Preparation Reformatsky-type additions

Asymmetric additions of Reformatsky-type reagents to nitrones 258a and 258b have also been reported (Scheme 139). The reagents were prepared in situ from ZnEt2 and the corresponding iodoacetic acid ester. Diisopropyl (R,R)-tartrate 262 was employed as a chiral inductor. Enantioselectivities varied significantly the best results were obtained at 0 °C when a nitrone was added to the reaction mixture over a 2 h period. 

Particularly challenging is the use of chiral ligands in order to impose enan-tiocontrol on a Reformatsky reaction. Although preparatively useful levels of asymmetric induction have been described in the recent literature by using enantiomerically pure amino alcohol ligands43 this reaction has not yet reached a similar level of perfection as the enantioselective addition of other organozinc reagents to aldehydes in the presence of the same type of additives. Some selected examples of stereoselective Reformatsky type reactions which delineate the present state of the art are summarized in Scheme 14.6. 

In 1991, Pattenden exploited the inherent regioselectivity of nucleophilic additions on P-methoxy maleic anhydrides to prepare gomphidic acid (30) by two different routes (Scheme 1.10) [63]. The first one involves an HWE reaction between phosphonate 80 and aryl pyruvate 81 [63b], and the second one is based on a Reformatsky-type reaction of 77 with zinc enolates derived from aryl acetate 79 [63cj. 

Scheme 7.5 gives some examples of the Reformatsky reaction. Zinc enolates prepared from a-haloketones can be used as nucleophiles in mixed aldol condensations (see Section 2.1.3). Entry 7 is an example. This type of reaction can be conducted in the presence of the Lewis acid diethylaluminum chloride, in which case addition occurs at -20° C.171... 

The insight that zinc ester enolates can be prepared prior to the addition of the electrophile has largely expanded the scope of the Reformatsky reaction.1-3 Substrates such as azomethines that quaternize in the presence of a-halo-esters do react without incident under these two-step conditions.23 The same holds true for acyl halides which readily decompose on exposure to zinc dust, but react properly with preformed zinc ester enolates in the presence of catalytic amounts of Pd(0) complexes.24 Alkylations of Reformatsky reagents are usually difficult to achieve and proceed only with the most reactive agents such as methyl iodide or benzyl halides.25 However, zinc ester enolates can be cross-coupled with aryl- and alkenyl halides or -triflates, respectively, in the presence of transition metal catalysts in a Negishi-type reaction.26 Table 14.2 compiles a few selected examples of Reformatsky reactions with electrophiles other than aldehydes or ketones.27... 

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