Wittig-Schlosser reaction

Miscellaneous Reactions.- The Schlosser-Wittig reaction of ylide (209) with aldehyde (208) and treatment of the intermediate 6-oxido ylide with perchloryl fluoride has been used to construct the 13-fluoro unit (210) in a total synthesis of (+)-13-fluoroprosta-... 

The Julia coupling can be utilized as an alternative to the Schlosser-Wittig reaction to form ( )-al-kenes. Several reported syntheses of pseudomonic acid C (385) have provided interesting clues as to variability of tq)plications of the Julia coupling in the context of natural product synthesis. 

Retrosynthetic cleavage of the trans A8,9 disubstituted double bond in intermediate 11, the projected precursor of diketone 10, provides phosphorus ylide 12 and aldehyde 13 as potential precursors. In the forward sense, a Wittig reaction could conceivably achieve a convergent coupling of intermediates 12 and 13 with concomitant formation of the requisite trans C8-C9 olefin. Ordinarily, the union of a nonstabilized ylide, such as 12, with an aldehyde would be expected to afford an alkene with a cis geometry.8 Fortunately, however, the Schlosser modification of the Wittig reaction permits the construction of trans olefins from aldehydes and nonstabilized phosphorus ylides.9... 

The normal Wittig reaction of nonstabilized ylides with aldehydes gives Z-olefms. The Schlosser modification of the Wittig reaction of nonstabilized ylides furnishes f-olefins instead. 

Following Schlosser (ref. 9), we divided the alkylidene phosphoranes (phosphorus ylides) 1. used in Wittig reactions into three groups according to their reactivity. 

By adding a strong base to the cold solution of the oxaphosphetane before it eliminates, die oxaphosphetane equilibrates to die more stable anti isomer and die E olefin is produced upon elimination. This so-called Schlosser modification in conjunction with the normal Wittig reaction enables either the Z or E isomer of the olefin to be prepared selectively. 

The Schlosser Modification of the Wittig Reaction allows the selective formation of -alkenes through the use of excess lithium salts during the addition step of the ylide and subsequent deprotonation/protonation steps. 

Addition of the ylide to the carbonyl is postulated to lead first to the zwitterionic intermediate betaine, which would then close to form a four-membered cyclic intermediate, an oxaphosphetane. The existence of the betaine hasn t been fully established, although its intermediacy plays an important role in the Schlosser Modification. Betaines may be stabilized by lithium salts leading to side products therefore, suitable bases in the Wittig Reaction are for example NaH, NaOMe, NEt3). 

A different reaction mode of lithiobetaines is used in the Schlosser variant of the Wittig reaction. Here, too, one starts from a nonstabilized ylide and works under non-salt-free conditions. However, the Schlosser variant is an olefination which gives a pure frans-alkene rather than a trans.cis mixture. The experimental procedure looks like magic at first ... 

The normal preference for (Z) alkenes in reactions of non-stabilized phos-phoranes can be reversed by employing the Schlosser modification of the Wittig reaction (Scheme 6).19 Here, equilibration of the initially formed erythro and threo betaine intermediates is achieved by reaction with additional strong base, usually an alkyl lithium. The resulting betaine ylide then gives the (E) alkene on treatment with a proton source followed by potassium tert-butoxide. 

Although the Schlosser modification of the Wittig reaction provides access to trans-olefins from non-stabilized ylides, the Julia-Lythgoe olefination has proven to be the method of choice for solving this synthetic problem today, a) M. Schlosser, K.-F. Christmann, Justus Liebigs Ann. Chem. 1967, 708, 1-35 b) M. Schlosser, K.-F. Christmann, A, Piskala, Chem. Ber. 1970, 103, 2814-2820. 

Schlosser modification of Wittig reaction The presence of soluble metal salts such as lithium salts decreases the aVfrans-selectivity. The normal Wittig reaction of non-stabilized ylides with aldehydes gives Z-alkenes. The Schlosser modification of the Wittig reaction of non-stabilized ylides furnishes -alkenes. In the presence of lithium halides oxaphosphetanes can often be observed, but betaine-lithium halide adducts are also formed. If lithium salts are added to the equilibrium, oxaphosphetane formation and elimination of... 

Application of the Wittig reaction of a nonstabilized ylide to the synthesis of an ( )-alkene is practically and effectively carried out by the Schlosser modification. Alternatively, the use of a trialkylphos-phonium ylide can produce high ratios of ( )-alkene." Recently, Vedejs has developed a reagent using dibenzophosphole ylides (110) to synthesize ( )-disubstituted alkenes (111) fixnn rddehydes (equation 24). The initial addition of ylide occurs at -78 C, but the intermediate oxaphosphetane must be heated to induce alkene formation. The stereoselectivity in the process is excellent, particularly for aldehydes with branched substitution a to the reacting center. Both the ethyl and butyl yli s have b n utilized. 

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