Proline unsaturated carbonyl compounds

In a series of reports between 1991 and 1997 Yamaguchi showed that rubidium salts of L-proline (9) catalysed the conjugate addition of both nitroalkanes [29, 30] andmalonates [31-33] to prochiral a,p-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in up to 88% ee (Scheme 1). Rationalisation of the selectivities observed involved initial formation of an iminium ion between the secondary amine of the catalyst and the a,p-unsaturated carbonyl substrate. Subsequent deprotonation of the nucleophile by the carboxylate and selective delivery using ion pair... 

As previously noted (Scheme 1), prior to the explosion of interest in iminium ion catalysis as a platform for the activation of a,P-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in 2000, Yamaguchi [29-33] and Taguchi [34] showed that proline derived bi-func-tional catalysts could provide an effective platform for the ion-pair controlled conjugate addition of malonates and nitroalkanes to a, 3-unsaturated ketones with good levels of stereocontrol. 

Cheap and readily available L-proline has been used numerous times for the intermediate and reversible generation of chiral iminium ions from a,/ -unsaturated carbonyl compounds. For example, Yamaguchi et al. reported in 1993 that the rubidium salt of L-proline catalyzes the addition of di-iso-propyl malonate to the acyclic Michael acceptors 40a-c (Scheme 4.13), with enantiomeric excesses as high as 77% [22], With 2-cycloheptenone and 2-cyclohexenone as substrates ca 90% yield and ee of 59% and 49% were obtained. Later the enantioselectivity of this process was increased to a maximum of 88% ee in the addition of di-tert-butyl malonate to the E-pentenone 40a in the presence of 20 mol% Rb-L-prolinate and 20 mol% CsF [23], Taguchi and Kawara employed the L-proline-derived ammonium salts 41a and... 

Analogous additions were later reported by Ito and co-workers (Scheme 9) (20). The enamines for these additions were prepared from the corresponding aminals using a mild base in the presence of trimethylsilyl chloride. In turn, the aminals used are available from (— )-ephedrine and (S)-prolinol. The byproduct amine hydrochloride was removed either by distillation or by precipitation from a benzene solution. Enamines prepared by this method were found to be unreactive toward unsaturated carbonyl compounds in a variety of solvents. Importantly, it was found that use of a mild Lewis acid such as anhydrous MgCl2 or ZnCl2 in THF promoted the reactions. Thus, the addition of enamines 9.1 and 9.2 to methyl acrylate is achieved. Of the two enamines, the proline-derived 9.1 is the more effective auxiliary. The... 

Other examples of Michael additions are the reaction of nitroolefins with acetone on L-proline-modified Mg-Al mixed oxides (51) or with diethyl malonate on metalorganic MCM-41 (52), or the addition of nitromethane to unsaturated carbonyl compounds on KF-modified alumina (53). Furthermore, solid catalysts such as montmorillonite clays and hydroxyapatite have recently been employed for the construction of S—C bonds by /lia-Michael addition of thiols to unsaturated ketones and other carbonyl compounds (54,55). Similarly, aza-Michael additions of amines to alkenes activated by -CN, -COOR, or -COR groups, lead to C—N bond containing products on Amberlyst-15 or polyaniline supported Cul (56,57). 

Scheme 12.7 Asymmetric phase-transfer catalytic conjugate addition of glycine imine esters to o, l-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and its application to the synthesis of functionalized prolines.

Enamine nucleophiles react readily with soft conjugated electrophiles, such as a, 3-unsaturated carbonyl, nitro, and sulfonyl compounds [20-22], Both aldehydes and ketones can be used as donors (Schemes 27 and 28). These Michael-type reactions are highly useful for the construction of carbon skeletons and often the yields are very high. The problem, however, is the enantioselectivity of the process. Unlike the aldol and Mannich reactions, where even simple proline catalyst can effectively direct the addition to the C = O or C = N bond by its carboxylic acid moiety, in conjugate additions the charge develops further away from the catalyst (Scheme 26) ... 

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