Robinson annulation, Hajos-Wiechert reaction

Developed in the early 1970s, this reaction, also called the Hajos-Parrish reaction or Hajos-Parrish-Ender-Sauer-Wiechert reaction, is one of the earliest processes for the stereoselective synthesis of Wieland-Miescher ketone, an important building block for steroids and terpenoid synthesis. This reaction is a proline mediated asymmetric variation to the Robinson annulation. Hajos and Parrish of Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. in 1971 and 1974 published an asymmetric aldol cyclization of triketones such as that of structure 39, which affords optically active annulation products in the presence of catalytic amounts of (S)-proline (Z-proline). One of the early examples is the synthesis of 41 from the triketone 39 (a product of the Michael addition of MVK to the corresponding 2-methylcyclopentane-l,3-dione), the reaction is performed in two steps first by ring formation in the presence of 3 mol % of (iS)-proline in DMF to afford the ketol 40 in 100% yield after crystallization with 93% ee and then by reaction with toluenesulfonic acid to give the dehydrated adduct 41. The formation of the Wieland-Miescher Ketone 44 follows the same synthetic route, starting from the tri-ketone 42 to give the end product in 75% optical purity and 99.8% of optical yield. 

A more efficient approach to control the stereochemical outcome for the Robinson annulation can be through the use of chiral catalysts such as in the case of the enantioselective Hajos-Wiechert variation introduced earlier. There are other chiral agents other than the popular (S)-proline-mediated annulation reaction that are used for these transformations—for example the use of (Bronsted acid such as trifluoroacetic (TFA). This new catalyst for the Robinson annulation was reported in 2007 by Endo et. al., where the Bronsted acid, contrary to Hajos-Wiechert reaction, gives the (i )-isomer of the Wieland-Miescher ketone 44 in a moderate yield of 47% and 75% ee. 

Another key event in the history of organocatalytic reaction was the discovery of efficient r-proline-mediated asymmetric Robinson annulation reported during the early 1970s. The so-called Hajos-Parrish-Eder-Sauer-Wiechert reaction (an intramolecular aldol reaction) allowed access to some of the key intermediates for the synthesis of natural products (Scheme 1.4) [37, 38], and offered a practical and enantioselective route to the Wieland-Miescher ketone [39]. It is pertinent to note, that this chemistry is rooted in the early studies of Langenbeck and in the extensive investigations work of Stork and co-workers on enamine chemistry... 

The next breakthrough was made by Pracejus in 1960 who also used alkaloids as catalysts, namely 0-acetlyquinine in the addition of methanol to phenylmethylke-tene in an impressive ee of 74 % [20]. Then in 1973 the (5)-proUne (27) catalysed Robinson annulation was discovered by Hajos and Parrish and independently by Wiechert and co-workers [21, 22]. High levels of enantioselectivity of up to 93 % were observed using 3 mol% of catalyst in the transformation which later became known as the Hajos-Parrish-Eder-Sauer-Wiechert reaction (Scheme 4.9). 

The Hajos and Wiechert research groups looked at a number of other potential proline based catalysts for their intramolecular Robinson annulation. (. -(-)-Hygrinic acid, Af-methylproline 13, was examined, but only the racemic intermediate ketol product 2 was obtained. In a similar manner, the proline methyl ester 14 also produced the racemic ketol intermediate. No reaction was observed with the piperidine analog 15. The homo-proline analog 16 gave the enantiomeric product. An explanation for this change in selectivity has not been provided yet. Please note that the use of (i )-proline provides the enantiomeric product. 

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