Unsaturated ketones with active hydrogen

PhanePhos-ruthenium-diamine complexes catalyze the asymmetric hydrogenation of a wide range of aromatic, heteroaromatic, and cx,P-unsaturated ketones with high activity and excellent enantioselectivity (Burk, 2000). 

Fogassy, G., Tangier, A., Levai, A. (2003) Enantioselective hydrogenation of exocyclic alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones. Part 111. Hydrogenation with Pd in the presence of cinchonidine, y. Mol. Catal. A. Chem. 192, 189-194. Hapiat, F., Agboussou, F., Mortreux, A. (1994) Synthesis of new chiral arene Ru(ll) aminophosphine-phosphinite complexes and use in asymmetric hydrogenation of an activated keto compounds. Tetrahedron Asymm. 5, 515-518. 

With Unsaturated Compounds. The reaction of unsaturated organic compounds with carbon monoxide and molecules containing an active hydrogen atom leads to a variety of interesting organic products. The hydroformylation reaction is the most important member of this class of reactions. When the hydroformylation reaction of ethylene takes place in an aqueous medium, diethyl ketone [96-22-0] is obtained as the principal product instead of propionaldehyde [123-38-6] (59). Ethylene, carbon monoxide, and water also yield propionic acid [79-09-4] under mild conditions (448—468 K and 3—7 MPa or 30—70 atm) using cobalt or rhodium catalysts containing bromide or iodide (60,61). 

Table 3 summarizes the scope and limitation of substrates for this hydrogenation. Complex 5 acts as a highly effective catalyst for functionalized olefins with unprotected amines (the order of activity tertiary > secondary primary), ethers, esters, fluorinated aryl groups, and others [27, 30]. However, in contrast to the reduction of a,p-unsaturated esters decomposition of 5 was observed when a,p-unsaturated ketones (e.g., trans-chalcone, trans-4-hexen-3-one, tra s-4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one, 2-cyclohexanone, carvone) were used (Fig. 3) [30],... 

Bianchini and coworkers [126] found a difference in the chemoselectivity between the metals Fe, Ru, and Os in the complexes [M(H2)H(P(CH2CH2PPh2)3)]-BPh4 in the hydrogenation of benzylideneacetone by transfer from iso-propanol. The Fe and Ru catalysts reduced the 0=0 bond to give the allyl alcohol, with Ru more active than iron (TOF 79 IT1 at 60°C for Ru versus 13 IT1 at 80°C for Fe), while the Os catalyst first reduced the 0=0 bond but then catalyzed isomerization of the allyl alcohol to give the saturated ketone (TOF 55 IT1 at 80°C). The difference in reactivity was attributed to the weak binding of the alkene of the allyl alcohol to Fe and Ru relative to Os in these complexes. A variety of selec-tivities was noted for other unsaturated ketones, whereas unsaturated aldehydes were not hydrogenated. 

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. 

Kelly and colleagues91 explored the use of bisphenylenediol 103 as a catalyst in Diels-Alder reactions of a,/i-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Activation of the dieno-phile occurred through double hydrogen bonding of the two hydroxyl functions on 103 to the carbonyl group on the dienophile. The reaction of cyclopentadiene with methyl vinyl ketone (equation 31) at ambient temperature showed, after a reaction time of 10 minutes, 3% of product formation in the absence of 103 against 90% of product formation in the presence of 0.4 equivalents of 103. 

It is worth noting that use of unprotected diarylprolinol 33 provides an effective platform for the epoxidation of a,P-unsaturated ketones [148, 149]. Within these reports it was proposed that an alternative mode of activation of the substrate could be taking place. Hydrogen bonding catalysis, rather than iminium ion formation, could explain the results and would be consistent with the non-polar reaction medium adopted within these reactions. 

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