Lewis base activation of Lewis acids: catalytic, enantioselective addition of glycolate-derived silyl ketene acetals to aldehydes

A catalytic system involving silicon tetrachloride and a chiral, Lewis basic bisphosphoramide catalyst is effective for the addition of glycolate-derived silyl ketene acetals to aldehydes. It was found that the sense of diastereoselectivity could be modulated by changing the size of the substituents on the silyl ketene acetals. In general, the trimethylsilyl ketene acetals derived from methyl glycolates with a large protecting group on the alpha-oxygen provide enantiomerically enriched alpha,beta-dihydroxy esters with high syn-diastereoselectivity, whereas the tert-butyldimethylsilyl ketene acetals derived from bulky esters of alpha-methoxyacetic acid provide enantiomerically enriched alpha,beta-dihydroxy esters with high anti-diastereoselecitvity.     

NaOH-catalyzed crossed Claisen condensation between ketene silyl acetals and methyl esters

We have developed a practical crossed Claisen condensation between ketene silyl acetals and methyl esters using catalytic NaOH to obtain alpha-monoalkylated beta-keto esters and inaccessible alpha,alpha-dialkylated beta-keto esters.     

Powerful Ti-crossed Claisen condensation between ketene silyl acetals or thioacetals and acid chlorides or acids

[Structure: see text] A powerful Ti-crossed Claisen condensation between ketene silyl acetals (KSAs) and acid chlorides was successfully performed to give alpha-monoalkylated esters and thermodynamically unfavorable (less accessible) alpha,alpha-dialkylated beta-keto esters in good yield (46 examples; 41-98% yield). A closely related reaction between ketene silyl thioacetals (KSTAs) and acid chlorides also proceeded smoothly to give alpha-monoalkylated and alpha,alpha-dialkylated beta-keto thioesters (21 examples; 61-97% yield). The present protocol was extended to the direct condensation of KSAs with carboxylic acids (14 examples; 71-97% yield).     

Synthesis and ring opening reactions of a 2-silabicyclo[2.1.0]pentane

Methyl 2-silabicyclo[2.1.0]pentane-1-carboxylate, obtained by a photochemical intramolecular cyclopropanation reaction of an [small alpha]-allylsilyl-[small alpha]-diazoacetate, undergoes ring opening reactions under different conditions leading to methyl 2-[diisopropyl(methoxy)silylmethyl]cyclopropane-1-carboxylate, a 1-sila-4-cyclopentene-2-carboxylate or an allyl(methoxysilyl)ketene.     

Enantioselective synthesis of bridged- or fused-ring bicyclic ketones by a catalytic asymmetric Michael addition pathway

Efficient methodology has been developed for the conjugate addition of ketene acetals to cyclic alpha,beta-enones. The chiral adducts allow access to fused- or bridged-ring structures such as those shown.     

Mild and efficient pentafluorophenylammonium triflate (PFPAT)-catalyzed C-acylations of enol silyl ethers or ketene silyl (Thio)acetals with acid chlorides

A pentafluorophenylammonium triflate (PFPAT) catalyst (5 mol %) successfully promoted C-acylation of enol silyl ethers with acid chloride to produce various beta-diketones (12 examples; 62-92% yield). Similarly, C-acylation of ketene silyl acetals or ketene silyl thioacetals (i.e., crossed Claisen condensation) proceeded smoothly to provide not only alpha-monoalkylated beta-keto (thio)esters but also thermodynamically unfavorable (less accessible) alpha,alpha-dialkylated beta-keto (thio)esters in good to excellent yield (38 examples; 60-92% yield).     

Vinylcyclopropylacyl and polyeneacyl radicals. Intramolecular ketene alkyl radical additions in ring synthesis

Treatment of a variety of substituted vinylcyclopropyl selenyl esters, e.g. 11, with Bu(3)SnH-AIBN in refluxing benzene leads to the corresponding acyl radical intermediates, which undergo rearrangement and intramolecular cyclisations via their ketene alkyl radical equivalents producing cyclohexenones in 50-60% yield. By contrast, treatment of conjugated triene selenyl esters, e.g. 32, with Bu(3)SnH-AIBN produces substituted 2-cyclopentenones via intramolecular cyclisations of their ketene alkyl radical intermediates. Under the same radical-initiating conditions the selenyl esters derived from o-vinylbenzoic acid and o-vinylcinnamic acid undergo intramolecular cyclisations producing 1-indanone and 5,6-dihydrobenzocyclohepten-7-one respectively in 60-70% yields. A tandem radical cyclisation from the alpha,beta,gamma,delta-diene selenyl ester 31 provides an expeditious synthesis of the diquinane 35 in 69% yield.     

Silylene transfer to carbonyl compounds and subsequent Ireland-Claisen rearrangements to control formation of quaternary carbon stereocenters

In this communication, we demonstrate that silylene transfer to carbonyl compounds provides a new method for regio- and stereoselective enolate formation. Silylene transfer to a range of alpha,beta-unsaturated esters under silver-catalyzed conditions proved to be a general method for the formation of oxasilacyclopentenes containing a cyclic silyl ketene acetal functionality. These oxasilacyclopentenes are useful synthetic intermediates that can undergo facile and selective Ireland-Claisen rearrangements and aldol addition reactions to provide products with multiple contiguous stereocenters and quaternary carbon centers.     

Ketene formation in benzdiyne chemistry: ring cleavage versus Wolff rearrangement

In the chemistry toward generating benzdiyne from five benzenetetracarboxylic dianhydride derivatives, ketene formation was exclusively observed in the photolysis of difluorobenzenetetracarboxylic dianhydride in a nitrogen matrix at 13 K. Two ketenes were formed concomitantly with difluorobenzdiyne. These ketenes were identified on the basis of good agreement between the observed and calculated (B3LYP/6-31G level) IR spectra. Neither ketene contained the five-membered-ring moiety as cyclopentadienylideneketene, which is formed by Wolff rearrangement in the benzyne chemistry. The first generated ketene was assigned to a ketene with a cyclopropene moiety, and the second, to a ketene with a butadiyne moiety. The first generated ketene was a major product in the photolysis and was formed by cleavage of the bond connecting the ketene group and the C-F carbon and not the bond connecting the ketene group and the carbene moiety. Thus the structures of these ketenes indicated that a unprecedented ring cleavage, rather than Wolff rearrangement, is the dominant process in the benzdiyne chemistry.     

Competitive consecutive electron transfer in determination of ionization potentials: ketene derivatives

Kinetics of competitive consecutive electron transfer was used to determine ionization potentials of transient species. Kinetics of two-stage electron transfer reactions in aprotic solvent was studied using 355 nm laser flash photolysis. The concentrations of transients produced by the laser flash photolysis were monitored by their light absorption. Triplet-excited tetrachloro-p-benzo-quinone (p-chloranil) generated by a 355 nm laser flash oxidized diethyl ketene, diphenyl ketene, or phenyl ethyl ketene to form radical cations. The ketene radical cations, in turn, oxidized tertiary amine, forming ground state ketene and ammonium radical cation. The kinetics of the disappearance of ketene radical cations (and/or appearance of ammonium radical cations) due to consecutive, competitive electron transfer to ketene and p-chloranil radical cations was monitored. By monitoring kinetics in the presence of tertiary amines with different oxidation potentials, it was established that in acetonitrile the oxidation potential of diethyl ketene was 5.4 eV; for phenyl ethyl ketene, it was approximately 4.8 eV; and for diphenyl ketene, it was 4.6 eV. The results were in agreement with the oxidation potentials of ketenes computed using published data.     

Synthesis of Ethyl 2-Cyano-3-Methylthio-3'-Arylaminoacrylate From Low Nucleophilic Amine

The synthesis of ketene N,S-acetals has attracted a considerable attention as building blocks in organic synthesis, especially in the preparation of heterocycles^[1]. The addition reaction of ketene S,S-acetals with highly nucleophilic amines, such as alkylamines, can easily afford the corresponding ketene N,S-acetals, under gentle condition, which could be converted into conjugated ketene aminals by reaction with a second equivalent of the same or a different amine^[2,3]. However, this addition reaction with low nucleophilic amines, such as arylamine or heterocyclic amine, can hardly give the corresponding ketene N,S-acetals under gentle conditions. If under powerful condition,such as refluxing, the addition reaction affords a mixture of the N,S-acetals and conjugated ketene aminals^[4]. Recent studies showed that this addition reaction with low nucleophilic amines affords the corresponding ketene N,S-acetals in the presence of a catalyst^[5].     

α,α-二乙酰基二硫缩烯酮和芳醛的缩合反应研究

在碱性条件下,α,α-二乙酰基二硫缩烯酮和芳醛的缩合反应受烷硫基的影响.α,α-二乙酰基二苄硫缩烯酮1和芳醛3缩合生成单面缩合脱乙酰基产物α-肉桂酰基二苄硫缩烯酮4;α,α-二乙酰基环二硫缩烯酮2和芳醛3缩合生成双面缩合产物α,α-二肉桂酰基环二硫缩烯酮5.     

Reactions of β-ketoesters and nitriles with carbon disulphide : Tautomerism of dithioesters and thio-Claisen rearrangement of ketene mercaptals

By use of the ion pair extraction technique tetrabutylammonium salts of ethyl and methyl acetoacetate, ethyl benzoylacetate, and cyanoacetone were reacted with CS₂ to give salts of dithioacids. Alkylation gave dithio-esters and ketene mercaptals. Rearrangements of allyl and crotyl ketene mercaptals of ethyl and methyl acetoacetate and ethyl benzoylacetate were studied. In the rearrangement of the dicrotyl ketene mercaptal of methyl acetoacetate an intermediate was detected supporting a four-step thio-Claisen rearrangement mechanism for dicrotyl ketene mercaptals, giving α-crotyl dithioesters with retention of the crotyl group.     

Ab initio studies on the mechanism of dimerization reactions of ketene imine and bis(trifluoromethyl)ketene imine

The dimerization reactions of ketene imine and bis(trifluoromethyl)ketene imine were studied theoretically. All the dimerization processes take place in a concerted but asynchronous manner, each proceeding through a four-membered ring transition state. For the ketene imine dimerization reactions, three different processes have almost equal activation barriers, while for the three bis(trifluoromethyl)ketene imine dimerization processes the reaction giving symmetrical a four-membered heterocyclic product has the lowest activation barrier. Received: 15 July 1998 / Accepted 3 September 1998 / Published online: 17 December 1998     

Thiophene durch S-alkylierung

The reaction of aroyl- and hetaroyl acetonitriles 1 with carbon disulfide and phenyl isothiocyanate, respectively, and -CH-acid halo compounds to ketene S,S-acetals 3, 5 and to ketene S,N-acetals 8, respectively, is described. In most cases the ketene S,S- and ketene S,N-acetals cannot be isolated. Base catalyzed cyclisation yields the thiophenes 4, 6, 9 and the thieno[2,3-b]thiophenes 7. However, the ketene S,N-acetal 8f leads to the thiazolidone 10. The mass- and IR-spectra of the synthesized compounds are discussed.     

Oxoketene-oxoketene, imidoylketene-imidoylketene and oxoketenimine-imidoylketene rearrangements. 1,3-Shifts of phenyl groups

Dibenzoylketene 5 undergoes degenerate 1,3-shifts of the phenyl group between acyl and ketene carbon atoms, thus interconverting it with 6 and 7. This 1,3-shift takes place in the gas phase under flash vacuum thermolysis (FVT) conditions, but not in solution at 110-145 degrees C. Imidoyl(benzoyl)ketene 13 undergoes degenerate 1,3-shift of the phenyl group on FVT, thus interconverting it with 14, but the ketenimine isomer 15 is not formed, and none of these shifts take place in the solid state at 250 degrees C. Imidoyl(p-toluoyl)ketene 21 undergoes a 1,3-p-tolyl shift, interconverting it with ketene 22 but not with ketenimine 23. The imidoyl(p-toluoyl)ketene rotamer 25 cyclizes to 4-toluoyloxyquinoline 28 and 4-quinolone 29. The cyclization of imidoyl(benzoyl)ketene 13 to 4-benzoyloxyquinoline 18, and of 25 to 28 involves 1,3-C-to-O shifts of benzoyl (toluoyl) groups. Calculations of the transition states for the transformations at the B3LYP/6-31G** level of theory are in agreement with the observed reaction preferences.     

Laser flash photolysis of 2-diazo-1,3-diphenyl-1,3-propanedione: An unusual long-lived triplet as a reaction intermediate

Laser flash photolysis of 2-diazo-1,3-diphenyl-1,3-propanedione (DBD) is presumed to involve a short-lived carbene, followed by Wolff rearrangement to a long-lived ketene. We have detected ketene ylides following photolysis of DBD in the presence of amines but not with pyridine. The triplet state of DBD lives several microseconds, an unusual observation for a diazo compound; however, the triplet is not a ketene precursor, which must result from excited singlet state fragmentation of DBD.     

Electron-ionization-induced fragmentation of N-monosubstituted 2-phenylacetamides

Electron-ionization-induced mass spectra of N-monosubstituted 2-phenylacetamides were recorded and their fragmentation patterns were studied by metastable-ion analyses. Representative deuterated analogues of these compounds have also been synthesized and their mass spectra compared with those of the unlabelled parent compounds. The most typical fragmentation for N-alkyl-, N-isoalkyl- and N-cycloalkyl-2-phenylacetamides is cleavage of the bond alpha to the carbonyl function, resulting in an ion fragment of m/z 92, following the transfer of hydrogen and elimination of a corresponding ketene. The primary fragmentation process for N-aryl substituted 2-phenylacetamides is the loss of an aromatic hydrogen atom from the molecular ion. The other principal fragmentation processes observed with these compounds are discussed.     

Silyl Ketene Imines: Highly Versatile Nucleophiles for Catalytic,Asymmetric Synthesis

This Minireview provides an overview on the development of silyl ketene imines and their recent applications in catalytic, enantioselective reactions. The unique structure of the ketene imine allows a diverse range of reactivity patterns and provides solutions to existing challenges in the enantioselective construction of quaternary stereogenic carbon centers and cross‐benzoin adducts. A variety of reactions for which silyl ketene imines have been applied are presented with an overall goal of inspiring new uses for these underutilized nucleophiles.     

α,α-二乙酰基二苄硫缩烯酮的碱催化脱乙酰基反应及缩合反应机理研究

α-羰基二硫缩烯酮是一类极其重要的有机合成中间体，烷硫基对该类具有推-拉电子效应的共轭体系的性质影响很大。据此，我们率先提出了烷硫基对α-羰基二硫缩烯酮类化合物的化学行为具有调控作用的观点，并将其归因于空间电子因素的作用，α-乙酰基-α′-羰基二苄硫缩烯酮(1)具有多反应性特征。近来，我们利用该特征在氢氧化钠催化下通过化合物1的环合合成了多取代噻吩类化合物；在乙醇钠-醋酸铅作用下经乙氧基对化合物1的苄硫基的取代实现了α-羰基-O，O-缩烯酮的合成。