Metal-induced cyclization of thiosemicarbazones derived from beta-keto amides and beta-keto esters: open-chain and cyclized ligands in zinc(II) complexes

The reactions of Zn(OAc)(2) with acetoacetanilide, methyl acetoacetate, o-acetoacetanisidide, and ethyl 2-methylacetoacetate thiosemicarbazones (HTSC(1), HTSC(2), HTSC(3), and HTSC(4), respectively) were explored in methanol. With HTSC(1), HTSC(2), and HTSC(3), following isolation of the corresponding zinc(II) thiosemicarbazonates [Zn(TSC(x))(2)] (x = 1, 2, 3), the mother liquors afforded pyrazolonate complexes [ZnL(1)(2)(H(2)O)] (HL(1) = 2,5-dihydro-3-methyl-5-oxo-1H-pyrazole-1-carbothioamide) that had been formed by cyclization of the corresponding TSC(-). The reaction of HTSC(4) with zinc(II) acetate gave only the pyrazolonate complex [ZnL(2)(2)(H(2)O)] (HL(2) = 2,5-dihydro-3,4-dimethyl-5-oxo-1H-pyrazole-1-carbothioamide). All compounds were studied by IR and NMR spectroscopy, and HTSC(3), [Zn(TSC(3))(2)] x DMSO, [ZnL(1)(2)(H(2)O)] x 2DMSO, and [ZnL(2)(2)(H(2)O)] x 2DMSO were also studied by X-ray diffractometry, giving a thorough picture of the cyclization process. In preliminary tests of the effects of HL(1) and [ZnL(1)(2)(H(2)O)] on rat paw inflammatory edema induced by carrageenan, HL(1) showed antiinflammatory activity.     

Zinc-mediated chain extension of beta-keto phosphonates

A variety of beta-keto phosphonates can be converted to gamma-keto phosphonates through reaction with ethyl(iodomethyl)zinc. The presence of alpha-alkyl substituents, Lewis basic functionality, and modestly acidic NH-protons are accommodated in substrates of this reaction. Chain extension of beta-keto phosphonates that contained olefinic functionality proceeded more quickly than cyclopropanation; however, it was not possible to effect the chain extension to the exclusion of cyclopropane formation. A primary reason for this imperfect chemoselectivity appears to be the slow chain extension of beta-keto phosphonates. Nevertheless, the simplicity, the scope, and efficiency of this method serve to make it an attractive alternative to the established methods for gamma-keto phosphonate formation.     

Reactions of thiosemicarbazones derived from beta-keto amides and beta-keto esters with Zn(II) and Cd(II) acetates: influence of metal, substitution, reagent ratio and temperature on metal-induced cyclization

Zinc(II) and cadmium(II) acetates were reacted in methanol under various experimental conditions with thiosemicarbazones derived from beta-keto amides or beta-keto esters (HTSC). Some of these reactions afforded thiosemicarbazonate complexes [M(TSC)2] with IR and NMR spectra compatible with N,S-coordination, but most gave complexes [ML2], where HL is a substituted 2,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1H-pyrazole-1-carbothioamide resulting from cyclization of the HTSC. Some of these pyrazolonates and two of the HL ligands were studied by X-ray diffractometry, and their structures are discussed. Surprisingly, the reactions of zinc(II) acetate with HTSC in 1:1 mol ratio usually gave a third, previously unreported type of complex with a dideprotonated ligand, [Zn(L-H)], which was also formed when [ZnL2] and Zn(OAc)2 interacted at room temperature in 1:1 mol ratio. These L-H complexes are highly insoluble in all common solvents, which hinders their characterization but suggests that they are polymeric in nature.     

Development of beta-keto 1,3-dithianes as versatile intermediates for organic synthesis

beta-Keto 1,3-dithianes can be generated by the double conjugate addition of dithiols to propargylic ketones, esters and aldehydes in excellent yields. As masked 1,3-dicarbonyl systems these substrates can be converted to a range of functionalised oxygen-containing heterocycles that can be used in natural product synthesis.     

Preparation of enantiopure ketones and alcohols containing a quaternary stereocenter through parallel kinetic resolution of beta-keto nitriles

Racemic 1-methyl-2-oxocycloalkanecarbonitriles have been subjected to bioreduction by the fungus Mortierella isabellina NRRL 1757 through a parallel kinetic-resolution process. The u and l alcohols thus obtained (up to >99% ee) were easily separated and oxidized to the R and S ketones, respectively. The process can be then repeated so that both enantiomers of the ketone and two epimers of the alcohol can be obtained in their enantiopure forms.     

Direct catalytic asymmetric mannich reactions of malonates and beta-keto esters

The first catalytic asymmetric direct Mannich reaction of malonates and beta-keto esters has been developed. Malonates react with an activated N-tosyl-alpha-imino ester catalyzed by chiral tert-butyl-bisoxazoline/Cu(OTf)(2) to give the Mannich adducts in high yields and with up to 96% ee. These reactions create a chiral quaternary carbon center and it is demonstrated that this new direct Mannich reactions provides for example a new synthetic procedure for the formation of optically active beta-carboxylic ester alpha-amino acid derivatives. A series of different beta-keto esters with various ester substituents has been screened as substrates for the catalytic asymmetric direct Mannich reaction and it was found that the best results in terms of yield, diastereo- and enantioselectivity were obtained when tert-butyl esters of beta-keto esters were used as the substrate. The reaction of different beta-keto tert-butyl esters with the N-tosyl-alpha-imino ester gave the Mannich adducts in high yields, diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to 95% ee) in the presence of chiral tert-butyl-bisoxazoline/Cu(OTf)(2) as the catalyst. To expand the synthetic utility of this direct Mannich reaction a diastereoselective decarboxylation reaction was developed for the Mannich adducts leading to a new synthetic approach to attractive optically active beta-keto alpha-amino acid derivatives. Based on the stereochemical outcome of the reactions, various approaches of the N-tosyl-alpha-imino ester to the chiral bisoxazoline/Cu(II)-substrate intermediate are discussed.     

Lanthanide triflate-promoted palladium-catalyzed cyclization of alkenyl beta-keto esters and amides

[reaction: see text] Lanthanide triflates were found to promote the palladium-catalyzed cyclization of alkenyl beta-keto esters and amides. In the presence of catalytic amounts of PdCl(2)(MeCN)(2) and Ln(OTf)(3), various alkenyl beta-keto esters and amides underwent regioselective cyclization reactions to give six-, seven-, or eight-membered-ring carbocycles in moderate to excellent yields.     

Novel intramolecular cyclopropanation reaction of unsaturated beta-keto esters

[reaction: see text] Fused cyclopropane beta-keto esters are versatile intermediates for the synthesis of many biologically active natural products. Here we report a new intramolecular cyclopropanation reaction of unsaturated beta-keto esters. In the presence of I(2), Et(3)N, and Lewis acids such as Mg(ClO(4))(2) and Yb(OTf)(3), beta-keto esters 1 bearing various olefin substituents were transformed to fused cyclopropanes 2 in a highly stereospecific manner with moderate to good yields. The mechanism of the reaction was also investigated.     

Speciation of hexavalent chromium in waters by liquid-liquid extraction and GFAAS determination

Diperoxo chromium oxide is produced by reaction of hydrogen peroxide on chromium(VI). Diperoxo chromium creates a complex with ethyl acetate, while chromium(III) remains in an unchanged form in the aqueous phase. By this means chromium(VI) can be extracted into ethyl acetate from the aqueous phase. The optimal conditions of Cr(III)-Cr(VI) separation, as well as the chromium content of the ethyl acetate phase were determined with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. In the second extraction of Cr(VI) from ethyl acetate back into water phase an additional preconcentration of chromium(VI) can be carried out. The detection limit (3σ) of the developed method found to be 200 ng dm^− 3 for the first extraction and 50 ng dm^− 3 after using the twofold extraction. In consequence of the matrix free ethyl acetate phase after the first extraction, with this separation a really extensive preconcentration of chromium(VI) can be realized.     

Efficient conversion of sulfones into beta-keto sulfones by N-acylbenzotriazoles

Acyclic sulfones 4a-f and alicyclic sulfone 7 react with readily available N-acylbenzotriazoles 3a-g (derived from aliphatic, aromatic, and heteroaromatic carboxylic acids) to provide the corresponding beta-keto sulfones 5a-n and 8a-c, respectively, in good to excellent yields.     

Über Kupfer(I)-carboxylate und Chlorocuprate(I)

In mixtures of 7 vol. acetonitrile and 3 vol. acetic acid, solutions or suspensions of copper(II) acetate can be reduced with hydrazine hydrate to solutions of copper(I) acetate. In this way, purely white copper(I) acetate can be isolated. Other copper(I) carboxylates can be prepared by reduction of copper(II) carboxylates or by reaction of solid carboxylic acids with copper(I) acetate. By adding acetyl chloride to solutions of copper(I) acetate in acetonitrile/acetic acid mixtures, solutions of chlorocuprates(I) are formed. From these, highly pure copper(I) chloride can be obtained. By adding alkali acetate or tetramethyl ammonium chloride to solutions of chlorocuprates(I), the pure compounds Cs₃[Cu₂Cl₅], Rb₂[CuCl₃] and NMe₄[Cu₂Cl₃] were obtained.     

Metallic salt promoted radical cyclization of beta-keto carboxamides and their corresponding beta-enamino carboxamides

Substituted lactams and spirolactams were obtained by Mn(III)-induced radical cyclization of unsaturated beta-keto carboxamides. Treatment of the corresponding tertiary enamines under similar reaction conditions and in the presence of K(2)CO(3) afforded the same cyclized products but with inversion of diastereoselectivity. The oxidation of optically pure secondary enamines leads to diastereomeric spirolactams in an approximately 3:1 ratio.     

Zinc-mediated ring-expansion and chain-extension reactions of beta-keto esters

[Chemical reaction: see text] The reaction of cyclic beta-keto esters with CF3CO2ZnCH2I provided the corresponding ring-expanded products in moderate to good yields. Although alpha-substituted acyclic beta-keto esters reacted with much less efficient, chain-extension reaction of simple beta-keto esters also proceeded effectively to generate gamma-keto esters in high yields.     

Highly stereoselective reagents for beta-keto ester reductions by genetic engineering of baker's yeast.

While whole cells of baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) are a convenient biocatalytic reducing agent for a wide variety of carbonyl compounds, mixtures of stereoisomeric alcohols are often observed since the organism contains a large number of reductase enzymes with overlapping substrate specificities but differing stereoselectivities. We sought to improve the performance of baker's yeast for beta-keto ester reductions by using recombinant DNA techniques to alter the levels of three enzymes known to play important roles in these reactions (fatty acid synthase, Fasp; aldo-keto reductase, Ypr1p; alpha-acetoxy ketone reductase, Gre2p). A complete set of "first-generation" yeast strains that either lack or overexpress each of these three enzymes was created and tested for improvements in stereoselective reductions of a series of beta-keto esters. On the basis of these results, multiply modified ("second-generation") strains were created that combined gene knockout and overexpression in single strains. In some cases, these additional modifications further improved the stereoselectivities of beta-keto ester reductions, thereby making several beta-hydroxy ester building blocks readily available by reactions that can be performed by nonspecialists. This work also revealed that additional yeast proteins participate in reducing beta-keto esters, and further progress using this strategy will require either additional genetic manipulations or the expression of yeast reductases in hosts that lack enzymes with overlapping substrate specificity.     

Synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds by the ceric ammonium nitrate promoted reaction of ketones with vinyl and isopropenyl acetate

1,4-diketones and 4-ketoaldehydes dimethylacetals can be prepared in good yields (65%–82%) by the cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate promoted reaction of ketones with isopropenyl acetate and vinyl acetate, respectively.     

Enantioselective chlorination and fluorination of beta-keto phosphonates catalyzed by chiral Lewis acids

The direct chiral Lewis acidic enantioselective chlorination and fluorination of beta-keto phosphonates is presented; the chlorination proceeds in high yields and with up to 94% ee using NCS as the chloro source, while the fluorination with (PhSO2)2NF (NFSI) gives the optically active alpha-fluoro-beta-keto phosphonates in moderate to good yields and with up to 91% ee.     

A novel synthesis of precursors to 3-thienylmalonic acid

Methyl 2-cyano-2-(3-thienyl)acetate can be prepared in 95% yield by treating methyl 2-cyano-2-(3-tetra-hydrothienylidene)acetate with sulfuryl chloride, followed by dehydrohalogenation with pyridine. The product can be hydrolyzed to 3-thienylmalonic acid, a pharmaceutical intermediate.     

Assembly of isoquinolines via CuI-catalyzed coupling of beta-keto esters and 2-halobenzylamines

CuI-catalyzed coupling of 2-halobenzylamines with beta-keto esters or 1,3-diketones in i-PrOH under the action of K(2)CO(3) produced 1,2-dihydroisoquinolines as the coupling/condensative cyclization products, which underwent smooth dehydrogenation under air atmosphere to afford substituted isoquinolines.     

Catalytic asymmetric Michael reaction of beta-keto esters: effects of the linker heteroatom in linked-BINOL

We describe the development of a general catalytic asymmetric Michael reaction of acyclic beta-keto esters to cyclic enones, in which asymmetric induction occurs at the beta-position of the acceptors. Among the various asymmetric catalyst systems examined, the newly developed La-NR-linked-BINOL complexes (R = H or Me) afforded the best results in terms of reactivity and selectivity. In general, the NMe ligand 2 was suitable for the combination of small enones and small beta-keto esters, and the NH ligand 1 was suitable for bulkier substrates (steric tuning of the catalyst). Using the La-NMe-linked-BINOL complex, the Michael reaction of methyl acetoacetate (8a) to 2-cyclohexen-1-one (7b) gave the corresponding Michael adduct 9ba in 82% yield and 92% ee. The linker heteroatom in linked-BINOL is crucial for achieving high reactivity and selectivity in the Michael reaction of beta-keto esters. The amine moiety in the NR-linked-BINOL can also tune the Lewis acidity of the central metal (electronic tuning of the catalyst), which was supported by density functional studies and experimental results. Another advantage of the NR-linked-BINOL ligand as compared with O-linked-BINOL is the ease of modifying a substituent on the amine moiety, making it possible to synthesize a variety of NR-linked-BINOL ligands for further improvement or development of new asymmetric catalyses by introducing additional functionality on the linker with the amine moiety. The efficiency of the present asymmetric catalysis was demonstrated by the synthesis of the key intermediate of (-)-tubifolidine and (-)-19,20-dihydroakuammicine in only five steps compared to the nine steps required by the original process from the Michael product of malonate. This strategy is much more atom economical. On the basis of the results of mechanistic studies, we propose that a beta-keto ester serves as a ligand as well as a substrate and at least one beta-keto ester should be included in the active catalyst complex. Further improvement of the reaction by maintaining an appropriate ratio of the La-NMe-linked-BINOL complex and beta-keto esters is also described.     

Decarboxylative aldol reactions of allyl beta-keto esters via heterobimetallic catalysis

Mild and selective heterobimetallic-catalyzed decarboxylative aldol reactions involving allyl beta-keto esters have been developed. The reaction is promoted by Pd(0)- and Yb(III)-DIOP complexes at room temperature and involves the in situ formation of a ketone enolate from allyl beta-keto esters followed by addition of the enolate to aldehydes. The reaction is a new example of heterobimetallic catalysis in which the optimized reaction conditions require the addition of both metals.