Sulfones, vinyl addition reaction with enolates

Pyrrolizidines have been prepared by intramolecular addition of the carbon radicals with C-C double bonds21. The methodology has been applied to intermolecular reactions with enol ethers19. Vinyl sulfones are also good trapping agents of the carbon radicals22. 

Treatment of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with DBP in a methoxide/methanol system affords 2-alkyl-4-[(phenylsulfonyl)methyl]furans, where reaction proceeds by Initial addition-elimination on the vinyl sulfone moiety. In contrast, silyl enol ethers in the presence of silver tetrafluoroborate resulted in products derived from Sn2 displacement at the allylic site.11 Anions derived from 1,3-dicarbonyls substituted at the C-2 position are found to induce a complete reversal in the mode of ring closure.12 The major products obtained are 3-[(phenylsulfonyl)methyl]-substituted cyclopentenones. The internal displacement reaction leading to the furan ring apparently encounters an unfavorable Ai -interaction in the transition state when a substituent group is present at the 2-position ol the dicarbonyl compound. This steric Interaction is not present in the transition state leading to the cyclopentenone ring. 

The synthesis of benzopyrans has been described by Lam via the alkenylation of 2-aryl-3-hydroxy-2-cyclohexenones followed by oxa-Michael type addition of the enol oxygen atom to the alkenylated intermediate. The reaction requires 2 equiv. of Cu(0Ac)2.H20 in addition to the catalyst [RuCl2(p-cymene)]2 [(Eq. 76)] [159]. The similar reaction using Pd(OAc)2 with Cu(0Ac)2.H20 could be performed for methylvinylketone and phenyl vinyl sulfone [159]. 

Reaction of lithiated allyl sulfone 60 with cyclopentenone gave the y-1,4-addition product (61). On treatment with LiOH the enolate intermediate 62 underwent a completely diastereoselective intramolecular conjugate addition onto the vinyl... 

In the original study by Peterson, the alkenation procedure was found to be compatible with sulfur and phosphorus substitution. The alkenation reaction has been tqrplied successfully to a variety of substituted alkenes. Because of the aiuon-stabilizing nature of the thiophenyl, the p-hydroxysiliuie is not isolated and the elimination to the alkene takes place directly to form a 1 1 mixture of ( )- and (Z)-isomers. Ager studied the reaction of the lithio anions of phenyl (trimethylsilyl)methyl sulfides (318) with a variety of carbonyl compounds (equation 72). Yields of this process were good, and addition occurred even with enolizable substrates. This reaction was extended to vinyl sulfones. In contrast to the sulfide case, the substituted sulfone silyl anion behaves as a base, leading to undesired enolization. The best yields were observed for the case where R is a hydrogen or phenyl. 

A study carried out by Kocienski and Lythgoe flrst demonstrated the trans selectivity of the Julia coupling process. The authors found the i uctive elimination could best be carried out with the acet-oxy or benzoyloxy sulfones. If the lithio sulfone derivative is used for addition to the carbonyl, the reaction can be worked up with acetic anhydride or benzoyl chloride to obtain the alkene precursor. In cases where enolization of the carbonyl is a complication, the magnesium derivative can frequently be used successfully. A modification of the reductive elimination was found to be most effective. Methanol, ethyl acetate/methanol or THF/methanol were the solvents of choice and a temperature of -20 C was effective at suppressing the undesired elimination of the acetoxy group to produce the vinyl sulfone. With these modifications of the original procedure, the ability of the reaction to produce dienes as well as rran.r-disubstituted alkenes was demonstrated, llie diastereoisomeric erythro- and threo-acetoxy sulfones could be separated and it was demonstrated that both isomers were converted to the rrans-alkene. It... 

---