Stereospecific oxaphosphetane decomposition

Several tests are available to determine whether equilibration of stereochemistry occurs in the course of oxaphosphetane decomposition (methods A-E, Scheme 7), but each method has some limitations. In method A, oxaphosphetane diastereomers are prepared independently by deprotonation of the )S-hydroxyphosphonium salts 27 or 28 with base (NaHMDS, NaNHj, KO-tert-Bu, etc.) (20). If each isomer affords a distinct oxaphosphetane 31 or 32 according to NMR analysis (usually, or H), then the solutions are warmed up to the decomposition temperature. Kinetic control is established if stereospecific conversion to the alkenes can be demonstrated from each diastereomer. A less rigorous version of this test is to perform the experiment only with isomer 27, the precursor of the cis-disubstituted oxaphosphetane 31 (21c). All known examples of significant (> 5%) stereochemical equilibration involve 31 and not the trans-disubstituted isomer 32 (20, 21c). A negative equilibration result with the cis diastereomer 31 can be assumed to apply to 32 as well. 

We have a fairly detailed knowledge of the mechanism of the Wittig reaction (Figure 11.3). It starts with a one-step [2+2]-cycloaddition of the ylide to the aldehyde. This leads to a heterocycle called an oxaphosphetane. The oxaphosphetane decomposes in the second step—which is a one-step [2+2]-cycloreversion—to give triphenylphosphine oxide and an alkene. This decomposition takes place stereoselectively (cf. Figure 4.44) a cw-disubstituted oxaphosphetane reacts exclusively to give a cis-alkene, whereas a fraws-disubstituted oxaphosphetane gives only a trans-alkene. The reaction is stereospecific. 

How can the Z selectivity in Wittig reactions of unstabilized ylids be explained We have a more complex situation in this reaction than we had for the other eliminations we considered, because we have two separate processes to consider formation of the oxaphosphetane and decomposition of the oxaphosphetane to the alkene. The elimination step is the easier one to explain—it is stereospecific, with the oxygen and phosphorus departing in a syn-periplanar transition state (as in the base-catalysed Peterson reaction). Addition of the ylid to the aldehyde can, in principle, produce two diastere-omers of the intermediate oxaphosphetane. Provided that this step is irreversible, then the stereospecificity of the elimination step means that the ratio of the final alkene geometrical isomers will reflect the stereoselectivity of this addition step. This is almost certainly the case when R is not conjugating or anion-stabilizing the syn diastereoisomer of the oxaphosphetane is formed preferentially, and the predominantly Z-alkene that results reflects this. The Z selective Wittig reaction therefore consists of a kinetically controlled stereoselective first step followed by a stereospecific elimination from this intermediate. 

Reversal correlates with the presence of lithium ion and also with the involvement of betaine species. These two risk factors are interrelated because lithium halides rapidly cleave oxaphosphetane 31 or 32 (Scheme 8) at — 70°C resulting in the reversible formation of the betaine lithium halide complexes 40 or 41, respectively (18b). Donor solvents shift the equilibrium toward the oxaphosphetane by coordinating the lithium halides and thereby promote stereospecific decomposition to the alkenes. If the solvent is not an effective lithium coordinating agent, then 40 and 41 decompose slowly, and the risk of... 

It is likely that the ( )-alkene selective reactions of anionic ylides are due to equlibration of the betaine lithium halide adduct as discussed earlier. However, the balance is delicate and small structural changes can have surprising consequences. Thus, Corey s stereospecific trisubstituted alkene synthesis via /3-oxido ylides (Table 10) is clearly under dominant kinetic control, even though lithium ion is present and aromatic aldehydes can be used as the substrates (54,55). The only obvious difference between the intermediates of Table 10 and oxido ylide examples such as entry 11 in Table 21 is that the latter must decompose via a disubstituted oxaphosphetane while the stereospecific reactions in Table 10 involve trisubstituted analogues. Apparently, the higher degree of oxaphosphetane substitution favors decomposition relative to equilibration. There are few easy and safe generalizations in this field. Each system must be evaluated in detail before rationales can be recommended. 

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