Related reagents aldol reaction

Aldol addition and related reactions of enolates and enolate equivalents are the subject of the first part of Chapter 2. These reactions provide powerful methods for controlling the stereochemistry in reactions that form hydroxyl- and methyl-substituted structures, such as those found in many antibiotics. We will see how the choice of the nucleophile, the other reagents (such as Lewis acids), and adjustment of reaction conditions can be used to control stereochemistry. We discuss the role of open, cyclic, and chelated transition structures in determining stereochemistry, and will also see how chiral auxiliaries and chiral catalysts can control the enantiose-lectivity of these reactions. Intramolecular aldol reactions, including the Robinson annulation are discussed. Other reactions included in Chapter 2 include Mannich, carbon acylation, and olefination reactions. The reactivity of other carbon nucleophiles including phosphonium ylides, phosphonate carbanions, sulfone anions, sulfonium ylides, and sulfoxonium ylides are also considered. 

An example of the Knorr pyrrole synthesis is provided by the formation of 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-2,4-dimethylpyrrole (55). Overall ring construction in this case may be related to (46) above. A retrosynthetic analysis involving disconnection of the N—C2 bond, appropriate prototropic shifts, and finally a retro-aldol reaction to effect disconnection of the C3—C4 bond, reveals ethyl acetoacetate and ethyl a-aminoacetoacetate (ethyl 2-amino-3-oxo-butanoate) (56) as reagents. An FGI transform on this latter compound generates the corresponding nitroso (oximino) compound which may also be derived from ethyl acetoacetate. 

Enantioselective aldol reactions.3 4 A related borane reagent, (R,R)-4, prepared by reaction of BBr3 with the N,N-bistosylsulfonamide of (R,R)-1, can effect highly enantioselective aldol reactions of ketones with aldehydes. Thus reaction of... 

The stereochemical course of the aldol reaction can be controlled by the judicious selection of the enolization reagents. Treatment of propionate esters with <7-Hex2BOTf and triethylamine produced anti-aldol products, and that of with Bu2BOTf and diisopropylethylamine selectively gave syn-aldol products after reaction with aldehydes (Equation (180)).684 685 Complementary anti- and yy/z-selective asymmetric aldol reactions were also demonstrated in structurally related chiral norephedrine-derived propionate esters (Equation (181)).686... 

A convenient procedure for the reduction of small amounts of ketones involves the periodic addition of small pieces of sodium to a slowly stirred mixture of an ethereal or benzene solution of the ketone and water or a concentrated solution of sodium carbonate. Sodium and alcohol are used for the conversion of methyl n-amyl ketone to 2-heptanol (65%). These reagents are used to prepare secondary alcohols from olefinic ketones obtained by the aldol condensation. Benzophenone and related compounds are reduced by zinc dust and sodium hydroxide, magnesium and methanol, and sodium amalgam. With the last reagent the reaction has been shown to take place through the intermediate sodium ketyl, (C,H,)jCONa. 

In a related manner, -keto imide 25 also functions as a versatile dipropionate reagent with three different stereoselective aldol reactions being reported by the Evans group (Scheme 9-9). Both syn aldol isomers, 26 and 27, are available from either the titanium or tin(II) enolates [14] and the anti adduct 28 can be accessed using the dicyclohexyl boron enolate [15], While a chiral auxiliary is present, it is the ketone a-stereocenter that controls the r-facial selectivity in these aldol reactions. 

The related lactate-derived ketones, 44 [27] and 45 [29], are useful auxiliaries for boron- and titanium-mediated syn aldol reactions, respectively (Scheme 9-14). The effect of the protecting group in both cases is notable. For ketone 44, the use of the boron chloride reagent unexpectedly afforded the syn adduct with good control... 

We have already collected some powerful tools for use in stereocontrolled aldol reactions, but we have not finished. We shall see now in Paterson s synthesis of (+)-discodermolide, how reagent control is used not to enhance the intrinsic substrate selectivity, but to overturn it. The aldol reaction is undoubtedly one of the most powerful ways of making carbon-carbon bonds and nature thinks so too. There are numerous natural products that are replete with 1,3 related oxygen functionality. Many of these are acetate or propionate-derived in nature. The methods detailed above developed from studies into the syntheses of these natural products. The manipulations of chiral ethyl ketones of this kind are of particular interest when it comes to natural products that are polypropionate-derived. 

Ketone (27) and reagents related to it have been used in synthesis. In equation (50) is shown an application of the magnesium enolate in Still s synthesis of monensin the facial selectivity in this case is 5 1 and the reaction proceeds in 85% yield. The lithium enolate of (27) has been employed in a synthesis of the C-l.C-7 segment of eiythronolide A (equation 51) the facial selectivity in this case is 6 1. Ketone (31) was used in a synthesis of the basic nucleus of crassin acetate (equation 52). The aldol reaction of (31) with (32), derived from geraniol, occurs in 58% yield to give only one isomer. Four further... 

Chiral amides (222) and (223) and imides (224) and (225) have also been studied as reagents for asymmetric aldol reactions. These reagents show excellent diastereofacial preferences as their boron and zirconium enolates, but generally show poor selectivity as their lithium enolates. The reader is referred to other chapters in this volume for a discussion of these and related reagents. 

Whereas the examples above used substrate control for stereoselective transannular aldol or related reactions, reagent control has also been reported for the transannular aldol reactions. One example is synthesis of the musk ordorants (R)-muscone and (R,Z)-5-muscenone by Knopff and co-workers. It involved enantioselective formation of 73 by the transannular aldol condensation of the symmetrical macrocyclic 1,5-diketone 72 using sodium ephedrate for desymmetrization (Scheme 20.19). The reaction was assumed to proceed by a reversible transannular aldol reaction followed by an enantioselective dehydration reaction. 

The Reformatsky reaction is related to both organometallic and aldol addition reactions and probably involves a cyclic TS. The Reformatsky reagent from /-butyl bromoacetate crystallizes as a dimer having both O—Zn (enolate-like) and C—Zn (organometallic-like) bonds (see Figure 7.5).165... 

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