Unsaturated compounds, synthesis with

Unsaturated compounds, synthesis with alkenyl- and alkynylaluminum reagents, 32, 2... 

Convenient disconnection of the 1,5-dicarbonyl pattern results in the a,p unsaturated compound, enone, with a highly reactive C=C bond. Partners in the synthesis are neutral enone and a-carbanion of the second carbonylic reagent to complete the well-known Michael addition [22, 23]. Hence, the disconnection of the central bond in the 1,5-dicarbonyl pattern is denoted as the retro-Michael. 

Addition of HCN to unsaturated compounds is often the easiest and most economical method of making organonitnles. An early synthesis of acrylonitrile involved the addition of HCN to acetylene. The addition of HCN to aldehydes and ketones is readily accompHshed with simple base catalysis, as is the addition of HCN to activated olefins (Michael addition). However, the addition of HCN to unactivated olefins and the regioselective addition to dienes is best accompHshed with a transition-metal catalyst, as illustrated by DuPont s adiponitrile process (6—9). 

Finally, the condensation of unsaturated compounds with fulminates known as the fulminic synthesis represents the simplest case of synthesis from nitrile oxides. Barnes has reviewed in detail the work carried out up to 1953 thus we shall be concerned here only wdth more recent publications or those of general interest. 

With respect to the carbonyl substrate, a variety of additional functional groups is tolerated, e.g. ester, ether, halogen. With compounds that contain an ester as well as a keto or aldehyde function, the latter usually reacts preferentially. Due to its mild reaction conditions the Wittig reaction is an important method for the synthesis of sensitive alkenes, as for example highly unsaturated compounds like the carotinoid 17 shown above. 

Example Ester (59) was needed for a photochemical synthesis of chrysanthemate ester (60), a component of the pyrethrin insecticides. The a,B disconnection (59a) gives synthon (61) and aldehyde (62). This 8,y-unsaturated compound could be made by dehydration of (63) as the double bond can appear in only the required position. On page T 149 we discussed the synthesis of (62) by the aldol dimerisation of (64), An alternative strategy is to work at the ester oxidation level (65) which means synthon (66) is needed to combine with (64). 

This aldol condensation is assumed to proceed via nucleophilic addition of a ruthenium enolate intermediate to the corresponding carbonyl compound, followed by protonation of the resultant alkoxide with the G-H acidic starting nitrile, hence regenerating the catalyst and releasing the aldol adduct, which can easily dehydrate to afford the desired a,/3-unsaturated nitriles 157 in almost quantitative yields. Another example of this reaction type was reported by Lin and co-workers,352 whereas an application to solid-phase synthesis with polymer-supported nitriles has been published only recently.353... 

The other stereoselective synthesis/281 shown in Scheme 8, foresees conversion of Boc-L-Asp-OtBu 20 into the related (3-aldehyde 22 via the Weinreb amide 21 and its reduction with diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBAL-H). Wittig condensation of 22 with the ylide derived from (3-carboxypropyl)triphenylphosphonium bromide using lithium hexamethyldisilaza-nide at —78 to 0°C, produces the unsaturated compound 23 which is catalytically hydrogenated to the protected L-a-aminosuberic acid derivative 24. Conversion of the co-carboxy group into the 9-fluorenylmethyl ester, followed by TFA treatment and reprotection of the M -amino group affords Boc-L-Asu(OFm)-OH (25). 

Dehydrobromation of halogenated phosphonium salts is currently used in the synthesis of unsaturated compounds, (cf. Section II.C) provided that a labile carbanion is created in a suitable position relative to the halogen atom (reaction 261). Such bases as Et3N (for / - or (5-halogenated phosphonium salts)288 or bromide anion357 may induce this elimination. Fluorine atoms of the cationic part of 3-methyl-1,1-difluorocyclopent-2-ene-1-phosphonium hexafluorophosphate were substituted when the compound was treated with absolute methanol under mild conditions412. 

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