Vanadium(V)‐Induced Oxidative Cross‐Coupling of Various Boron and Silyl Enolates

Intermolecular oxidative cross‐coupling of two different enolates is one of the most useful reactions to synthesize unsymmetrical 1,4‐dicarbonyl compounds. In this study, the oxovanadium(V)‐induced intermolecular oxidative cross‐coupling of enolates afforded unsymmetrical 1,4‐dicarbonyl compounds. Various boron and silyl enolates underwent the formation of ketone–ester, ester–ketone, ester–ester, amide–ketone and amide–ester coupling products . These results clearly show the versatility of the present oxidative cross‐coupling protocol.     

Iridium‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Allylic Substitution of Unstabilized Enolates Derived from α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones

We report Ir‐catalyzed, enantioselective allylic substitution reactions of unstabilized silyl enolates derived from α,β‐unsaturated ketones. Asymmetric allylic substitution of a variety of allylic carbonates with silyl enolates gave allylated products in 62–94 % yield with 90–98 % ee and >20:1 branched‐to‐linear selectivity. The synthetic utility of this method was illustrated by the short synthesis of an anticancer agent, TEI‐9826.     

Metal‐Free Photochemical Aromatic Perfluoroalkylation of α‐Cyano Arylacetates

We report here an operationally simple protocol for the direct aromatic perfluoroalkylation and trifluoromethylation of α‐cyano arylacetates. This metal‐free approach, which occurs at ambient temperature and under visible‐light irradiation, is driven by the photochemical activity of electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complexes, formed in situ by the interaction of transiently generated enolates and perfluoroalkyl iodides. Preliminary mechanistic studies are reported.     

Enantioselective Generation and Diastereoselective Reactions of Chiral Enolates Derived from α-Heterosubstituted Carboxylic Acids. Preliminary Communication

Dioxolanones 7 and 8a and oxazolinones 9a derived from pivalaldehyde and lactic acid, mandelic acid, and proline, respectively, furnish chiral enolates of type 3 by deprotonation with LDA. Reactions of these enolates with alkyl halides, aldehydes, and ketones (→ 8b, 9b, 11–13) are highly diastereoselective. Thus, the overall enantioselective α-alkylation of chiral, non-racemic α-heterosubstituted carboxylic acids (4 → 6) is realized.     

Facile synthesis of α-methylidene-γ-butyrolactones: intramolecular Rauhut–Currier reaction promoted by chiral acid–base organocatalysts

The acid–base organocatalyzed intramolecular Rauhut–Currier (RC) reaction of the dienone enolates has been developed. The enantioselective RC process produces the highly functionalized α-methylidene-γ-butyrolactones as a single diastereomer with up to 98% ee.     

Development of catalytic asymmetric reactions via chiral palladium enolates

This article describes the generation of chiral palladium enolates and their application to several kinds of catalytic asymmetric reactions. Two methods to generate chiral enolates were developed using novel cationic palladium complexes 1 and 2 . In these processes, water or a hydroxo ligand on palladium metal plays an important role as a nucleophile to promote the transmetallation or as a Brønsted base to abstract an acidic α‐proton of the carbonyl group. These enolates showed sufficient reactivity with various electrophiles. Using a chiral Pd enolate as a key intermediate, highly enantioselective reactions such as catalytic aldol reactions, Mannich‐type reactions, Michael reactions, and fluorination reactions were developed. The unique structures of the palladium enolate complexes were elucidated and reaction mechanisms are proposed. © 2004 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 4: 231–242; 2004: Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ) DOI 10.1002/tcr.20017     

Stereoselectivity in the aldol reaction: The use of chiral and achiral oxazolines as their boron azaenolates

Chiral oxazolines, as their boron enolates derived from various boron triflates, react with aldehydes to give erythro-selectivity (97% + %) with enantiomeric purities of 50–60%. Achiral oxazolines as their boron enolates derived from diisopinocampheylborane give, on reaction with aldehydes, β-hydroxy esters with high threo-selectivity (90+%) in 77–85% ee. A variety of structurally different oxazolines were also studied and many show high erythro -selectivity.     

Preparation and Application of Solid,Salt‐Stabilized Zinc Amide Enolates with Enhanced Air and Moisture Stability

The treatment of various N‐morpholino amides with TMPZnCl⋅LiCl (TMP=2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidyl) and Mg(OPiv)₂ in THF at 25 °C provides solid zinc enolates with enhanced air and moisture stability (t _1/2 in air: 1–3 h) after solvent evaporation. These enolates undergo Pd‐ and Cu‐catalyzed cross‐couplings with (hetero)aryl bromides as well as allylic and benzylic halides. The arylated N‐morpholino amides were converted into various ketones by LaCl₃⋅2 LiCl mediated acylation with Grignard reagents. The new, solid enolates were used to prepare a potent anti‐breast‐cancer drug candidate in six steps and 23 % overall yield.     

Stereoselective aldol condensations via alkenyloxy dialkoxyboranes : mechanistic and stereochemical details

A detailed investigation of the enolization of ketones with ethylenechloroboronate ( ECB ) in the presence of a tertiary amine and the subsequent aldol condensations of these boron enolates was conducted. The enolization with ECB- DPEA system was found to be regioselective except for the case of butanone. The stereochemistry of the enolates derived from ethyl ketones was defined as Z on the basis of ¹H-NMR comparison to the Z enolates obtained by a stereodefined route. A mechanistic model for the enolization is proposed to explain the enolization selectivity. E enolates were found to be more reactive than the Z enolates. The product aldol stereochemistry ( syn ) was correlated to the enolate geometry via a chairlike transition state ( Z enolates ) or via a boatlike transition state ( E enolates ).     

Computational SN2‐Type Mechanism for the Difluoromethylation of Lithium Enolate with Fluoroform through Bimetallic C−F Bond Dual Activation

The reaction mechanism for difluoromethylation of lithium enolates with fluoroform was analyzed computationally (DFT calculations with the artificial force induced reaction (AFIR) method and solvation model based on density (SMD) solvation model (THF)), showing an S_N2‐type carbon–carbon bond formation; the “bimetallic” lithium enolate and lithium trifluoromethyl carbenoid exert the C?F bond “dual” activation, in contrast to the monometallic butterfly‐shaped carbenoid in the Simmons–Smith reaction. Lithium enolates, generated by the reaction of 2 equiv. of lithium hexamethyldisilazide (rather than 1 or 3 equiv.) with the cheap difluoromethylating species fluoroform, are the most useful alkali metal intermediates for the synthesis of pharmaceutically important α‐difluoromethylated carbonyl products.     

A new method for the synthesis of dioxolenones via the carboxylation of ketone enolates with anisyl cyanoformate

The generality of the intramolecular dioxolenone photocycloaddition we have described depends on the availability of the requisite functionalized dioxolenones. We report herein a general approach to the preparation of dioxolenones, via carboxylation of ketone enolates with anisyl cyanoformate and condensation of the resulting ketoesters with acetone.     

Asymmetric enolate alkylation via templation with chiral synthetic receptors

C₃-Symmetric chiral receptors have been developed for enantioselective alkylation of sodium enolates of active methylene compounds. It has been demonstrated that a 1:1 binding complex forms between these receptors and sodium enolates in THF-d₈/CD₃CN by ¹H NMR titration experiments. Moderate enantiomeric enrichment of the benzylation product of 2-acetylcyclohexanone has been demonstrated using this strategy. Templation of enolate alkylation by synthetic receptors represents a new approach to asymmetric induction.     

Metal enolates of alpha-CF3 ketones: theoretical guideline, direct generation, and synthetic use

The difficulty as well as the significance of the direct generation of metal enolates of alpha-CF(3) ketones cannot be easily understood by chemists unfamiliar with F. In sharp contrast to the sunny side of non-F, hydrocarbon chemistry, F chemistry has long been overshadowed. Metal enolates of carbonyl compounds are synthetically important in C-C bond-forming reactions. However, the metal enolates of fluorinated carbonyl compounds have been severely limited to alpha-F metal enolates. Alpha-CF(3) metal enolates have generally been recognized as unstable and difficult to prepare because of the facile beta-M-F elimination. However, we have developed a direct generation and synthetic application of alpha-CF(3) metal enolates. Therefore, the present results regarding the direct generation and synthetic use of metal enolates of alpha-CF(3) ketones might be recognized as a real breakthrough for the general use of metal enolates in F chemistry.     

Regio- and diastereoselective rhodium-catalyzed allylic substitution with acyclic alpha-alkoxy-substituted copper(I) enolates: stereodivergent approach to 2,3,6-trisubstituted dihydropyrans

The regio- and diastereoselective transition metal-catalyzed allylic alkylation using alpha-heteroatom-substituted ketones and carboxylic acid derivatives represents a challenging and important synthetic transformation. We have developed a regio- and diastereoselective rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reaction utilizing the copper(I) enolates derived from alkyl protected acyclic alpha-alkoxy aryl ketones. This study suggests that the ability to form a chelated enolate intermediate is crucial for obtaining high diastereoselectivity, whereas excellent regioselectivity is obtained regardless of the substituent. Hence, the excellent selectivity coupled with the synthetic utility of alpha-alkoxy aryl ketone enolates makes this an important new method for the construction of acyclic adjacent ternary stereogenic centers. Finally, the synthetic utility of this protocol was highlighted through the conversion of the aryl ketone to the ester and the development of a stereodivergent approach to 2,3,6-trisubstituted dihydropyrans relevant to target-directed synthesis.     

Deplacement chimique en RMN 13C du carbone nucleophile d'un enolate et regioselective d'addition aux enones.

The ratio 1–2/1–4 addition of dimethyl-2,2 pentanone-3 enolates in Et₂O to chalcone may be correlated to the chemical shift of the nucleophilic center in the enolate. Changes in associative states can be used to inverse the regioselectivity.     

α-Alkylierung von β-Hydroxycarbonsäuren über 1,3-Dioxan-4-on-Enolate

Highly Diastereoselective α-Alkylation of β-Hydroxycarboxylic Acids Through Lithium Enolates of 1,3-Dioxan-4-ones From serine, β-hydroxyisobutyric acid (‘Roche’ acid) and β-hydroxybutyric acid, the dioxanones 1–6 were prepared. The generation of the enolates of type I with LDA at ?75° and alkylation gave products with trans-configuration whereas protonation of the 5-methyl-substituted enolate allowed access to the cis-configurated β-hydroxybutyric-acid derivative 12 . Hydrolysis gave the free β-hydroxy acids of ‘syn’-and ‘anti’-configuration. Alkylation of the 6-unsubstituted dioxanones 1 and 3 yielded predominantly products resulting from attack in the cis-position of the t-Bu group. The ‘reactive’ conformation of the enolates involved is tentatively derived from the product configuration. The selectivity of the alkylation is also discussed in terms of the results of an ab-initio calculation on the enolates M–P.     

Efficient asymmetric protonation of enolates with readily accessible chiral α-sulfinyl alcohols

The efficient asymmetric protonation of lithium enolates of 2-alkylcycloalkanones (87–96% ee) with readily accessible chiral α-sulfinyl alcohols is described. Optimal stereoselection is achieved for each lithium enolate at a different reaction temperature in the range −40 to −100°C.     

Palladium-catalyzed intermolecular alpha-arylation of zinc amide enolates under mild conditions

The intermolecular alpha-arylation and vinylation of amides by palladium-catalyzed coupling of aryl bromides and vinyl bromides with zinc enolates of amides is reported. Reactions of three different types of zinc enolates have been developed. The reactions of aryl halides occur in high yields with isolated Reformatsky reagents generated from alpha-bromo amides, with Reformatsky reagents generated in situ from alpha-bromo amides, and with zinc enolates generated by quenching lithium enolates of amides with zinc chloride. This use of zinc enolates, instead of alkali metal enolates, greatly expands the scope of amide arylation. The reactions occur at room temperature or 70 degrees C with bromoarenes containing cyano, nitro, ester, keto, fluoro, hydroxyl, or amino functionality and with bromopyridines. Moreover, the reaction has been developed with morpholine amides, the products of which are precursors to ketones and aldehydes. The arylation of zinc enolates of amides was conducted with catalysts bearing the hindered pentaphenylferrocenyl di-tert-butylphosphine (Q-phos) or the highly reactive, dimeric, Pd(I) complex [[P(t-Bu)3]PdBr]2.     

Zirconium enolate as a new erythro-selective aldol condensation reagent

Zirconium enolates, prepard from lithium enolates and bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium dichloride, undergo a facile aldol condensation with aldehydes to give predominantly the erythro product regardless of the geometry of the starting enolates.     

Synthetic utility of stannyl enolates as radical alkylating agents

[reaction: see text] The radical-initiated beta-ketoalkylation of haloalkanes with tributylstannyl enolates is described. Stannyl enolates derived from aromatic ketones are reactive toward the homolytic beta-ketoalkylation of simple haloalkanes as well as those activated by an electron-withdrawing group. The reactivity of stannyl enolates as radical alkylating agents can be utilized for an efficient three-component coupling reaction among stannyl enolates, haloalkanes, and electron-deficient alkenes.