Allylic alcohols as synthetic enolate equivalents: isomerisation and tandem reactions catalysed by transition metal complexes

Allylic alcohols can be isomerised into carbonyl compounds by transition metal complexes. In the last few years, catalyst design and development have resulted in highly efficient isomerisations under mild reaction conditions, including enantioselective versions. In addition, the isomerisation of allylic alcohols has been combined with C-C bond forming reactions when electrophiles such as aldehydes or imines were present in the reaction mixture. Also, C-F bonds can be formed when electrophilic fluorinating reagents are used. Thus, allylic alcohols can be treated as latent enol(ate)s. In this article, we highlight the latest developments concerning the isomerisation of allylic alcohols into carbonyl compounds, focusing in particular on tandem isomerisation/C-C or C-heteroatom bond formation processes. Significant attention is given to the mechanistic aspects of the reactions.     

Highly enantio- and diastereoselective one-pot synthesis of acyclic epoxy alcohols and allylic epoxy alcohols

In this report, we outline a highly enantio- and diastereoselective one-pot method for the efficient synthesis of synthetically useful acyclic epoxy alcohols and allylic epoxy alcohols. Our method takes advantage of a highly enantioselective C-C bond-forming reaction to set the initial chirality. The resulting allylic zinc alkoxide intermediate is then epoxidized in situ using either dioxygen or TBHP in the presence of a titanium tetraalkoxide. Epoxy alcohols with up to three contiguous stereocenters are formed in one pot with excellent enantio- and diastereoselectivity. In cases where the zinc alkoxide intermediates contain two different allylic olefins, the more electron-rich double bond is chemoselectively epoxidized to afford an allylic epoxy alcohol. This method represents a highly efficient, stereoselective, and chemoselective approach to the synthesis of a wide range of useful epoxy alcohol and allylic epoxy alcohol products that were previously difficult to access.     

Highly efficient and regioselective allylic amination of allylic alcohols catalyzed by [Mo3PdS4] cluster

A highly efficient and regioselective allylation reaction of amines with allylic alcohols under mild conditions catalyzed by the cubane-type sulfido cluster [(Cp∗Mo)₃S₄Pd(dba)][PF₆] with H₃BO₃ as an additive has been developed. A variety of amines and allylic alcohols are investigated, and in the case of allylic alcohols bearing substituents at either α- or γ-position only linear allylic amination products are obtained.     

One-pot synthesis and resolution of chiral allylic alcohols

Substituted α,β-unsaturated ketones were selectively reduced to the corresponding allylic alcohols under mild reaction conditions. The allylic alcohols thus obtained were kinetically resolved by lipase catalyzed transesterification in the same pot to afford chiral allylic alcohols in excellent enantioselectivity. Various lipases were screened for this one-pot transesterification of allylic alcohols. Effects of different solvent have also been studied under these conditions. Pseudomonas cepacia lipase immobilized on ceramic particles (PS-C) and on diatomaceous earth (PS-D) catalyzes this transesterification in diisopropyl ether in a highly efficient manner.     

Regio- and stereoselective reductions of gem-difluorinated vinyloxiranes

[reaction: see text] gem-Difluorinated vinyloxiranes are versatile building blocks for the synthesis of fluorinated compounds. Investigations of their reactions with nucleophiles resulted in highly regio- and stereoselective reductions. In their reactions with LiAlH4, hydride reacted at the allylic epoxide carbon to produce homoallylic alcohols exclusively. Moreover, regio- and stereoselective S(N)2' reactions were observed with DIBAL-H and BH3 x THF; the former afforded E allylic alcohols, whereas the latter furnished the corresponding Z isomers with excellent selectivities.     

Gold- and silver-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with allylic alcohols

A highly efficient gold- and silver-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with allylic alcohols has been developed. The reaction was shown to proceed expediently for a wide variety of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and allylic alcohols, including 1° and terminal ones, under very mild conditions at room temperature in good to excellent yields (55-96%).     

Reactions of 2,3-epoxyhalides. Synthesis of optically active allylic alcohols and homoallylic epoxides

Mild and efficient reactions for the conversion of optically active 2,3-epoxy-halides to optically active allylic alcohols and optically active epoxides are described.     

Zinc oxide (ZnO) as a new, highly efficient, and reusable catalyst for acylation of alcohols, phenols and amines under solvent free conditions

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a highly efficient catalyst for the acylation of a variety of alcohols, phenols and amines with acid chlorides or acid anhydrides under solvent free conditions. Primary, secondary, tertiary, allylic and benzylic alcohols, diols and phenols with electron donating or withdrawing substituents can be easily acylated in good to excellent yield.     

水悬浮体系中α,β-环氧酮类化合物的合成研究

在水悬浮体系中使用三氯异氰尿酸/碱氧化体系对α,β-不饱和酮化合物进行环氧化和对烯丙基醇类化合物进行直接氧化-环氧化制备α,β-环氧酮, 考察了表面活性剂、碱等因素对反应的影响. 反应无需有机溶剂, 对于大部分的烯酮和烯丙基醇反应可以在数小时内完成, 产率良好.     

The propargylic route as efficient entry to monofluoro and gem-difluoro compounds: mechanistic considerations

The dehydroxy-fluorination of propargylic alcohols occurs with a complete regiocontrol and a good to complete stereocontrol, in contrast to the reactions performed on allylic alcohols. The gem-difluorination of propargylic ketones occurs smoothly in contrast to enones which have a very low reactivity towards DAST or Deoxo-fluor™. It is proposed that the large differences in the stabilization energies of the key carbonium ion intermediates (either propargylic or allylic) could explain these strong differences in reactivity during nucleophilic fluorination. The calculations of isodesmic reactions are in full agreement with this proposal.     

Selective Aerobic Oxygenation of Tertiary Allylic Alcohols with Molecular Oxygen

Aerobic epoxidation of tertiary allylic alcohols remains a significant challenge. Reported here is an efficient and highly chemoselective copper‐catalyzed epoxidation and semipinacol rearrangement reaction of tertiary allylic alcohols with molecular oxygen. The solvent 1,4‐dioxane activates dioxygen, thereby precluding the addition of a sacrificial reductant.     

Iodine-catalyzed allylic alkylation of sulfonamides and carbamates with allylic alcohols at room temperature

A highly efficient iodine-catalyzed allylic alkylation of a wide variety of sulfonamides and carbamates with allylic alcohols is reported herein. The reaction is operationally straightforward and proceeds under very mild conditions at room temperature in good to excellent yields (up to 99%).     

A comparison of intrazeolite and solution singlet oxygen Ene reactions of allylic alcohols

The singlet oxygen ene reactions of four allylic alcohols and for comparison an allylic ether have been examined both in solution and in zeolite Y. Brønsted acid sites in the zeolite were shown to induce decomposition of several of the allylic alcohols. Treatment of the zeolites with pyridine removed these acid sites and allowed intrazeolite reactions of the allylic alcohols without interference from decomposition. Control reactions with an allylic alcohol that is inert to decomposition provided evidence that the presence of pyridine in the zeolite labyrinth does not influence the product composition.     

Chirality transfer in Au-catalyzed cyclization reactions of monoallylic diols: selective access to specific enantiomers based on olefin geometry

The gold(I)-catalyzed cyclization of monoallylic diols to form tetrahydropyrans is shown to be highly stereoselective when chiral allylic alcohols are employed. Substrates that differ only in olefin geometry provide enantiomeric products from formal S(N)2' reactions in high yields with excellent chirality transfer. The allylic alcohol stereochemistry also efficiently controls the facial selectivity when the substrates include additional stereocenters.     

Palladium-catalyzed reactions of hypophosphorous compounds with allenes, dienes, and allylic electrophiles: methodology for the synthesis of allylic h-phosphinates

Hypophosphorous compounds (MOP(O)H(2), M = H, R(3)NH) effectively participate in metal-catalyzed C-P bond-forming reactions with allenes, dienes, and activated allylic electrophiles under mild conditions. The catalytic system Pd(2)dba(3)/xantphos is crucial to avoid or minimize the competitive reductive transfer-hydrogenation pathway available to hypophosphorous acid derivatives. Further investigation into the allylation mechanism provided access to the analogy allylic acetate-allylic phosphinate, which then led to the development of a Pd-catalyzed rearrangement of preformed allylic phosphinates esters and, ultimately, to a catalytic dehydrative allylation of hypophosphorous acid with allylic alcohols. The reactions disclosed herein constitute efficient synthetic approaches, not only to prepare allylic H-phosphinic acids but also their esters via one-pot tandem processes. In addition, the potential of H-phosphinates as useful synthons for the preparation of other organophosphorus compounds is demonstrated.     

Low-valent titanium-mediated stereoselective alkylation of allylic alcohols

We have developed low-valent titanium-mediated 1,3-transpositive cross-coupling reactions of acyclic and cyclic allylic alcohols for the stereoselective introduction of ethyl, 2-silylethyl, 2-phenethyl, and alkenyl groups. Cross-coupling of an allylic alcohol with a vinylsilane or styrene derivative is particularly noteworthy, as an efficient cross-selective coupling of two alkenes has been elusive. The stereochemistry of the cross-coupling alkylation is consistent with syn addition/beta-elimination.     

Enantioselective synthesis of allylic alcohols by the sequential aminoxylation-olefination reactions of aldehydes under ambient conditions

A novel, highly enantioselective synthesis of O-amino-substituted allylic alcohols by the sequential asymmetric alpha-aminoxylation/Wadsworth-Emmons-Horner olefination reactions of aldehydes is presented.     

Palladium-catalyzed electrophilic substitution of allyl chlorides and acetates via bis-allylpalladium intermediates

Palladium-catalyzed electrophilic allylic substitution of functionalized allyl chlorides and allyl acetates can be achieved in the presence of hexamethylditin under mild and neutral reaction conditions. This efficient one-pot procedure involves palladium-catalyzed formation of transient allylstannanes followed by generation of a bis-allylpalladium intermediate, which subsequently reacts with electrophiles. Using this catalytic transformation, various aldehydes and imines can be allylated providing highly functionalized homoallyl alcohols and amines. Furthermore, tandem bis-allylation reactions could be performed by employing tosyl isocyanate and benzylidenemalonitrile as substrates. A particularly interesting mechanistic feature of this reaction is that palladium catalyzes up to three different transformations in each catalytic cycle. Various allylic functionalities, including COOEt, CONH(2), COCH(3), CN, Ph, and CH(3), are tolerated in the catalytic reactions due to the application of neutral and mild reaction conditions. The substitution reaction occurs with very high regioselectivity at the branched allylic terminus. Moreover, in several reactions, a high stereoselectivity was observed indicating that this new catalytic process has a high potential for stereoselective synthesis. The regioselectivity of the reaction can be explained on the basis of DFT calculations. These studies indicate that the allylic substituent prefers the gamma-position of the eta(1)-allyl moiety of the reaction intermediate.     

Allylic alcohols as radical allylating agents. An overall olefination of aldehydes and ketones

2-Fluoropyridyl derivatives of allylic alcohols react with xanthates in the presence of lauroyl peroxide to give alkenes, often with high stereoselectivity. If the allylic alcohols are themselves derived from aldehydes or ketones, the overall process becomes a synthetic equivalent of the classical Wittig and related olefination reactions.     

Transition metal catalyzed nucleophilic allylic substitution: activation of allylic alcohols via π-allylic species

Modern organic synthesis now requires efficient atom economical synthetic methods operating under greener pathways to achieve C-C and C-heteroatom bond formation. Direct activation of allylic alcohols in the presence of transition metal catalysts leading to electrophilic π-allyl metal intermediates represents such a promising target in the field of nucleophilic allylation reactions. During the last decade, this topic of recognized importance has become an emerging area, and selected transition metals, sometimes associated with alcohol activators, have brought elegant solutions for performing allylic substitution directly from alcohols in a regio, stereo and enantioselective manner.