Substituent ketones

When a-olefins such as propylene are employed, 2-ketones are catalytically produced [113]. The process involves the nucleophilic attack at the substituted carbon in the terminal double bond. Skeletal isomerization through -hydrogen elimination and re-addition of the hydrido ligand on the terminal methylene provides a branched metal alkyl with CH3 and OH substituents. Ketone can be liberated from the Pd(II) complex with release of Pd(0) (Eq. 1.18). 

It follows therefore that ethyl malonate can be used (just as ethyl aceto- acetate) to prepare any mono or di-substituted acetic acid the limitations are identical, namely the substituents must necessarily be alkyl groups (or aryl-alkyl groups such as CjHjCHj), and tri-substituted acetic acids cannot be prepared. Ethyl malonate undergoes no reaction equivalent to the ketonic hydrolysis of ethyl acetoacetate, and the concentration of the alkali used for the hydrolysis is therefore not important. 

The ketone is added to a large excess of a strong base at low temperature, usually LDA in THF at -78 °C. The more acidic and less sterically hindered proton is removed in a kineti-cally controlled reaction. The equilibrium with a thermodynamically more stable enolate (generally the one which is more stabilized by substituents) is only reached very slowly (H.O. House, 1977), and the kinetic enolates may be trapped and isolated as silyl enol ethers (J.K. Rasmussen, 1977 H.O. House, 1969). If, on the other hand, a weak acid is added to the solution, e.g. an excess of the non-ionized ketone or a non-nucleophilic alcohol such as cert-butanol, then the tautomeric enolate is preferentially formed (stabilized mostly by hyperconjugation effects). The rate of approach to equilibrium is particularly slow with lithium as the counterion and much faster with potassium or sodium. 

The condensation of aldehydes or ketones with secondary amines leads to "encunines via N-hemiacetals and immonium hydroxides, when the water is removed. In these conjugated systems electron density and nudeophilicity are largely transferred from the nitrogen to the a-carbon atom, and thus enamines are useful electroneutral d -reagents (G.A. Cook, 1969 S.F. Dyke, 1973). A bulky heterocyclic substituent supports regio- and stereoselective reactions. 

The Peterson reaction has two more advantages over the Wittig reaction 1. it is sometimes less vulnerable to sterical hindrance, and 2. groups, which are susceptible to nucleophilic substitution, are not attacked by silylated carbanions. The introduction of a methylene group into a sterically hindered ketone (R.K. Boeckman, Jr., 1973) and the syntheses of olefins with sulfur, selenium, silicon, or tin substituents (D. Seebach, 1973 B.T. Grdbel, 1974, 1977) illustrate useful applications. The reaction is, however, more limited and time consuming than the Wittig reaction, since metallated silicon derivatives are difficult to synthesize and their reactions are rarely stereoselective (T.H. Chan, 1974 ... 

The problem of the synthesis of highly substituted olefins from ketones according to this principle was solved by D.H.R. Barton. The ketones are first connected to azines by hydrazine and secondly treated with hydrogen sulfide to yield 1,3,4-thiadiazolidines. In this heterocycle the substituents of the prospective olefin are too far from each other to produce problems. Mild oxidation of the hydrazine nitrogens produces d -l,3,4-thiadiazolines. The decisive step of carbon-carbon bond formation is achieved in a thermal reaction a nitrogen molecule is cleaved off and the biradical formed recombines immediately since its two reactive centers are hold together by the sulfur atom. The thiirane (episulfide) can be finally desulfurized by phosphines or phosphites, and the desired olefin is formed. With very large substituents the 1,3,4-thiadiazolidines do not form with hydrazine. In such cases, however, direct thiadiazoline formation from thiones and diazo compounds is often possible, or a thermal reaction between alkylideneazinophosphoranes and thiones may be successful (D.H.R. Barton, 1972, 1974, 1975). 

A more eflicient and general synthetic procedure is the Masamune reaction of aldehydes with boron enolates of chiral a-silyloxy ketones. A double asymmetric induction generates two new chiral centres with enantioselectivities > 99%. It is again explained by a chair-like six-centre transition state. The repulsive interactions of the bulky cyclohexyl group with the vinylic hydrogen and the boron ligands dictate the approach of the enolate to the aldehyde (S. Masamune, 1981 A). The fi-hydroxy-x-methyl ketones obtained are pure threo products (threo = threose- or threonine-like Fischer formula also termed syn" = planar zig-zag chain with substituents on one side), and the reaction has successfully been applied to macrolide syntheses (S. Masamune, 1981 B). Optically pure threo (= syn") 8-hydroxy-a-methyl carboxylic acids are obtained by desilylation and periodate oxidation (S. Masamune, 1981 A). Chiral 0-((S)-trans-2,5-dimethyl-l-borolanyl) ketene thioketals giving pure erythro (= anti ) diastereomers have also been developed by S. Masamune (1986). 

If a Michael reaction uses an unsymmetrical ketone with two CH-groups of similar acidity, the enol or enolate is first prepared in pure form (p. llff.). To avoid equilibration one has to work at low temperatures. The reaction may then become slow, and it is advisable to further activate the carbon-carbon double bond. This may be achieved by the introduction of an extra electron-withdrawing silyl substituent at C-2 of an a -synthon. Treatment of the Michael adduct with base removes the silicon, and may lead as well to an aldol addition (G. Stork, 1973, 1974 B R.K. Boeckman, Jr., 1974). 

Thallium(III) acetate reacts with alkenes to give 1,2-diol derivatives (see p. 128) while thallium(III) nitrate leads mostly to rearranged carbonyl compounds via organothallium compounds (E.C. Taylor, 1970, 1976 R.J. Ouelette, 1973 W. Rotermund, 1975 R. Criegee, 1979). Very useful reactions in complex syntheses have been those with olefins and ketones (see p. 136) containing conjugated aromatic substituents, e.g. porphyrins (G. W. Kenner, 1973 K.M. Smith, 1975). 

The 4-hydroxy-1-alkene (homoallylic alcohol) 81 is oxidized to the hetni-acetal 82 of the aldehyde by the participation of the OH group when there is a substituent at C3. In the absence of the substituent, a ketone is obtained. The hemiacetal is converted into butyrolactone 83[117], When Pd nitro complex is used as a catalyst in /-BuOH under oxygen, acetals are obtained from homoallylic alcohols even in the absence of a substituent at C-3[l 18], /-Allylamine is oxidized to the acetal 84 of the aldehyde selectively by participation of the amino group[l 19],... 

The Fischer cyclization has proved to be a very versatile reaction which can tolerate a variety of substituents at the 2- and 3-positions and on the aromatic ring. An extensive review and compilation of examples was published several years ago[3]. From a practical point of view, the crucial reaction parameter is often the choice of the appropriate reaction medium. For hydrazones of unsymmetrical ketones, which can lead to two regioisomeric products, the choice of reaction conditions may determine the product composition. 

A solution of trifluoroacetic acid in toluene was found to be advantageous for cydization of pyruvate hydrazoncs having nitro substituents[4]. p-Toluene-sulfonic acid or Amberlyst-15 in toluene has also been found to give excellent results in preparation of indole-2-carboxylale esters from pyruvate hydra-zoiies[5,6J. Acidic zeolite catalysts have been used with xylene as a solvent to convert phenylhydraziiies and ketones to indoles both in one-flask procedures and in a flow-through reactor[7]. 

Gassman and co-workers developed a synthetic route from anilines to indoles and oxindoles which involves [2.3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of anilinosul-fonium ylides. These can be prepared from Ai-chloroanilines and ot-thiomcthyl-ketones or from an aniline and a chlorosulfonium salt[l]. The latter sequence is preferable for anilines with ER substituents. Rearrangement and cyclizalion occurs on treatment of the anilinosulfonium salts with EtjN. The initial cyclization product is a 3-(methylthio)indole and these can be desulfurized with Raney nickel. Use of 2-(methylthio)acetaldehyde generates 2,3-unsubstituled indoles after desulfurization[2]. Treatment of 3-methylthioindoles with tri-fiuoroacetic acid/thiosalieylie acid is a possible alternative to Raney nickel for desulfurization[3]. 

Lithiated indoles can be alkylated with primary or allylic halides and they react with aldehydes and ketones by addition to give hydroxyalkyl derivatives. Table 10.1 gives some examples of such reactions. Entry 13 is an example of a reaction with ethylene oxide which introduces a 2-(2-hydroxyethyl) substituent. Entries 14 and 15 illustrate cases of addition to aromatic ketones in which dehydration occurs during the course of the reaction. It is likely that this process occurs through intramolecular transfer of the phenylsulfonyl group. 

Two aldehydes two ketones or one aldehyde and one ketone may be formed Let s recall the classes of carbonyl compounds from Table 4 1 Aldehydes have at least one hydrogen on the carbonyl group ketones have two carbon substituents—alkyl groups for example—on the carbonyl Carboxylic acids have a hydroxyl substituent attached to the carbonyl group... 

Alkenes are cleaved to carbonyl compounds by ozonolysis This reaction IS useful both for synthesis (preparation of aldehydes ketones or car boxyhc acids) and analysis When applied to analysis the carbonyl com pounds are isolated and identified allowing the substituents attached to the double bond to be deduced... 

By analogy to the hydration of alkenes hydration of an alkyne is expected to yield an alcohol The kind of alcohol however would be of a special kind one m which the hydroxyl group is a substituent on a carbon-carbon double bond This type of alcohol IS called an enol (the double bond suffix ene plus the alcohol suffix ol) An important property of enols is their rapid isomerization to aldehydes or ketones under the condi tions of their formation... 

The type of alcohol produced depends on the carbonyl compound Substituents present on the carbonyl group of an aldehyde or ketone stay there—they become sub stituents on the carbon that bears the hydroxyl group m the product Thus as shown m Table 14 3 (following page) formaldehyde reacts with Grignard reagents to yield pri mary alcohols aldehydes yield secondary alcohols and ketones yield tertiary alcohols... 

Like aldehydes ketone functions take precedence over alcohol functions double bonds halogens and alkyl groups m determining the parent name and direction of numbering Aldehydes outrank ketones however and a compound that contains both an aldehyde and a ketone carbonyl group is named as an aldehyde In such cases the carbonyl oxy gen of the ketone is considered an 0x0 substituent on the mam chain... 

Alkyl substituents stabilize a carbonyl group m much the same way that they sta bilize carbon-carbon double bonds and carbocations—by releasing electrons to sp hybridized carbon Thus as then heats of combustion reveal the ketone 2 butanone is more stable than its aldehyde isomer butanal... 

Consider first the electronic effect of alkyl groups versus hydrogen atoms attached to C=0 Recall from Section 17 2 that alkyl substituents stabilize C=0 making a ketone carbonyl more stable than an aldehyde carbonyl As with all equilibria factors... 

The enol content of a carboxylic acid is far less than that of an aldehyde or ketone and introduction of a halogen substituent at the a carbon atom requires a different set... 

Dialkylation of ethyl acetoacetate can also be accomplished opening the way to ketones with two alkyl substituents at the a carbon... 

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