Efficient approach to 3,3-bissilyl carbonyl and enol derivatives via retro-[1,4] brook rearrangement of 3-silyl allyloxysilanes

A facile and highly stereoselective retro-[1,4] Brook rearrangement of 3-silyl allyloxysilanes has been discovered. While basic hydrolysis of the formed (Z)-3,3-bissilyl lithium enolates provides 3,3-bissilyl carbonyl compounds efficiently, trapping the species with various electrophiles including alkyl halides leads to the exclusive O-substituted (Z)-3,3-bissilyl enol derivatives that can undergo a Sakurai reaction with aldehyde to produce the synthetically useful 1,2-diol diastereoselectively.     

Enantioselective alkylations of tributyltin enolates catalyzed by Cr(salen)Cl: access to enantiomerically enriched all-carbon quaternary centers

The catalytic asymmetric alpha-alkylation of tributyltin enolates with a range of primary alkyl halides is catalyzed by a chiral Cr(salen) complex. The reaction constitutes the first transition-metal-catalyzed system for alpha-alkylation of carbonyl substrates with this important class of electrophiles, providing access to five-, six-, and seven-membered ring ketone products bearing alpha-quaternary stereocenters in high enantioselectivity and synthetically useful yields.     

Asymmetric allylic alkylation of ketone enolates: an asymmetric Claisen surrogate

[reaction: see text] The combination of catalytic palladium(0) and Trost ligand provides an effective catalyst for the rearrangement of allyl beta-ketoesters. The mechanism of the transformation involves formation of pi-allyl palladium intermediates which undergo enantioselective attack by ketone enolates. Decarboxylation of beta-ketocarboxylates allows regiospecific generation of enolates under extremely mild conditions.     

Diethylzinc-Mediated Cross-Coupling Reactions between Dibromoketones and Monobromo Carbonyl Compounds

A novel route to synthesize 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds is described. α,α-Dibromoketones generate zinc enolates through a diethylzinc-mediated halogen-metal exchange and react with α-bromocarbonyl compounds to furnish 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds via a second generation of zinc enolates. This cross-coupling reaction is enabled by the chemoselective formation of zinc enolates from α,α-dibromoketones in the presence of α-bromocarbonyl compounds. Chiral 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds can be obtained via the enantioselective bromination of aldehydes using a chiral secondary amine catalyst and a subsequent cross-coupling reaction between the resulting chiral α-bromoaldehydes and α,α-dibromoacetophenones.     

Sc3+-catalyzed aldol-type additions of N-benzoylcyclopropanecarboxamides via iodide-mediated ring-opening: stereoselective synthesis of gamma-lactams

A new catalytic aldol-type addition of cyclopropanecarboximides to aldehydes via iodide-mediated ring-opening is presented. The reaction was found to be catalyzed at 0 degrees C using either a Sc(OTf)3/NaI system or ScI3. Stereoselective formation of alpha,alpha-disubstituted enolates occurred in situ. gamma-Lactams bearing alpha-carbonyl quaternary stereocenters were obtained in 97-57% yield and dr = 90:10-80:20 after ring closure.     

Direct catalytic asymmetric aldol-type reaction of aldehydes with ethyl diazoacetate

The direct aldol-type condensation of aldehydes with ethyl diazoacetate catalyzed by the chiral complex of BINOL derivatives-Zr(O(t)Bu)(4) gave beta-hydroxy alpha-diazo carbonyl compounds with moderate enantioselectivities (53-87% ee). [reaction: see text]     

Pd(II) acts simultaneously as a Lewis acid and as a transition-metal catalyst: synthesis of cyclic alkenyl ethers from acetylenic aldehydes

The reaction of carbon-tethered acetylenic aldehydes with alcohols in the presence of a catalytic amount of Pd(OAc)2 in 1,4-dioxane at room temperature gave the 5- or 6-membered acetal products in high yields. The 13C NMR studies suggested that a Pd(II) catalyst exhibited dual roles in the present reaction; the attack of ROH to aldehyde is catalyzed by Lewis acidic Pd(OAc)2, and the nucleophilic oxygen of the resulting hemiacetal reacts with alkyne complexed by Pd(II), giving the alkenyl ethers.     

The tin(II) enolate addition reactions to α, β-unsaturated ketones and quinones

The reaction of tin(II) enolates with various α ,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds is examined. When TMSCl is added as an activator of the α,β-unsaturated ketones, the Michael addition reaction proceeds smoothly to give the corresponding 1,4-adduct in good yield. When 1,4-benzoquinone and its mono-imino derivative are employed as acceptors in conjunction with dichloromethylsilane- DMAP activator, a novel addition-reduction reaction takes place to afford the α-arylcarbonyl compounds.     

Reductive aldol-type reaction of α,β-unsaturated esters with aldehydes or ketones in the presence of Rh catalyst and Et2Zn

The reaction of RhCl(PPh₃)₃ with Et₂Zn easily generated a rhodium–hydride complex (Rh−H) that added to α,β-unsaturated esters to form rhodium enolate complexes by formal 1,4-reduction. These rhodium enolates gave the corresponding Reformatsky-type reagents through transmetalation, and they reacted with various aldehydes and ketones to give reductive aldol-type products in good to excellent yields.     

Selective allylation of carbonyl compounds in aqueous media

The use of aqueous neutral media leads to excellent yields of homoallylic alcohols from reaction sof allyl halides with carbonyl compounds in the presence of tin or zinc. The stereochemical course and range of application of this reaction have been investigated.     

Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of alpha-aminooxy and alpha-hydroxy ketone using nitrosobenzene

The highly enantioselective and O-selective nitroso aldol reaction of tin enolates 2 and nitrosobenzene (1) has been developed with the use of (R)-BINAP-silver complexes as a catalyst. After the various silver salts were surveyed, the AgOTf and the AgClO4 complex were found to be optimal in the O-selective nitroso aldol reaction in both asymmetric induction (up to 97% ee) and regioselection (O/N = >99/1), affording aminooxy ketone 3. The product 3 can be transformed to alpha-hydroxy ketone 5 without any loss of enantioselectivity. Thus, the method provides an efficient approach to the catalytic enantioselective introduction of oxygen alpha- to the carbonyl group.     

Palladium-catalyzed alpha-arylation of esters and amides under more neutral conditions

Two procedures for the alpha-arylation of carbonyl compounds under conditions that are more neutral than those of reactions of aryl halides with alkali metal enolates are reported. The first procedure rests upon the development of catalysts bearing the hindered pentaphenylferrocenyl di-tert-butylphosphine (Q-phos) and the highly reactive dimeric Pd(I) complex {P(t-Bu)3]PdBr}2. By this procedure, zinc enolates prepared from alpha-bromo esters and amides react with aryl halides to form alpha-aryl esters and amides in high yields under mild conditions with 1-2 mol % catalyst and with remarkable functional group tolerance. By the second procedure, silyl ketene and silyl ketimine acetals react with aryl bromides in the presence of substoichiometric zinc fluoride, 1 mol % Pd(dba)2, and 2 mol % P(t-Bu)3 in DMF solvent at 80 degrees C. Reactions of zinc tert-butyl acetate and propionate enolates and trimethylsilyl ketene acetals of tert-butyl propionate and methyl isobutyrate with aryl bromides bearing electron-donating and potentially reactive, base-sensitive electron-withdrawing groups and with pyridyl bromides are reported. In addition, the diastereoselective coupling of phenyl bromide with an imide enolate bearing the Evans auxiliary is reported, and this study shows that racemization of base-sensitive stereocenters does not occur during the coupling process under these more neutral conditions.     

Catalyzed cross-coupling of allyl bromides with allyl tin reagents

The reaction of allyl bromides with allyl tin reagents, catalyzed by palladium or zinc chloride gives cross-coupled products without allylic transpostion in the allyl halide partner but with predominate allylic rearrangement from the tin partner.     

Direct conversion of carbonyl compounds into organic halides: indium(III) hydroxide-catalyzed deoxygenative halogenation using chlorodimethylsilane

The reaction of carbonyls and chlorodimethylsilane was effectively catalyzed by indium(III) hydroxide and afforded the corresponding deoxygenative chlorination products, in which the carbonyl carbon accepted two nucleophiles (H and Cl) with releasing oxygen. Only In(OH)3 catalyzed the reaction, and typical Lewis acids such as TiCl4, AlCl3, and BF3.OEt2 showed no catalytic activity. The reaction mechanism of this deoxygenative chlorination includes initial hydrosilylation followed by chlorination. Other nucleophiles such as allyl or iodine were available for this methodology. The moderate Lewis acidity of indium catalyst enabled chemoselective reaction, and therefore ester, nitro, cyano, or halogen groups were not affected during the reaction course.     

Transition metal-catalysed acylation of alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with acylstannanes

Acylstannanes were found to add to such alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds as enones or ynoates in the presence of a nicel or palladium catalyst to give 2-stannyl-4-oxoalk-2-enoates or 1,4-diketones, whereas the three component coupling between acylstannanes, enones and aldehydes provided 2-hydroxymethyl 1,4-diketones.     

Palladium‐ and Nickel‐Catalyzed Alkenylation of Enolates

Transition‐metal‐catalyzed alkenylation of enolates provides a direct method to synthesize broadly useful β,γ‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds from the corresponding carbonyl compound and alkenyl halides. Despite being reported in the early seventies, this reaction class saw little development for many years. In the past decade, however, efforts to develop this reaction further have increased considerably, and many research groups have reported efficient coupling protocols, including enantioselective versions. These reactions most commonly employ palladium catalysts, but there are also some important reports using nickel. There are many examples of this powerful transformation being used in the synthesis of complex natural products.     

Unexpected hydrobromic acid-catalyzed C-C bond-forming reactions and facile synthesis of coumarins and benzofurans based on ketene dithioacetals

Hydrobromic acid was found to be a unique catalyst in C? C bond‐forming reactions with ketene dithioacetals. Distinctly different from other acids (including Lewis and Brønsted acids), the remarkable catalytic performance of hydrobromic acid in catalytic amounts was observed in the “acid”‐catalyzed reactions of readily available functionalized ketene dithioacetals 1 with various electrophiles. Under the catalysis of 0.1 equivalents of hydrobromic acid, the reaction of 1 with carbonyl compounds 2 a – l gave polyfunctionalized penta‐1,4‐dienes 3 or conjugated dienes 4 in good to excellent yields. The reaction tolerated a broad range of substituents on both the ketene dithioacetals 1 and the carbonyl compounds 2 . Application of this efficient C? C bond‐forming method generated coumarins 5 and benzofurans 7 under mild, metal‐free conditions by hydrobromic acid‐catalyzed reactions of 1 with salicylaldehydes 2 m – o and p‐quinones 6 a – d , respectively. A new reactive species, a sulfur‐stabilized carbonium ylide, formed depending on the nature of the counterion, and this was proposed as the key intermediate in the unique catalysis of hydrobromic acid.     

Synthesis of tertiary beta-hydroxy amides by enolate additions to acylsilanes

The synthesis of tertiary beta-hydroxy amides from acylsilanes, acetamides, and electrophiles is described. The addition of amide enolates to acylsilanes generates beta-silyloxy homoenolate reactivity by undergoing a 1,2-Brook rearrangement. These unique nucleophiles formed in situ can then undergo smooth addition to alkyl halides, aldehydes, and ketones. Enolates derived from amides are crucial for the success of this process since ketone enolates suffer from internal return of the beta-carbanion onto the carbonyl carbon. The use of optically active amide enolates delivers beta-hydroxy amide products with good levels of diastereoselectivity (>/=10:1).     

Conversion of Carbonyl Compounds to Olefins via Enolate Intermediate

A general and efficient protocol to synthesize substituted olefins from carbonyl compounds via nickel catalyzed C—O activation of enolates was developed. Besides ketones, aldehydes were also suitable substrates for the presented catalytic system to produce di‐ or tri‐ substituted olefins. It is worth noting that this approach exhibited good tolerance to highly reactive tertiary alcohols, which could not survive in other reported routes for converting carbonyl compounds to olefins. This method also showed good regio‐ and stereo‐selectivity for olefin products. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicated that the reaction was accomplished through nickel catalyzed C—O activation of enolates, thus offering helpful contribution to current enol chemistry.     

Synthesis of quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides from 4,5(6,7)-dimethylbenzofuroxan

In this study, novel substituted quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides were synthesized from novel substituted benzofuroxan. 4,5(6,7)-Dimethylbenzofuroxan 3 was prepared by the thermal decomposition of 2,3-dimethyl-6-nitrophenylazide 2 . Novel quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides derivatives were obtained using compound 3 and the enolic form of 1,3-diketones 4 catalyzed by silica gel or molecular sieves. These reactions gave isomeric quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides 5 and 6 . These reactions of compound 3 may involve tautomers 4,5-dimethylbenzofuroxan 3a , 6,7-dimethylbenzofuroxan 3b on the surface of a solid catalyst.