Unsaturated ketone, conjugate

Data collected on the uv spectra of steroids are available in several books, spectmm adases, and review articles (263). The most characteristic absorptions in steroid hormones include a,P-unsaturated ketones, conjugated dienes, and phenoHc A-rings (264). 

Resonance is more important in a,j8-unsaturated ketones. Conjugation of the carbonyl group with the carbon-carbon double bond increases opportunities for electron delocalization. 

BIRCH hOCKEL - BENKESER Reduction Reduction of aromatics, unsaturated ketones conjugated dienes by alkali metals In ammonia or amines... 

Although ajS-unsaturated ketones (conjugated) are normally much more stable than the y-unsaturated isomers, some new examples of unusual stability in /3y-unsaturated ketones have appeared. Relief of conformational strain probably accounts for the positions of equilibrium (Scheme... 

There are two major reactions of organocuprates, and both give products reminiscent of a carbon nucleophile (1) reaction with alkyl halides and (2) conjugate addition with a,p-unsaturated ketones. Conjugate addition to a, 3-unsaturated ketones is promoted when ether is used as a solvent.381 The substitution reaction is promoted by the use of THF or ether-HMPA as a solvent. l As mentioned earlier, the mechanism of these reactions probably involves a one-electron transfer, although other mechanistic proposals are in the literature,but the synthetic result is that expected of a carbon nucleophile. 85 The general reactivity of organocuprates with electrophiles follows the order ... 

C—C Bond Formation using Organosilanes. Under catalysis by TiCU, allylsilanes transfer the allyl group, with rearrangement, to ketones, a/3-unsaturated ketones (conjugate addition), and quinones (initially giving the carbonyl addition product which then further rearranges to the 2-allyl-l,4-hydroquinone). But-3-enyl-silanes react with acid chlorides to yield cyclopropylmethyl ketones [reaction (3)) under similar conditions. 

All of the mixed organocopper reagents shown in Scheme 6.6 react with a,/3-unsaturated ketones. The efficiency of the reaction can be promoted by the addition of trialkylphosphines. a,/0-Unsaturated esters are borderline in terms of reactivity toward simple cuprates. Unsubstituted and monosubstituted acrylates generally are reactive but more extensively substituted acrylates are not. The R-Cu-BFs reagents are more reactive than simple cuprates toward a,j8-unsaturated esters and also react with a,/3-unsaturated nitriles. Boron trifluoride has been found to catalyze addition of dimethylcuprate to very hindered a,)0-unsaturated ketones.Conjugated acetylenic esters react readily with cuprate reagents, with syn addition being the kinetically preferred mode of addition. ... 

The addition of active methylene compounds (ethyl malonate, ethyl aoeto-acetate, ethyl plienylacetate, nltromethane, acrylonitrile, etc.) to the aP-double bond of a conjugated unsaturated ketone, ester or nitrile In the presence of a basic catalyst (sodium ethoxide, piperidine, diethylamiiie, etc.) is known as the Michael reaction or Michael addition. The reaction may be illustrated by the addition of ethyl malonate to ethyl fumarate in the presence of sodium ethoxide hydrolysis and decarboxylation of the addendum (ethyl propane-1 1 2 3-tetracarboxylate) yields trlcarballylic acid ... 

An interesting case are the a,/i-unsaturated ketones, which form carbanions, in which the negative charge is delocalized in a 5-centre-6-electron system. Alkylation, however, only occurs at the central, most nucleophilic position. This regioselectivity has been utilized by Woodward (R.B. Woodward, 1957 B.F. Mundy, 1972) in the synthesis of 4-dialkylated steroids. This reaction has been carried out at high temperature in a protic solvent. Therefore it yields the product, which is formed from the most stable anion (thermodynamic control). In conjugated enones a proton adjacent to the carbonyl group, however, is removed much faster than a y-proton. If the same alkylation, therefore, is carried out in an aprotic solvent, which does not catalyze tautomerizations, and if the temperature is kept low, the steroid is mono- or dimethylated at C-2 in comparable yield (L. Nedelec, 1974). 

This electron delocalization stabilizes a conjugated system Under conditions cho sen to bring about their mterconversion the equilibrium between a p 7 unsaturated ketone and an a p unsaturated analog favors the conjugated isomer... 

A synthetically useful reaction known as the Michael reaction, or Michael addition, involves nucleophilic addition of carbanions to a p unsaturated ketones The most common types of carbanions used are enolate 10ns derived from p diketones These enolates are weak bases (Section 18 6) and react with a p unsaturated ketones by conjugate addition... 

Outline two ways in which 4 methyl 2 octanone can be pre pared by conjugate addition of an organocuprate to an a p unsaturated ketone... 

A noteworthy development is the use of KH for complexing alkylboranes and alkoxyboranes to form various boron hydrides used as reducing agents in the pharmaceutical industry. Potassium tri-j -butylborohydride [54575-50-7] KB(CH(CH2)C2H )2H, and potassium trisiamylborohydride [67966-25-0] KB(CH(CH2)CH(CH2)2)3H, are usefiil for the stereoselective reduction of ketones (66) and for the conjugate reduction and alkylation of a,P-unsaturated ketones (67). 

The quiaones have excellent redox properties and are thus important oxidants ia laboratory and biological synthons. The presence of an extensive array of conjugated systems, especially the a,P-unsaturated ketone arrangement, allows the quiaones to participate ia a variety of reactioas. Characteristics of quiaoae reactioas iaclude nucleophilic substitutioa electrophilic, radical, and cycloaddition reactions photochemistry and normal and unusual carbonyl chemistry. 

CONJUGATE ALLYLATION OF a. -UNSATURATED KETONES WITH ALLYLSILANES 4-PHENYL-6-HEPTEH-2-0NE (6-Hepten-2-one, 4-pheny1-)... 

Metal-ammonia solutions reduce conjugated enones to saturated ketones and reductively cleave a-acetoxy ketones i.e. ketol acetates) to the unsubstituted ketones. In both cases the actual reduction product is the enolate salt of a saturated ketone this salt resists further reduction. If an alcohol is present in the reaction mixture, the enolate salt protonates and the resulting ketone is reduced further to a saturated alcohol. Linearly or cross-conjugated dienones are reduced to enones in the absence of a proton donor other than ammonia. The Birch reduction of unsaturated ketones to saturated alcohols was first reported by Wilds and Nelson using lithium as the reducing agent. This metal has been used almost exclusively by subsequent workers for the reduction of both unsaturated and saturated ketones. Calcium has been preferred for the reductive cleavage of ketol acetates. 

The Grignard reagent attacks the unsaturated ketones (3) and (6) from the relatively unhindered ot- or jS-side, respectively, perpendicular to the plane of the conjugated system. An analogous transition state (10) leading to axially substituted 1,6-addition products (11) from A -3-ketones (9) with methylmagnesium halide was suggested by Marshall. ... 

The addition of diazomethane to a,/l-unsaturated ketones, e.g., benzalace-tone and benzalacetophenone, results in A -pyrazolines (16) which decompose thermally to the conjugated ketones (17). Cyclopropane formation is not observed in this instance. 

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