Unsaturated ketones, hydrogenation selective

Reduction of unsaturated aldehydes seems more influenced by the catalyst than is that of unsaturated ketones, probably because of the less hindered nature of the aldehydic function. A variety of special catalysts, such as unsupported (96), or supported (SJ) platinum-iron-zinc, plalinum-nickel-iron (47), platinum-cobalt (90), nickel-cobalt-iron (42-44), osmium (<55), rhenium heptoxide (74), or iridium-on-carbon (49), have been developed for selective hydrogenation of the carbonyl group in unsaturated aldehydes. None of these catalysts appears to reduce an a,/3-unsaturated ketonic carbonyl selectively. 

As for some of the monodentate phosphine-based catalysts, ds-[Ru(6,6 -Cl2bpy)2(0H2)2][CF3S03]2 was found to require water for the best catalytic activity in the reduction of aldehydes and ketones [57]. Aldehydes and ketones were found to be hydrogenated, with reasonable yields. Unsaturated aldehydes were reduced with selectivity towards the unsaturated alcohol, whereas unsaturated ketones showed selectivity towards the saturated ketones. 

The Baeyer-Villiger rearrangement of cyclohexanone and acetophenone with TS-I/H2O2 proved to be poorly selective [117]. Notably, Ti-P and Sn-P have different chemoselectivities in the oxidation of unsaturated ketones, leading selectively to corresponding epoxides and lactones, respectively [118]. The different oxidation pathways were attributed to the preferential adsorption of hydrogen peroxide on Ti-sites and of the carbonyl group on Sn-sites. 

The selective reduction of polyfunctional molecules is of continuous interest in organic synthesis, especially in the field of natural products. Tetracyclic systans like styrenoid ketones have been found to be attractive precursors for the synthesis of cardiac glycosides. When the styrenoid bond in the enone was hydrogenated over 10% Pd/C in ethanol, at 1 atm of hydrogen and room tanperature, the double hydrogenated saturated ketone was formed (Scheme 11). However, the conjugated double bond in the unsaturated ketone was selectively reduced when the reaction was performed in piperidine (Scheme 11). 

Asymmetric syntheses of warfarin <96TL8321> and the axially chiral bicoumarin, isokotanin A <96TL3015> have been reported. The former is based on a Rh-catalysed asymmetric hydrogenation of a 3-(a,P-unsaturated ketone) substituted coumarin, whilst the key steps of the latter are an asymmetric Ullmann coupling and a selective demethylation. The stereochemistry of the fused dihydrocoumarin resulting from Li/NHs reduction of... 

Catalytic systems at very low metal loading 0.1% (w/w) obtained in this way can be conveniently used in the hydrogenation of a,P-unsaturated ketones to the corresponding saturated carbonyl compounds with very high efficiencies and selectivities. In Table 4 we report the results obtained in the selective hydrogenation of 4-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl)-3-buten-2-one, 1, and 2-acetyl-5,8-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydronaphthalene, 2, to the corresponding saturated carbonyl products (I), which are important intermediates... 

In contrast to kinetic models reported previously in the literature (18,19) where MO was assumed to adsorb at a single site, our preliminary data based on DRIFT results suggest that MO exists as a diadsorbed species with both the carbonyl and olefin groups being coordinated to the catalyst. This diadsorption mode for a-p unsaturated ketones and aldehydes on palladium have been previously suggested based on quantum chemical predictions (20). A two parameter empirical model (equation 4) where - rA refers to the rate of hydrogenation of MO, CA and PH refer to the concentration of MO and the hydrogen partial pressure respectively was developed. This rate expression will be incorporated in our rate-based three-phase non-equilibrium model to predict the yield and selectivity for the production of MIBK from acetone via CD. 

A dienol is also formed via hydrogen abstraction by the excited carbonyl group from a second enone molecule in (4.14). This dienol tautomerizes in C6F6 to give the (3,y-unsaturated ketone selectively, the overall reaction thus being deconjugation of the a,(3-unsaturated ketone415K... 

The product, although sensitive to light and air, was an effective catalyst for the transfer hydrogenation of several ketones in propan-2-ol. Unsaturated ketones were used with a SCR of 500 1, and mostly gave high selectivity and modest yields (Table 15.8). 

Other functional groups which have a heteroatom rather than a hydroxyl group capable of directing the hydrogenation include alkoxyl, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxylate, amide, carbamate, and sulfoxide. The alkoxy unit efficiently coordinates to cationic iridium or rhodium complexes, and high diastereoselectivity is induced in the reactions of cyclic substrates (Table 21.3, entries 11-13) [25, 28]. An acetal affords much lower selectivity than the corresponding unsaturated ketone (Table 21.3, entries 14 and 15) [25]. 

Electrocatalytic hydrogenation has the advantage of milder reaction conditions compared to catalytic hydrogenation. The development of various electrode materials (e.g., massive electrodes, powder cathodes, polymer film electrodes) and the optimization of reaction conditions have led to highly selective electrocatalytic hydrogenations. These are very suitable for the conversion of aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds to amines and a, fi-unsaturated ketones to saturated ketones. The field is reviewed with 173 references in [158]. While the reduction of conjugated enones does not always proceed chemoselectively at a Hg cathode, the use of a carbon felt electrode coated with polyviologen/Pd particles provided saturated ketones exclusively (Fig. 34) [159]. 

Okamura and Nakatani [65] revealed that the cycloaddition of 3-hydroxy-2-py-rone 107 with electron deficient dienophiles such as simple a,p-unsaturated aldehydes form the endo adduct under base catalysis. The reaction proceeds under NEtj, but demonstrates superior selectivity with Cinchona alkaloids. More recently, Deng et al. [66], through use of modified Cinchona alkaloids, expanded the dienophile pool in the Diels-Alder reaction of 3-hydroxy-2-pyrone 107 with a,p-unsaturated ketones. The mechanistic insight reveals that the bifunctional Cinchona alkaloid catalyst, via multiple hydrogen bonding, raises the HOMO of the 2-pyrone while lowering the LUMO of the dienophile with simultaneous stereocontrol over the substrates (Scheme 22). 

Selective catalytic hydrogenation with chromium-promoted Raney nickel is reported (e.g. citral and citronellal to citronellol) NaHCr2(CO)io and KHFe(CO)4 reduction of a/3-unsaturated ketones (e.g. citral to citronellal) has been described (cf. Vol. 7, p. 7). The full paper on selective carbonyl reductions on alumina (Vol. 7, p. 7) has been published." Dehydrogenation of monoterpenoid alcohols over liquid-metal catalysts gives aldehydes and ketones in useful yields. ... 

Of the acylation of aliphatics, the acylation of alkenes pioneered by Nenitzescu was mainly explored, because the resulting unsaturated ketones are intermediates in synthesis. This acylation of alkenes, however, has its difficulties. First, the product unsaturated ketones, which are reactive compounds themselves, can undergo various further transformations, such as addition, elimination, and isomerization, often resulting in complex product mixtures. The acylation of alkenes, therefore, is less selective and often yields products other than expected by a simple substitution of one of the vinylic hydrogens. 

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