Synthesis of 2-arylacrylic esters from aryl methyl ketones via Wittig reaction/singlet oxygen ene reaction

An efficient synthetic method has been developed for the synthesis of 2-arylacrylic esters from the corresponding aryl methyl ketones via Wittig reaction and singlet oxygen ene reaction. Wittig reaction to aryl methyl ketones with (methoxymethyl)triphenylphosphonium chloride in basic condition afforded the methyl enol ethers, and then 2-arylacrylic esters were obtained by singlet oxygen ene reaction, followed by tosylation and elimination in one-pot to the methyl enol ethers in good yields.     

Activated esters of substituted pyrazinecarboxylic acids

N-Amidino-3,5-diamino-6-chloropyrazinecarboxamide ( 1 ) has been shown to be an effective potassium sparing diuretic. Various carboxyl activating agents have been employed with 3-amino-pyrazinecarboxylic acids in an effort to synthesize analogs of 1. Stable enol esters were isolated from a number of such acids and N-t-butyl-5-methylisoxazolium perchlorate ( 12 ). Although strong bases in DMF or DMSO catalyze a competing destruction of the enol ester system, these esters are useful acylating agents for a variety of nucleophilic substrates in less polar media. Amides, esters, and thiol esters are produced in good yields under mild conditions from these activated esters.     

Ethyl alpha-fluoro silyl enol ether: stereoselective synthesis and its aldol reaction with aldehydes and ketones

Ethyl alpha-fluoro silyl enol ether is stereoselectively synthesized in high yield from inexpensive chlorofluoroacetate and Mg (or Zn) in DMF (or HMPA). Lewis acid promoted aldol reaction of this enol ether with aldehydes and ketones gives alpha-fluoro-beta-hydroxy esters in good to excellent yields.     

Stable enols from Grignard addition to 1,2-diesters: serendipity rules

The temperature-dependent formation of a remarkably stable enol from the reaction of EtMgBr with a 1,2-diester was accidentally discovered. This compound was spectroscopically characterized (¹H and ¹³C NMR, IR), and both methyl carbonate and trimethylsilyl ether derivatives were prepared. A mechanism for the selective formation of the stable enol ester and its corresponding keto form was suggested, and the kinetic stability of the enol was also documented. The generality of the observation of such a stable enol ester was demonstrated with the use of other Grignard reagents, and also other 1,2-diesters. The reaction of EtMgBr with a series of 1,2-amide esters also produced stable enol amides. The remarkable stability of the enol esters was attributed to the steric hindrance present in the aryl ester moiety of these compounds, and further studies will address the origin of this effect.     

Isomerization of enol esters derived from 2-acyl-1,3-cyclohexanediones: mechanism and driving force

A series of 2-acyl-1,3-cyclohexanediones were prepared and isomerization mechanisms of the corresponding enol esters were investigated. The driving force for this migration is likely that the intrinsic electrostatic repulsion between the 2-acyl oxygen atom and the two 1,3-diketone oxygens caused deformation of enol esters from planarity and resulted in their high susceptibility to enolization and subsequent isomerization.     

Efficient transesterification/acylation reactions mediated by N-heterocyclic carbene catalysts

Imidazol-2-ylidenes, a family of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC), are efficient catalysts in the transesterification involving numerous esters and alcohols. Low catalyst loadings of aryl- or alkyl-substituted NHC catalysts mediate the acylation of alcohols with enol acetates in short reaction times at room temperature. Commercially available and more difficult to cleave methyl esters react with primary alcohols in the presence of alkyl-substituted NHC to efficiently form the corresponding esters. While primary alcohols are selectively acylated over secondary alcohols with use of enol esters as acylating agents, methyl and ethyl esters can be employed as protective agents for secondary alcohols in the presence of the more active alkyl-substituted NHC catalysts. The NHC-catalyzed transesterification protocol was simplified by generating the imidazol-2-ylidene catalysts in situ.     

Coupling reactions of alpha-(N-carbamoyl)alkylcuprates with enol triflates derived from cyclic beta-keto esters: A facile approach to gamma-carbamoyl-alpha,beta-enoates

alpha-(N-Carbamoylalkyl)cuprates couple with enol triflates derived from carbocyclic and heterocyclic (i.e., piperidinones) beta-keto esters. Product yields are higher with the alkyl(cyano)cuprates [i.e., RCu(CN)Li, 56-93%] than with the dialkylcuprate reagents (i.e., R(2)CuLi.LiCN). An enol nonaflate works as well as the corresponding enol triflate. A facile synthetic route to gamma-amino alpha,beta-enoates not readily prepared from gamma-keto-alpha,beta-enoates is thus established. The gamma-amino-alpha,beta-enoates, available via N-Boc deprotection, can be cyclized to annulated pyrrolin-2-ones.     

Synthesis of Alkynes from Enol Esters

Eliminations leading from enol sulfonates, enol phosphates, and enol phosphonium salts to alkynes are reviewed. Olefin eliminations are usually the rate-determining step in the formation of the triple bond. Enol esters may also play a role in the biosynthesis of alkynes.     

Keto-Enol Tautomeric Equilibrium in 4-Oxo-1,1,3-Cyclohexanetricarboxylic Acid Trialkyl Esters and 4-Oxo-1, 1, 3-Cyclopentanetricarboxylic Acid Trialkyl Esters

4-Oxo-1,1,3-cyclohexanetricarboxylic acid trialkyl esters in deuterochloroform and dimethylsulfoxide-d⁶ (DMSO) exist exclusivly in the enol form. The keto form is the major component in the analogous compounds of five-membered ring. The 1, 3 interaction between carboalkoxy groups in the six-membered ring should be the reason why the carboalkoxy group at 3-position is in equatorial configuration and engages in the intramolecular hydrogen bond, so that the enol form is dominating.     

Tandem carbocupration/oxygenation of terminal alkynes

[chemical reaction: see text]. A direct and general synthesis of alpha-branched aldehydes and their enol derivatives is described. Carbocupration of terminal alkynes and subsequent oxygenation with lithium tert-butyl peroxide generates a metallo-enolate. Trapping with various electrophiles provides alpha-branched aldehydes or stereo-defined trisubstituted enol esters or silyl ethers. The tandem carbocupration/oxygenation tolerates alkyl and silyl ethers, esters, and tertiary amines. The reaction is effective with organocopper complexes derived from primary, secondary, and tertiary Grignard reagents and from n-butyllithium.     

First lipase catalysed resolution of epoxy enol esters

We report the first enzyme-catalysed kinetic resolution of epoxy enol esters. The lipase-promoted hydrolysis of these compounds provided α-hydroxyketones or α-hydroxyaldehydes (arising from the spontaneous rearrangement of the epoxy enols) and the residual esters with moderate to good enantioselectivity (E up to 100).     

A Rhodium(II) catalytic approach to the synthesis of ethers of a minor component in a tautomeric set

[equation--see text] The Rh(II)-catalyzed reaction of diazoacetic esters with various carbonyl compounds is an effective method for the synthesis of acetic ester ethers of the corresponding enol forms.     

Synthesis of Enol Esters from Copper(I) Carboxylates Generated from Copper(I) Trifluoromethanesulfonate Benzene Complex

A rapid method for the preparation of copper(I) carboxylates by use of copper(I) trifluoromethanesulfonate benzene complex followed by their conversion to enol esters under mild conditions is presented.     

Unexpected migration and oxidative cyclization of substituted 2-acetophenone triflates under basic conditions: synthetic and mechanistic insights

Oxidative ring closure of alkyl-substituted 2-hydroxyacetophenone trifluoromethanesulfonate esters (triflates) occurs upon exposure to base in anaerobic DMF at 20-90 degrees C. Alkyl substitution is required for ring closure. A migrated enol triflate product forms at lower temperature in high yield via migration of the trifluoromethanesulfonate in the unsubstituted and monoalkyl-substituted cases. The alkyl-substituted enol triflates also enter into the benzofuran-3-one ring-forming process under thermal cyclization conditions. Potential mechanistic pathways are evaluated.     

Solvent-dependent chemoselectivities in Ce(IV)-mediated oxidative coupling reactions

The oxidative coupling of 1,3-diketones, beta-keto esters, and beta-keto silyl enol ethers with allyl trimethylsilane in the presence of CTAN was investigated. In the case of acyclic diketones and esters, different chemoselectivities were observed in CH(3)CN and CH(2)Cl(2) leading to good yields of allylation and dihydrofuran products, respectively. [reaction: see text]     

Catalytic,asymmetric Mannich-type reactions of N-acylimino esters: reactivity,diastereo- and enantioselectivity,and application to synthesis of N-acylated amino acid derivatives

In the presence of a catalytic amount of Cu(OTf)(2)-chiral diamine 3e complex, N-acylimino esters reacted with silyl enol ethers to afford the corresponding Mannich-type adducts in high yields with high enantioselectivities. A wide variety of silyl enol ethers derived from ketones, as well as esters and thioesters, reacted smoothly. In the reactions of alpha-substituted silyl enol ethers (alpha-methyl or benzyloxy), the desired syn-adducts were obtained in high yields with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities. Several intermediates for the synthesis of biologically important compounds were prepared using this novel catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reaction, and at the same time, absolute and relative stereochemical assignments were made. In addition, it has been revealed that alkyl vinyl ethers reacted with N-acylimino esters in the presence of a catalytic amount of the Cu(II) catalyst to give the corresponding Mannich-type adducts in high yields with high enantioselectivities. This is the first example of catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reactions with alkyl vinyl ethers. The reaction mechanism, structure of chiral catalyst-electrophile complexes, and transition states of these catalytic asymmetric reactions were assumed based on X-ray crystallographic analysis of the Cu(II)-chiral amine complex, PM3 calculations, and FT-IR analyses, etc. Finally, (1R,3R)-N-(3-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-3-phenylpropyl)dodecanamide (HPA-12, 1), a new inhibitor of ceramide trafficking from endoplasmic reticulum to the site of sphingomyerin (SM) synthesis, has been synthesized efficiently using the present Mannich-type reaction as a key step. The synthesis involved three steps (two-pot), and total yield was 82.9%.     

Preparation and decarboxylative rearrangement of (Z)-enyne esters

A method to assemble (Z)-enyne esters via palladium-catalyzed cross coupling reactions of enol tosylates is reported. A base-mediated one-pot decarboxylative rearrangement of the enynes to enones is described. The scope of this process is examined.     

Preparation of enol ethers by carbonyl olefination utilizing an alkoxymethyl chloride-titanocene(II) system

Aldehydes, ketones, esters and lactones are transformed into enol ethers or 1,2-dialkoxy-1-alkenes by treatment with organotitanium species prepared from alkoxymethyl chlorides and a titanocene(II) complex.     

β-Nitroacrylates and silyl enol ethers as key starting materials for the synthesis of polyfunctionalized β-nitro esters and 1,2-oxazine-2-oxides

The reaction of silyl enol ethers with β-nitroacrylates, in the presence of tetrabutyl ammonium fluoride as catalyst, allows the formation of polyfunctionalized β-nitro esters, or hexahydro-4H-benzoxazine-2-oxides, depending on the nature of the starting silyl enol ethers.     

An olefin metathesis route for the preparation of (1-->6)-linked C-disaccharide glycals. A convergent and flexible approach to C-saccharide synthesis

A convergent route to a variety of C-1-disaccharide glycals based on the olefin metathesis reaction of enol ethers and alkenes is described. The DCC-mediated coupling reaction of a variety of pentose enitols (1a-c) with a number of C-5- and C-6-monosaccharide carboxylic acids (2a-e) gave the corresponding esters 3a-l in good yield. Methylenation of these compounds was followed by ring-closing metathesis, mediated by the Schrock molybdenum catalyst 8 in warm toluene, to provide the target C-disaccharide glycals 5a-l. The formed enol ether double bond in 5a was then transformed, via standard manipulations, into a variety of C-disaccharide derivatives 21-25.