Carboxylic acids, unsaturated synthesis

Because of the mild reaction conditions, and its broad applicability, the Knoevenagel reaction is an important method for the synthesis of a ,/3-unsaturated carboxylic acids. Comparable methods are the Reformatsky reaction, the Perkin reaction, as well as the Claisen ester condensation. The Knoevenagel reaction is of greater versatility however the Reformatsky reaction permits the preparation of a ,/3-unsaturated carboxylic acids that are branched in a-position. 

A cursory inspection of key intermediate 8 (see Scheme 1) reveals that it possesses both vicinal and remote stereochemical relationships. To cope with the stereochemical challenge posed by this intermediate and to enhance overall efficiency, a convergent approach featuring the union of optically active intermediates 18 and 19 was adopted. Scheme 5a illustrates the synthesis of intermediate 18. Thus, oxidative cleavage of the trisubstituted olefin of (/ )-citronellic acid benzyl ester (28) with ozone, followed by oxidative workup with Jones reagent, affords a carboxylic acid which can be oxidatively decarboxylated to 29 with lead tetraacetate and copper(n) acetate. Saponification of the benzyl ester in 29 with potassium hydroxide provides an unsaturated carboxylic acid which undergoes smooth conversion to trans iodolactone 30 on treatment with iodine in acetonitrile at -15 °C (89% yield from 29).24 The diastereoselectivity of the thermodynamically controlled iodolacto-nization reaction is approximately 20 1 in favor of the more stable trans iodolactone 30. 

Curran s synthesis of ( )-A9(l2)-capnellene [( )-2] is detailed in Schemes 30 and 31. This synthesis commences with the preparation of racemic bicyclic vinyl lactone 147 from ( )-norbomenone [( )-145] by a well-known route.61 Thus, Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of (+)-145 provides unsaturated bicyclic lactone 146, a compound that can be converted to the isomeric fused bicyclic lactone 147 by acid-catalyzed rearrangement. Reaction of 147 with methylmagne-sium bromide/CuBr SMe2 in THF at -20 °C takes the desired course and affords unsaturated carboxylic acid 148 in nearly quantitative yield. Iodolactonization of 148 to 149, followed by base-induced elimination, then provides the methyl-substituted bicyclic vinyl lactone 150 as a single regioisomer in 66% overall yield from 147. 

Esters of [1-(diethoxyphosphinyloxy)perfluoro-l-alkene]-phosphonic acid appear to be effective reagents for the synthesis of perfluoro-a,B-unsaturated carboxylic acids and their derivatives presumably an initially-generated perfluoroketene (166 ) is acted upon by a nucleophile (NuH=RNH2, I NH, or ROH). The ( E) / (Z) ratio of the product components increases with increasing length of R. 2 ... 

Few other examples of such reaction sequences have been described to date. Oh has reported the palladium-catalyzed reductive cyclizations of 1,6-enynes in the presence of formic acid or triethylsilane via an alkylpalladium intermediate and its application to organic synthesis. Palladium complexes also catalyze the conversion of a range of enynes to cyclic 6,7-unsaturated carboxylic acids in the presence of CO.260... 

The reactions are related to the incorporation of CO and H20 into alkenes or alkynes leading to the corresponding saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acids. The general equation is shown below. Equation lb is related to the synthesis of acrylic acid discovered by Reppe [11]. 

A very simple synthesis of the pheromone exo-brevicomin (4i) proceeds via an electrochemical Kolbe condensation between the unsaturated carboxylic acid 39 and the ketoacid 40, followed by hydroxylation of the double bond with OSO4, as... 

During the coverage period of this chapter, reviews have appeared on the following topics reactions of electrophiles with polyfluorinated alkenes, the mechanisms of intramolecular hydroacylation and hydrosilylation, Prins reaction (reviewed and redefined), synthesis of esters of /3-amino acids by Michael addition of amines and metal amides to esters of a,/3-unsaturated carboxylic acids," the 1,4-addition of benzotriazole-stabilized carbanions to Michael acceptors, control of asymmetry in Michael additions via the use of nucleophiles bearing chiral centres, a-unsaturated systems with the chirality at the y-position, and the presence of chiral ligands or other chiral mediators, syntheses of carbo- and hetero-cyclic compounds via Michael addition of enolates and activated phenols, respectively, to o ,jS-unsaturated nitriles, and transition metal catalysis of the Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. ... 

Ll-Rh complex was employed for the enantioselective synthesis of (S)-2-(4-fluorophe-nyl)-3-mefhylbutanoic acid (98% ee) [107], while the Pr-DuPhos-Rh complex was utilized for the enantioselective hydrogenation of a,/ -unsaturated carboxylic acids, as exemplified by tiglic acid [29]. 

There are several variations of the Claisen rearrangement that make it a powerfid tool for the synthesis of y,<5-unsaturated carboxylic acids. The ortho ester modification of the Claisen rearrangement allows carboalkoxymethyl groups to be introduced at the /-position of allylic alcohols.157 A mixed ortho ester is formed as an intermediate and undergoes sequential elimination and sigmatropic rearrangement. 

The (diastereoselective) conjugate addition of silylcuprate reagents to a variety of chiral derivatives of a,(3-unsaturated carboxylic acids can be used to prepare optically active p-silyl esters.258 259 Best results are obtained with substrates of type (25). The (related) p-silyl ketones, which also constitute valuable building blocks for (acyclic) stereoselective synthesis, are now accessible in high ee via palladium-catalyzed enantioselective 1,4-disiiylation of a,p-unsaturated ketones (Scheme 76).260... 

Finally, of note is the hydrogenation of a,/J-unsaturated carboxylic acids. This may be accomplished in a highly diastereoselective manner by the use of ruthenium(II)-BINAP complexes (equation 88)351. The chemical yields are high (83-99%) and the reaction occurs in up to 97% ee. This type of hydrogenation has been used as the key step in a synthesis of building blocks for protease inhibitors and has been performed on a 100 g scale352. 

The third reaction was related to the hydrocarboxylation of allenes with C02, catalyzed by a tridendate silyl pincer-type palladium complex [108]. In this reaction, a a-allyl palladium species (via hydropallation of allene) was formed, and its trigonal bipyramidal geometry allowed the facile coordination of C02 (presumably in a side-on fashion) and a following nucleophilic addition to realize the carboxylation of allene (Figure 4.16). This reaction proved to be very attractive not only as a C02 fixation reaction, but also as a general method for the synthesis of Py-unsaturated carboxylic acids. 

This section reviews some of the futher important methods of synthesis of (i) unsaturated alcohols, (ii) unsaturated carbonyl compounds, and (iii) unsaturated carboxylic acids. It also provides an opportunity to consider those methods which were not conveniently included elsewhere, but which are of great importance and interest. 

Walphos (138), developed by Sturm at the University of Vienna and optimized at Solvias, is derived from the Ugi amine 54.174175 Walphos can be electronically fine-tuned as various phosphine groups are introduced in separate steps of the synthesis. Walphos catalysts have been used to reduce enamide esters to a-amino esters, P-keto esters, a,P-unsaturated carboxylic acids, and itaconate esters with enantioselectivities >90%.176... 

Pollini, G. R, Barco, A. and De Giuli, G. Tetramethylguanidine-catalyzed addition of nitromethane to a,b-unsaturated carboxylic acid esters, Synthesis, 1972, id J5. 

Stensaas, K.L. and Bajaj, A. (2005) Aqueous solvents dictate the regiochemistry in the photooxidations of a,p-unsaturated carboxylic acid salts. Synthesis, (15), 2623-2624. 

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