Ultrasound Reformatsky reactions

More recently, a pulsed sonoelectrochemical technique was developed to produce a suspension of fine Zn powder which can be directly used in Reformatsky reactions ZnCl2 and NH4C1 (supporting electrolyte) in diluted HC1 are subjected to a pulsed electrical current (current density = 104 Am-2 pulse duration = 300 ms) and to ultrasound for 1 h54. 

In 2004, the Reformatsky reactions of imine, a-bromoester, zinc dust, and a catalytic amount of iodine in dioxane under high intensity ultrasound (HIU) irradiation have been reported to afford (3-lactam and the corresponding (3-aminoester [178]. The reactions were performed in short reaction times and high yields of both products or a mixture of the two products were obtained, depending on the starting imine and on the a-bromoester (Scheme 79). 

Finally, the use of ultrasound to entrain Reformatsky reactions deserves mentioning.37 Since a conventional laboratory cleaning bath is usually sufficiently effective, this easily adaptable method should find wider use in particular for large scale preparations. The same may hold true for the use of sacrificial anodes and/or for Reformatsky-type reactions triggered by electrochemical means.38... 

The zinc-mediated Reformatsky reaction is one of the classical methods for carbon-carbon bond formation. To date, various main group metals and transition metals have been used for this reaction. Rieke s activated indium powder mediates readily the coupling of ethyl a-bromoacetate and a variety of carbonyl compounds yielding /3-hydroxy esters in good yields (Scheme 87).3 Later, commercially available indium powder has been found to be equally effective for the indium-based Reformatsky reaction in THF.28 This indium Reformatsky reaction is accelerated by ultrasound irradiation (Scheme 88).322,323 Indium(i) iodide also mediates the Reformatsky reaction of aldehydes and ketones to give /3-hydroxy esters, presumably via organoindium(m) diiodide (Scheme 89).27... 

Indium enolates, prepared conveniently by transmetalation of hfhium enolates with IriCl j, react wifh aldehydes to give fhe corresponding -hydroxy esters [80]. Ultrasound irradiation promotes fhe Reformatsky reaction of aldehydes and ethyl bromoacetate wifh indium [81]. Indium-mediated Reformatsky reaction of phenyl a-bromoalkanoates wifh ketones or aldehydes gives di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted -lactones (Scheme 8.57) [82]. Indium-mediated reaction of imines with ethyl bromoacetate gives 3-unsubstituted -lactams (Scheme 8.58) [83]. An indium-Refor-matsky reagent prepared from 2-(chlorodifluoroacetyl)furan couples with aldehydes (Scheme 8.59) [84]. 

The Reformatsky reaction is one of the first organometallic reactions studied under ultrasound irradiation,323 because of the known difficulties in the initiation step. Han and Boudjouk observed rates and yield (98% in 5 min of sonication in a bath) much higher in some typical reactions (Fig. 63) than commonly reached conventionally.324... 

Ultrasound can give useful improvements in the yield, reaction time, and convenience of organometallic reactions, and these facets of the technique are demonstrated well in its application to the Reformatsky reaction. Yields are improved by up to almost 100 % over the conventional method, and are nerally superior even to those of the trimethyl borate method. Reaction times are reduced by a factor of 5-10, and the need to prepare zinc powder by the active-metal reduction of anhydrous zinc chloride is eliminated. This technique has also been applied to the zinc-mediated dimerization of a,a -dibromo -xylene, although only low yields are obtained, and to the Pd-catalysed zinc coupling of allyl or aryl halides with perfluoroalkyl iodides. ... 

The intramolecular cyclization route to p-lactams still provides interest. P-Amino esters (obtained by a Reformatsky-type reaction of an imine and bromoacetates derived from chiral alcohols) are cyclized by the action Grignard reagents to 4-substituted P-lactams with impressive e.e. <96TL4095>. A similar approach through a Reformatsky-type reaction uses tricarbonyl(Ti -benzaldimine)chromium complexes and ultrasound <96T4849>. 3-Methyl-azetidin-2-ones (obtained from 3-amino-2-methylpropionates) have been resolved and their... 

Activation. Erdik1 has reviewed the methods used since 1970 for activation of zinc and of organozinc reagents. Although chemical activation is still useful, ultrasound activation is being used increasingly. Thus sonic activation allows use of ordinary zinc for cyclopropanation of alkenes with CH2I2 in 67-97% yield and for Reformatsky-type reactions at room temperatures. 

Aldol reactions. Aldol products are obtained in good yields from reaction of ketones with glyoxylic acid monohydrate with assistance of ultrasound irradiation. Substrate-control (by 1,3- + 1,5-asynmietric induction) of the aldol reaction involving y-amino-a-ketoesters under solvent-free conditions is very effective.- With lithium dicyclohexylamide and InCl, the reaction of esters with aldehydes furnishes P-hydroxy esters, and that of a-bromo esters affords a,p-epoxy esters." These are typical Reformatsky and Darzens reaction products, respectively. 

In a series of studies [97-99] the one-step - Reformatsky type - addition reaction to carbon-carbon double and triple bonds was investigated with ultrasound irradiation in which zinc was used together with activated allylic bromides such as... 

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