Surfactant-type catalysts Lewis acids

With these results in hand, we have next introduced new types of Lewis acids, e.g scandium tris(-dodecyl sulfate) (4a) and scandium trisdodecanesul-fonate (5a) (Chart 1).[1S1 These Lewis acid-surfactant-combined catalysts (LASCs) were found to form stable colloidal dispersions with organic substrates in water and to catalyze efficiently aldol reactions of aldehydes with very water-labile silyl enol ethers. 

The results mentioned above prompted us to synthesize a more simplified catalyst, scandium tris(dodecyl sulfate) (Sc(DS)3) [23,24]. This new type of catalyst, Lewis acid-surfactant-combined catalyst (LASC) , was expected to act both as a Lewis acid to activate the substrate molecules and as a surfactant to form emulsions in water. Eng-berts and co-workers also reported a surfactant-type Lewis acid, copper bis(dodecyl sulfate) (Cu(DS)2) [25]. Although they studied detailed mechanistic aspects of Diels-Alder... 

The concept of surfactant-type catalysts described above was also found to be applicable to catalytic systems other than Lewis acid-catalysed reactions. For example, we have developed palladium-catalysed allylic substitution reactions using a combination of Pd(PPh3)4 and a non-ionic surfactant, Triton X-100 [32]. 

Sc(() l f) ( is an effective catalyst of the Mukaiyama aldol reaction in both aqueous and non-aqueous media (vide supra). Kobayashi et al. have reported that aqueous aldehydes as well as conventional aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes are directly and efficiently converted into aldols by the scandium catalyst [69]. In the presence of a surfactant, for example sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) or Triton X-100, the Sc(OTf)3-catalyzed aldol reactions of SEE, KSA, and ketene silyl thioacetals can be performed successfully in water wifhout using any organic solvent (Sclieme 10.23) [72]. They also designed and prepared a new type of Lewis acid catalyst, scandium trisdodecylsulfate (STDS), for use instead of bofh Sc(OTf) and SDS [73]. The Lewis acid-surfactant combined catalyst (LASC) forms stable dispersion systems wifh organic substrates in water and accelerates fhe aldol reactions much more effectively in water fhan in organic solvents. Addition of a Bronsted acid such as HCl to fhe STDS-catalyzed system dramatically increases the reaction rate [74]. 

Moreover, a new type of catalyst, scandium tris(dodecyl sulfate) [Sc(03S0Ci2H25)3,Sc(DS)3] has been developed.62. The catalyst (a Lewis Acid-Surfactant Combined Catalyst, LASC) acts both as a catalyst and as a surfactant, and aldol reactions proceed smoothly in the presence of a catalytic amount of Sc(DS)3 in water, without using any organic solvents (Scheme 16). 

Lewis acids as water-stable catalysts have been developed. Metal salts, such as rare earth metal triflates, can be used in aldol reactions of aldehydes with silyl enolates in aqueous media. These salts can be recovered after the reactions and reused. Furthermore, surfactant-aided Lewis acid catalysis, which can be used for aldol reactions in water without using any organic solvents, has been also developed. These reaction systems have been applied successfully to catalytic asymmetric aldol reactions in aqueous media. In addition, the surfactant-aided Lewis acid catalysis for Mannich-type reactions in water has been disclosed. These investigations are expected to contribute to the decrease of the use of harmful organic solvents in chemical processes, leading to environmentally friendly green chemistry. 

Recently, a new type of catalyst, namely Lewis acid-surfactant-combined catalyst (LASC), has shown high efficiencies. These reactions are promoted in water without organic cosolvents (09T587). LASCs as metal dodecyl sulfates (07M174) are efficiently employed in the Friedlander quinoline synthesis (06M1253, 07ASC1047). 

This type of catalyst was named Lewis acid-surfactant combined catalyst (LASC), and was expected to possess the characters of both a Lewis acid and a surfactant. Sc(DS)3 showed quite high activity in aldol reactions in water without using any organic solvents (Scheme 12.63). A kinetic study on the initial rate of this reaction revealed that the reaction in water is about 130 times faster than that in dichloromethane. It was assumed that hydrophobic reaction environments were created by combining Sc(DS)3 and substrates under the conditions, and that they were concentrated in water to realize efficient catalysis. Interestingly, under neat conditions, the reaction proceeded much slower to give the desired adduct in a much lower yield. 

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