Structure ketone enolates

A more detailed representation of the reaction requires more intimate knowledge of the enolate structure. Studies of ketone enolates in solution indicate that both tetrameric and dimeric clusters can exist Tetrahydrofliran, a solvent in which many synthetic reactions are performed, favors tetrameric structures for the lithium enolate of isobutyr-ophenone, for example. ... 

The first element of stereocontrol in aldol addition reactions of ketone enolates is the enolate structure. Most enolates can exist as two stereoisomers. In Section 1.1.2, we discussed the factors that influence enolate composition. The enolate formed from 2,2-dimethyl-3-pentanone under kinetically controlled conditions is the Z-isomer.5 When it reacts with benzaldehyde only the syn aldol is formed.4 The product stereochemistry is correctly predicted if the TS has a conformation with the phenyl substituent in an equatorial position. 

Summary of the Relationship between Diastereoselectivity and the Transition Structure. In this section we considered simple diastereoselection in aldol reactions of ketone enolates. Numerous observations on the reactions of enolates of ketones and related compounds are consistent with the general concept of a chairlike TS.35 These reactions show a consistent E - anti Z - syn relationship. Noncyclic TSs have more variable diastereoselectivity. The prediction or interpretation of the specific ratio of syn and anti product from any given reaction requires assessment of several variables (1) What is the stereochemical composition of the enolate (2) Does the Lewis acid promote tight coordination with both the carbonyl and enolate oxygen atoms and thereby favor a cyclic TS (3) Does the TS have a chairlike conformation (4) Are there additional Lewis base coordination sites in either reactant that can lead to reaction through a chelated TS Another factor comes into play if either the aldehyde or the enolate, or both, are chiral. In that case, facial selectivity becomes an issue and this is considered in Section 2.1.5. 

The enolates of ketones can be acylated by esters and other acylating agents. The products of these reactions are [Tdicarbonyl compounds, which are rather acidic and can be alkylated by the procedures described in Section 1.2. Reaction of ketone enolates with formate esters gives a P-ketoaldehyde. As these compounds exist in the enol form, they are referred to as hydroxymethylene derivatives. Entries 1 and 2 in Scheme 2.16 are examples. Product formation is under thermodynamic control so the structure of the product can be predicted on the basis of the stability of the various possible product anions. 

Similar effects were observed in the structures of the lithium salts of ester enolates [43] studied by Seebach et al. (1985). Here too systematic differences in angles are observed compared with amide and ketone enolates, and there is a correlation between the bond angles and the difference in the two C-O bond lengths at the reaction centre for three compounds [43], consistent with incipient elimination of t-butoxide to give the ketene [44] (Ferretti et al., 1991). 

One of the first careful studies of the influence of chirality proximal to ketone enolates is illustrated in eq. [95] (113). Condensation of the enolate 126 (M = Li) with propanal (THF, -100 C) afforded a modest bias for the (5,i )-diastereomeric aldol adduct 127 (127 128 = 57 43). The influence of the metal center in this condensation has recently been examined. The boryl enolate 126 [M = B(n-C4H9)2l afforded a ratio 127 128 = 64 36 in pentane (-78°C) (6a, 113). Similar studies designed to probe the dependence of diastereoface selection on metal enolate structure have been carried out with metal enolates 129 (eq. [96], Table 32). 

In Part 111 we cover that broad category of organic compounds called the carbonyls. First we give you an overview of Ccirbonyl basics, including structure, reactivity, and spectroscopy. Then we go into more detail on aldehydes and ketones, enols and enolates, and carboxylic acids and their derivatives. 

Most enolates can exist as two stereoisomers. Also, most aldol condensation products formed from a ketone enolate and an aldehyde can have two diastereomeric structures. These are designated as syn and anti. The cyclic-transition-state model provides a basis for understanding the relationship between enolate geometry and the stereochemistry of the aldol product. 

Substrate-induced diastereoselection is the most common principle in alkylations of enolates derived from ketones. There are numerous successful applications reported in the literature (for extensive reviews, see refs 1, 3, and 79). The following account does not cover this extensive field with all its applications in detail, but rather presents representative examples which provide a general overview of the different synthetic methods available for alkylations of ketone enolates of various structural types, as well as demonstrating that remote asymmetric induction can be efficient and predictable. 

Enantioselective condensation of aldehydes and enol silyl ethers is promoted by addition of chiral Lewis acids. Through coordination of aldehyde oxygen to the Lewis acids containing an Al, Eu, or Rh atom (286), the prochiral substrates are endowed with high electrophilicity and chiral environments. Although the optical yields in the early works remained poor to moderate, the use of a chiral (acyloxy)borane complex as catalyst allowed the erythro-selective condensation with high enan-tioselectivity (Scheme 119) (287). This aldol-type reaction may proceed via an extended acyclic transition state rather than a six-membered pericyclic structure (288). Not only ketone enolates but ester enolates... 

Tetr 32 2979 (1976) (regiospecific preparation of ketone enolates and synthetic uses) 33 2737 (1977) (structure and reactivity of alkali metal enolates)... 

A new catalytic cycle for the enantioselective protonation of cyclic ketone enolates with sulfinyl alcohols has been developed (Scheme 2)25 In this method, the achiral alcohol plays two roles it is involved in the turnover of the chiral proton source and also in the generation of a transient enolate through the reaction of its corresponding alkoxide with the enol trifluoroacetate precursor. Stereoselectivity was found highly dependent on the structure of the achiral alcohol. 

The aldimine of Figure 13.34 is a chiral and enantiomerically pure aldehydrazone C. This hydrazone is obtained by condensation of the aldehyde to be alkylated, and an enantiomerically pure hydrazine A, the S-proline derivative iS-aminoprolinol methyl ether (SAMP). The hydrazone C derived from aldehyde A is called the SAMP hydrazone, and the entire reaction sequence of Figure 13.34 is the Enders SAMP alkylation. The reaction of the aldehydrazone C with LDA results in the chemoselective formation of an azaenolate D, as in the case of the analogous aldimine A of Figure 13.33. The C=C double bond of the azaenolate D is fraws-configured. This selectivity is reminiscent of the -preference in the deprotonation of sterically unhindered aliphatic ketones to ketone enolates and, in fact, the origin is the same both deprotonations occur via six-membered ring transition states with chair conformations. The transition state structure with the least steric interactions is preferred in both cases. It is the one that features the C atom in the /3-position of the C,H acid in the pseudo-equatorial orientation. 

The ketone enolate A of Figure 13.47 is generated in a Z-selective fashion (as we saw in Figure 13.15). The bulky and branched enolate substituent destabilizes the Zimmerman-Traxler transition state C by way of the discussed 1,3-diaxial interaction, while the transition state structure B is not affected. Hence, the aldol addition of enolate A occurs almost exclusively via transition state B, and the -configured aldol adducts D (Figure 13.47) are formed with a near-perfect simple diastereoselectivity. The acidic workup converts the initially formed trimethysilyloxy-substituted aldol adducts into the hydroxylated aldol adducts. 

Generally, ester enolates of structure (202 R = M, R = Oalkyl) rearrange via a 3,3-shift, whereas the corresponding amide enolates (202 R = M, R = N(alkyl)2) and acid dianions (202 R = M, R = OM) prefer the 2,3-pathway (equation 20). Both pathways have been observed with ketone enolates (202 R = M, R = alkyl). With substrate (179), Koreeda and Luengo observed only traces of Wittig rearrangement product (205), except for the lithium enolate, where (205) accounted for up to 20% of the reaction mixture (equation 21). ° Thomas and Dubini, however, reported predominant formation of 2,3 Wittig products (207) and (209) under base treatment of ketones (206) and (208) (equation 22). ... 

One of the most relevant and fruitful areas of structural investigation for synthetic oiganic chemistry during the past decade has been the crystal structure determinations of a variety of enolate and closely related carbanions. Although these species have been considered only as transient reactive intermediates, a number of these enolates can be crystallized out of solution at subambient temperature and stabilized under a stream of cold, dry nitrogen gas during the 24-48 h necessary for X-ray diffraction data collection. A systematic review of these structures known to date begins with the ketone enolates. 

An early prediction about the structure of a magnesium ketone enolate was subsequently modified when the diethyl ether solvated, magnesium bromide enolate derived from r-butyl ethyl tetone was characterized as the dimer (160) with bridging enolate residues. 

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