 5. This is possible if the lowest energy transition state is one in which the phenyl group eclipses C(cc)-H, such that a flat, sterically undemanding surface is presented to the incoming (Z)-2-butenylboronate. Similar... 

In its reaction with a twofold excess of racemic 2-phenylpropanal, a moderate Cram selectivity of reagent 8 was found35. 

Modest induced stereoselectivity is observed when 2-phenylpropanal reacts with the lithium enolates derived from acetone, pinacolone, methyl acetate or V.jV-dimethylacetamidc the typical ratio of the syn-janti-adducts is about 3 128-31. 

When the following a-substituted lithium (Zi)-enolate is added to 2-phenylpropanal, simple diastereoselectivity leads exclusively to products with 2,3-induced stereoselectivity is also moderate in this ease, as indicated by the 80 20 ratio of diastereomers (25,3.5,47 )- and (27 ,37 ,47 )- 28. 

Addition of metalated, enantiomerically pure a-sulfinyl dimethylhydrazones (e.g., 9) to racemic a-chiral aldehydes 10 proceeds with good to excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivi-ty12. Diastereomeric ratios increase with increasing steric demand of the acetaldehyde substituent R1 compared to the methyl group, and each diastereomer is obtained with high enantiomeric excess. In the aldol-lype addition to 2-phenylpropanal, one of the four possible stereoisomers is formed selectively. The relative (syn) and absolute (R.R) configuration is in accord with Cram s and related rules as well as H-NMR data of closely related compounds. 

Phenylpropanal 583 reacts with phenylthiotrimethylsilane 584 in the presence of TiCl4, via the 0,S-acetal 585, to give the S,S-acetal 586 [144]. Conducting the reaction in the presence of allyltrimethylsilane 82 and SnCl furnishes the allylic sulfides 587 and 588 in 3 1 ratio and 56% yield [144] (Scheme 5.45). 

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