Wittig reaction equilibration

Monocyclic Phosphoranes. - Further studies on the mechanism and stereochemistry of the Wittig reaction have been conducted by a combination of 1H, 13C and 3 P n.m.r.2k 25. The results show that at -18°C both ois and trans diastereomeric oxaphosphetans (e.g. 17 and 18) may be observed and their decomposition to alkenes monitored by n.m.r. Evidence was presented to suggest that during this process oxaphosphetan equilibration involving the siphoning of (17) into (18) occurred in competition with alkene formation. 

By adding a strong base to the cold solution of the oxaphosphetane before it eliminates, die oxaphosphetane equilibrates to die more stable anti isomer and die E olefin is produced upon elimination. This so-called Schlosser modification in conjunction with the normal Wittig reaction enables either the Z or E isomer of the olefin to be prepared selectively. 

Some Japanese chemists needed the E,E-diene below for a synthesis of a neurotoxic compound that they had isolated from poison dart frogs. Unfortunately, their synthesis (which used a Wittig reaction—Chapter 14 and later in this chapter) gave only 4 1 E selectivity at one of the double bonds. To produce pure E,E-diene, they equilibrated the ,Z-diene to , by treating with iodine and irradiating with a sun-lamp. 

The normal preference for (Z) alkenes in reactions of non-stabilized phos-phoranes can be reversed by employing the Schlosser modification of the Wittig reaction (Scheme 6).19 Here, equilibration of the initially formed erythro and threo betaine intermediates is achieved by reaction with additional strong base, usually an alkyl lithium. The resulting betaine ylide then gives the (E) alkene on treatment with a proton source followed by potassium tert-butoxide. 

Wittig reaction-Schlosser modification One-pot multistep preparation of (E)-alkenes from "nonstabilized" phosphorous ylides and carbonyl compounds by the equilibration of the intermediate lithiobetaines. 488... 

If E,E dienes like 163 are wanted, then such Wittig reactions are ideal as the mixed products can be equilibrated to the E,E diene by addition of small amounts of radical generators such as iodine or PhSH. The commercial (BASF) synthesis of Vitamin A involves all trans retinol 174 that can be made from two different allylic ylids derived from 175 and 178 with the appropriate aldehydes 176 and 177. In both cases E,Z mixtures are formed, but equilibration with iodine gives 174 with an all E side chain.46 A different synthesis of such compounds appeared in chapter 11. 

The Wittig reaction was carried out by the Schlosser method - the ylid was generated with PhLi and the aldehyde added at low temperature (-70 °C). A second equivalent of PhLi was added and the intermediates allowed to equilibrate at -30 °C. Elimination of Ph3P=0 occurred under these conditions to give the E-alkene. Deprotection and aldol condensation gave the cyclopentenone in a very impressive 46% yield over the five steps from the original aldehyde. 

Marshall and Ruden have reported a stereoselective synthesis of nootkatone (298) in which the keto-ester (299) was annelated with tmns-pent-3-en-2-one to give the bicyclic keto-ester (300). The ethylidene moiety was converted to the 7 -acetyl group by epoxidation, acid-catalysed rearrangement, and basic equilibration. After bis-ketalisation of the diketo-ester (301) the carbomethyoxy-group was converted to the 5a-methyl group in three steps and a subsequent Wittig reaction yielded racemic nootkatone (298). An earlier synthesis of noot-... 

The last item (S) may explain why the independent betaine generation control experiments gave contradictory results. If betaines are high-energy species that lie above the saddle point leading from the ylide to the oxaphosphetane, then experiments that deliberately generate betaines (Schemes 3-5) may encounter pathways for stereochemical equilibration that are not accessible to typical Wittig reactions. 

Methods A, D, and E suffer from the inherent limitation that they deliberately generate a betaine as the precursor of the oxaphosphetane. Since there is no assurance that the reaction of an ylide with an aldehyde would involve the same ionic intermediate (19,21) these control experiments may provide opportunities for stereochemical equilibration that may not be available to the corresponding Wittig reactions. If the oxaphosphetane generated by methods A or E is stable enough to observe directly, then it is usually possible to distinguish between oxaphosphetane equilibration, betaine equilibration, and other mechanisms for loss of stereochemistry (21 c). However, this is not possible for oxaphosphetanes that contain unsaturated substituents at Cj because oxaphosphetane decomposition is fast at — 78°C (21c). In these examples, method A (like method D or E) can only establish an upper limit for equilibration of all of the conceivable intermediates betaines, betaine lithium halide adducts, oxaphosphetanes, and so on. 

There are some additional potential complications with the control experiments. Loss of stereochemistry in method D can be due to product equilibration induced by the phosphine additive as already mentioned. Furthermore, equilibration in method A or E can occur because of competing (reversible) (x-deprotonation to give the oxido ylide 38 or the derived hydroxy ylide 39 (21c). The latter problem can usually 1% avoided by lowering the temperature or by using a weaker base for the deprotonation of the )5-hydroxyphosphonium salt 27 or 28 (21c). Nevertheless, positive equilibration results cannot be attributed to retro-Wittig reaction unless (1) crossover is also demonstrated or (2) labeling results can rule out the intervention of 38 or 39. 

Tables 6 and 7 summarize results from stereochemical equilibration studies performed over the past decade by MaryanofT et al. (22,23), and Vedejs et al. (20, 21c, 39-42). A few other convincing examples are included to expand the scope of the systems covered. Table 6 lists those examples where control experiments establish at least 90% retention of stereochemistry from intermediates-to alkene products. As already discussed, the percentage of equilibration represents the upper limit for loss of stereochemistry from all possible pathways in the control experiments. No attempt has been made to determine whether the minor levels of stereochemical leakage in Table 6 occur at the stage of oxaphosphetanes, betaines, or other potential intermediates. Table 6 includes entries corresponding to all of the principal families of Wittig reagents nonstabilized ylides (entries 1-12, 24, 25, 29, and 30), benzylic ylides (entries 13-17 and 28), allylic ylides (entries 22, 23, 26, and 27), and ester-stabilized ylides (entries 18-21). The corresponding Wittig reactions must take place under dominant kinetic control.

There are also some examples where significant reversal and stereochemical equilibration of intermediates has been demonstrated in aldehyde Wittig reactions (Table 7, subset 1). Several additional examples of reversal from betaine generation experiments may also be relevant, depending on whether the same betaines play any role in the Wittig process (Table 7, subset 2). The following generalizations follow from the comparison of Tables 6 and 7. 

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