Stereochemistry metal enolates

One of the key features of such stereocontrolled aldol reactions is the predictability of the absolute stereochemistry of the enantiomers (or diastereo-mers) that will be formed as the major products. The preferred intermediate for an archetypal aldol reaction, proceeding by way of a metal enolate, can be tracked using the Zimmerman Traxler transition state and the results from the different variations of the aldol reaction can be interpreted from similar reasoning, and hence predictions made for analogous reactions1129]. 

R3 R2 and R2 Ri gauche interactions however, for the same set of substituents, an increase in the steric requirements of either Rj or R3 will influence only one set of vicinal steric interactions (Rj R2 or R3 R2). Some support for these conclusions has been cited (eqs. [6] and [7]). These qualitative arguments may also be relevant to the observed populations of hydrogen- and nonhydrogen-bonded populations of the aldol adducts as well (see Table 1, entries K, L). Unfortunately, little detailed information exists on the solution geometries of these metal chelates. Furthermore, in many studies it is impossible to ascertain whether the aldol condensations between metal enolates and aldehydes were carried out under kinetic or thermodynamic conditions. Consequently, the importance of metal structure and enolate geometry in the definition of product stereochemistry remains ill defined. This is particularly true in the numerous studies reported on the Reformatsky reaction (20) and related variants (21). 

The correlation of metal enolate geometry and aldol product stereochemistry via diastereomeric chair-preferred transition states has been widely accepted (2,5,6,16). The observations that the steric bulk of the enolate ligand Rj and attendant aldol diastereoselection are directly coupled are consistent with the elaborated Zimmerman model illustrated in Scheme 3 for chair-preferred transition states. For example, for ( )-enoIates, transition state Q is predicted to be destabilized relative to Ci because of the Rj R3 variable steric... 

The present procedures illustrate general methods for the use of preformed lithium enolates5 as reactants in the aldol condensation6 and for the quenching of alkali metal enolates in acetic anhydride to form enol acetates with the same structure and stereochemistry as the starting metal enolate.7 The aldol product, [Pg.55]

Considerable attention was given to the stereochemistry for the alkylation of metal enolates of y-butyrolactones during the past 1980 s decade. It is well recognized that electrophihc attack on the enolates of -substituted y-butyrolactones is controlled exclusively by the -substituent leading to the trans addition products . However, Iwasaki and coworkers reported the reverse diastereofacial differentiation in the alkylation of the enolates of a, S-dibenzyl-y-butyrolactones. These authors proposed that the factor controlling the selectivity in this case was allylic strain. Also, y-substituted y-lactones give stereoselective trans alkylation . ... 

Stable metal complexes can be favorably formed when a bidentate metal-binding site is available, such as a- and -diketone moieties which are the tautomeric forms of a- and /3-ketoenols. Some /S-diketonate complexes of paramagnetic lanthanides such as Pr(III), Eu(III) and Yb(III) have been extensively utilized as paramagnetic shift reagents for structural assignment of molecules with complicated stereochemistry prior to 2D techniques in NMR spectroscopy. Their syntheses and application are discussed in separate chapters in this volume. The examples below provide some dynamic and structural basis for better understanding of metal enolates in biomolecules and biochemical processes. 

In recent years, investigations of the diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity of alkylations of metal enolates of carboxylic acid derivatives have become one of the most active areas of research in synthetic organic chemistry. Intraannular, extraannular and chelate-enforced intraannular chirality transfer may be involved in determining the stereochemistry of these alkylations. 

The stereochemistry of the reactions of chiral carbonyl compounds with nucleophiles has been a topic of considerable theoretical and synthetic interest since the pioneering study by Cram appeared in 1952. The available predictive models focus entirely on the conformational and stereoelectronic demands of the chiral carbonyl substrate, the implicit assumption being that the relative stabilities of the competing transition states are determined only by stereoelectronics and the minimization of nonbonded interactions between the substituents on the chiral center and the nucleophile. These models totally ignore the possibility, however, that the geometric requirements of the nucleophile may also have an effect on reaction diastereoselectivity. Considerable evidence is now available, particularly in the reactions of Type I (Z)-crotylboronates and Z(0)-metal enolates, that the stereochemistry of the nucleophile is indeed an important issue that must be considered when assessing reaction diastereoselectivity. 

R = Li or K) the protonation stereochemistry varies with R via the relative proportions of O- and C-protonation. In the light of this it is relevant to note that the steric course of bromination of cyclic metal enolates in ether has been found to be identical to that of enols but very different from that of the methyl enol ethers. 

General reviews include the direct aldol/" aldoi and related processes,the Zimmerman-Traxler TS model used to explain the stereochemistry of the aldoi condensation,catalysis of direct asymmetric aldols by prolinamides versus prolinef/zioamides, " " the catalytic asymmetric aldoi reaction in aqueous media (considering both organometallic and organocatalytic approaches), " the use of BINAP oxide in enantioselective direct aldols,and the use of metal enolates as synthons. " ... 

As can be seen from the developments described above, the control of both relative and absolute acyclic stereochemistry in a variety of syn aldol reactions can now be achieved highly stereoselectively. Both boron and titanium enoiate-based syn aldol reactions have gained svidespread popularity and are frequently used in synthesis. Whereas anti-a-alkyl-/i-hydroxycarbonyl units are inherent to numerous bioactive natural products, there are relatively fesv effective synthetic processes that are convenient, operationally simple, and afford high diastereoselectivity for a svide range of aldehydes. Early examples of anti-selective aldol reactions, reported by Meyers in 1984, svere based upon oxazoline-derived boron enolates [60]. Several other methods based upon metal enolates other than titanium have subsequently been developed. In this chapter, ho vever, we vill focus on titanium enoiate-based methods. 

Catalytic hydrogenation of the 14—15 double bond from the face opposite to the C18 substituent yields (196). Compound (196) contains the natural steroid stereochemistry around the D-ring. A metal-ammonia reduction of (196) forms the most stable product (197) thermodynamically. When R is equal to methyl, this process comprises an efficient total synthesis of estradiol methyl ester. Birch reduction of the A-ring of (197) followed by acid hydrolysis of the resultant enol ether allows access into the 19-norsteroids (198) (204). 

The effect of crown ethers on the rates and stereochemistry of the alkylation of metal acetoacetates has been studied by Cambillau et al. (1976, 1978) and Kurts et al. (1973, 1974). Since the enolate can adopt various conformations ([96]—[99]), O-alkylation may produce either the cis ([100]) or the trans ([101]) isomer, whereas C-alkylation affords [102]. The reaction of the sodium... 

Scheme 8), which also control the enolate stereochemistry in amide systems. The influence of metal ion structure on the stereochemical outcome of the aldol process again underscores the importance of metal ligand effects in the enhancement of aldol stereoselection. 

In animals and in many bacteria, PEP is formed by decarboxylation of oxaloacetate. In this reaction, which is catalyzed by PEP carboxykinase (PEPCK), a molecule of GTP, ATP, or inosine triphosphate captures and phosphorylates the enolate anion generated by the decarboxylation (Eq. 13-46).252 The stereochemistry is such that C02 departs from the si face of the forming enol.253 The phospho group is transferred from GTP with inversion at the phosphorus atom 254 The enzyme requires a divalent metal ion, preferably Mn2+. 

The predominant stereochemical course of the allylation of Pd enolates follows that previously shown by the other enolates, but also consistently exhibits some loss of stereointegrity (equations 158-160).114 115 126 This lessening of stereospecificity can be attributed either to scrambling of the stereochemistry of the starting material by attack of the initially ionized caxboxylate at the metal (equation 161)... 

The mechanism of the chemical reduction of enones with metal (Li, Na, etc.) in liquid ammonia can be described by the following equation in which the substrate 212 receives two electrons from the metal to give the dianion intermediate 213. This intermediate is then successively transformed into the enolate salt 214 and the ketone 2T5 with an appropriate proton donor source. It can readily be seen that the stereochemical outcome of this reaction depends on the stereochemistry of the protonation step 213 - 214. An excellent review on this topic has been recently written by Caine (60). This subject will be only briefly discussed here. 

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