Zinc enolates Reformatsky reaction

Scheme 2.23 provides some examples of conjugate addition reactions. Entry 1 illustrates the tendency for reaction to proceed through the more stable enolate. Entries 2 to 5 are typical examples of addition of doubly stabilized enolates to electrophilic alkenes. Entries 6 to 8 are cases of addition of nitroalkanes. Nitroalkanes are comparable in acidity to (i-ketocslcrs (see Table 1.1) and are often excellent nucleophiles for conjugate addition. Note that in Entry 8 fluoride ion is used as the base. Entry 9 is a case of adding a zinc enolate (Reformatsky reagent) to a nitroalkene. Entry 10 shows an enamine as the carbon nucleophile. All of these reactions were done under equilibrating conditions. 

Zinc enolates (Reformatsky reagents), generated finom a-bromo esters and zinc, react with imines derived finom aromatic amines to yield 3-lactams (Scheme 19).>40-142 -phe stereoselectivity of the reaction varies 4 >46 (jjg nature of ester substituents R and R the bulkier the groups, the more trans isomer is produced. 

In the Reformatsky-Claisen rearrangement, allylic alcohols arc cstcrificd with a-bromoaeyl bromides and converted to the zinc enolate by reaction with zinc dust in benzene or toluene at 100 110CC. Under these conditions, zinc enolates readily undergo rearrangement to yield ,<)-unsaturated zinc carboxylates99. 

The Reformatsky reaction is a classical reaction in which metallic zinc, an a-haloester, and a carbonyl compound react to give a (i-hydroxyester.162 The zinc and a-haloester react to form an organozinc reagent. Because the carboxylate group can stabilize the carbanionic center, the product is essentially the zinc enolate of the dehalogenated ester.163 The enolate effects nucleophilic attack on the carbonyl group. 

Scheme 7.5 gives some examples of the Reformatsky reaction. Zinc enolates prepared from a-haloketones can be used as nucleophiles in mixed aldol condensations (see Section 2.1.3). Entry 7 is an example. This type of reaction can be conducted in the presence of the Lewis acid diethylaluminum chloride, in which case addition occurs at -20° C.171... 

Three approaches to zinc enolates are commonly adopted the process associated to the classical Reformatsky reaction is based on the insertion of Zn(0) into the carbon—halogen bond of an a-haloester. Two additional routes involve (i) transmetallation of a lithium enolate with a Zn(II) salt (Section V.A) and (ii) the transition-metal-catalysed conjugate addition of diethylzinc to Michael acceptors (Section V.B). 

Reformatsky reaction.6 Ultrasonic radiation is beneficial in the Reformatsky reaction. Yields are > 90%, and the rate is enhanced. Specially activated zinc is not necessary. However, iodine and potassium iodide are effective additives, possibly by suppressing enolization. The solvent of choice in this variation is dioxane. 

The Reformatsky reagents, i.e. zinc enolates of esters, undergo Ni catalysed cross-coupling with aryl halides.53 The Ni catalysed reaction of arylzincs with a-bromoacetates also permits a-arylation of esters54 (Scheme 11.13). However, a-alkenylation of enolates of ketones, aldehydes, and esters has been less satisfactory. Its further development is clearly desirable. Alternatively, a-alkenylation of a-iodoenones in conjunction with conjugate reduction discussed earlier should be considered. 

In a general sense, the Reformatsky reaction can be taken as subsuming all enolate formations by oxidative addition of a metal or a low-valent metal salt into a carbon-halogen bond activated by a vicinal carbonyl group, followed by reaction of the enolates thus formed with an appropriate electrophile (Scheme 14.1).1-3 The insertion of metallic zinc into a-haloesters is the historically first and still most widely used form of this process,4 to which this chapter is confined. It is the mode of enolate formation that distinguishes the Reformatsky reaction from other fields of metal enolate chemistry. 

Zinc enolates can be prepared in solvents of greatly different polarity, including THF, DME, Et20, 1,4-dioxane, benzene, toluene, dimethoxy-methane, DMF, B(OMe)3, DMSO, and mixtures thereof, just to mention the most frequently used ones.1-3 Reformatsky reactions in the absence of a solvent have also been described.7 The reagent is dimeric in the crystal state and in solution except for the most polar media.5,8... 

The insight that zinc ester enolates can be prepared prior to the addition of the electrophile has largely expanded the scope of the Reformatsky reaction.1-3 Substrates such as azomethines that quaternize in the presence of a-halo-esters do react without incident under these two-step conditions.23 The same holds true for acyl halides which readily decompose on exposure to zinc dust, but react properly with preformed zinc ester enolates in the presence of catalytic amounts of Pd(0) complexes.24 Alkylations of Reformatsky reagents are usually difficult to achieve and proceed only with the most reactive agents such as methyl iodide or benzyl halides.25 However, zinc ester enolates can be cross-coupled with aryl- and alkenyl halides or -triflates, respectively, in the presence of transition metal catalysts in a Negishi-type reaction.26 Table 14.2 compiles a few selected examples of Reformatsky reactions with electrophiles other than aldehydes or ketones.27... 

Reformatsky reactions have a bad reputation as being difficult to entrain. To the authors experience, however, the reactive donors such as alkyl bromo-acetates do not pose particular problems even under rather conventional conditions. Commercial zinc dust activated by pre-treatment with either iodine of preferentially with cuprous chloride (i.e. Zn(Cu)) readily inserts into these halocarbonyl compound with formation of the corresponding zinc enolates. Protocols 1 and 2 describe prototype examples for Reformatsky reaction in the conventional two-step or Barbier-type set-up, respectively. 

Another intermediate for which Die Is-Alder trapping provided convincing evidence is the oxy-allyl cation. This compound can be made from a,oc -dibromoketones on treatment with zinc metal. The first step is the formation of a zinc enolate (compare the Reformatsky reaction), which can be drawn in terms of the attack of zinc on oxygen or bromine. Now the other bromine can leave as an anion. It could not do so before because it was next to an electron-withdrawing carbonyl group. Now it is next to an electron-rich enolate so the cation is stabilized by conjugation. 

Reformatsky-typc" reaction into zinc enolates (2) by treatment with zinc dust in a refluxing aromatic hydrocarbon solvent These undergo Oaisen rearrangement to zinc carboxylates (3) of y,d-unsaturated acids. Yields are depressed by a-alkyl substitution of (1) thus (3) is obtained in 100% yield when R = = CHj and R = R = H. 

The Reformatsky reaction involves condensation of ester-derived zinc enolates with aldehydes or ketones to furnish the con-esponding [3-hydroxy esters. The zinc enolates are generated by addition of an a-haloester in THF, DME, Et20, benzene, or toluene to an activated zinc, such as a Zn-Cu couple or zinc obtained by reduction of zinc halides with potassium (Rieke zinc). An example of a Reformatsky condensation using Rieke zinc is shown below. ... 

Spectroscopic and crystallographic studies of Reformatsky reagents derived from a-halo esters showed that the enoiate is present in the C-enolate form and in ether solvents they form dimers. Enolates derived from a-halo ketones prefer the O-metal enoiate form. It is assumed, based on theoretical calculation, that the zinc enoiate dimers are dissociated by the action of the carbonyl compound and converted to the corresponding O-zinc enolates. Subsequently, the reaction goes through six-membered chairlike transition state. 

Difluoroester enolates are available by reduction of halodifluoroacetates with zinc metal [40]. Although the reaction of O-trimethylsilyl difluoroesterenolates with carbonyl compounds leads to the same reaction products as the analogous Reformatsky reaction [41] (Scheme 2.203), use of chiral catalysts results in additions with much greater enantioselectivity [42] (Scheme 2.204). 

The Reformatsky reaction has been known for over 100 years a-bromo esters, ketones and amides react with activated zinc dust to give zinc enolates, which can react with carbonyl compounds to give aldol-type products. Recent examples include the reactions with sterically crowded oxazolidone... 

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