Controlling the α/γ‐Reactivity of Vinylogous Ketone Enolates in Organocatalytic Enantioselective Michael Reactions

The first regio‐, diastereo‐, and enantioselective direct Michael reaction of β,γ‐unsaturated ketones with nitroolefins is enabled by Brønsted base/hydrogen‐bonding bifunctional catalysis. A squaramide‐substituted tertiary amine catalyzes the reaction of a broad range of β,γ‐unsaturated ketones to proceed at the α‐site exclusively, giving rise to adducts with two consecutive tertiary carbon stereocenters in diastereomeric ratios of up to >20:1 and enantioselectivities generally in the 90–98 % ee range.     

Stereoselective Aldol Reactions with α-Unsubstituted Chiral Enolates

The aldol reaction is among the most important methods of forming carbon-carbon bonds. The addition of an enolate to an aldehyde leads to the formation of at least one chiral center. In the case of α-substituted enolates it has to a large extent been possible to control the product stereochemistry, while the aldol reaction of α-unsubstituted chiral enolates was for many years a “problem child” for synthetic chemists because of its insufficient stereoselectivity. Progress in this area has only been made in the last few years using either new chiral auxiliaries or alternatives to the aldol reaction.     

Reactions of Methylphenylvinylsulfonium Tetrafluoroborate with Ketone Enolates

The reactions of methylphenylvinylsulfonium tetrafluoroborate (1) with the lithium enolates of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, acyclic ketones and cyclic ketones have been studied. Cyclopropanes and cyclic ethers are obtained. The reaction mechanisms are also discussed.     

A Mild Isomerization Reaction for β,γ‐Unsaturated Ketone to α,β‐Unsaturated Ketone

A series of β,γ‐unsaturated ketones were isomerized to their corresponding α,β‐unsaturated ketones by the introduction of DABCO in iPrOH at room temperature. The endo‐cyclic double bond (β,γ‐position) on ketone was rearranged to exo‐cyclic double bond (α,β‐position) under the reaction conditions.     

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.     

Single‐Flask Multicomponent Palladium‐Catalyzed α,γ‐Coupling of Ketone Enolates: Facile Preparation of Complex Carbon Scaffolds

A three‐component palladium‐catalyzed reaction sequence has been developed in which γ‐substituted α,β‐unsaturated products are obtained in a single flask by an α‐alkenylation with either a subsequent γ‐alkenylation or γ‐arylation of a ketone enolate. Coupling of a variety of electronically and structurally different components was achieved in the presence of a Pd/Q‐Phos catalyst (2 mol %), usually at 22 °C with yields of up to 85 %. Most importantly, access to these products is obtained in one simple operation in place of employing multiple reactions.     

Reactions of β-heteroatom substituted α,β-unsaturated ketones with dimethylsulfonium methylide

β-Alkoxy- and β-alkylthio α,β-unsaturated ketones react with dimethylsulfonium methylide (DMSM) to give a furan, while β-anilino α,β-unsaturated ketones give the pyrrole. β,β-Bis(alkylthio) α,β-unsaturated ketones react with DMSM to afford the methylene inserted products, λ,λ-bis(alkylthio) β,λ-unsaturated ketones.     

Reactions of α,β-unsaturated ketones with cyanoacetamide

3-Aryl-1-phenyl-2-propen-1-ones Ia-f and aroylphenylacetylenes Va-d reacted under reflux for 3 hours with cyanoacetamide in the presence of sodium ethoxide to give the corresponding 4-aryl-3-cyano-6-phenyl-2-(1H)pyridones VI. However, when ketones Ia-e were refluxed with cyanoacetamide for one hour in the presence of sodium ethoxide or piperidine, they gave the corresponding 4-aryl-3-cyano-3,4-dihydro-6-phenyl-2-(1H)pyridones IIIa-e, which upon heating with selenium gave the corresponding 2-pyridones VI. The structures of the products are based on chemical and spectroscopic evidence.     

Reactions of β-sulfenyl α,β-unsaturated ketones with guanidine,Amidines, and diamines

β-Sulfenyl α, β-unsaturated ketones 1a-c reacted with guanidine or amidines to give pyrimidine derivatives 3 in 14-76% yields. Treatment of ketones 1 with diamines such as ethylenediamine and o -phenylenediamine afforded the seven-membered heterocycles, 2,3-dihydro-1,4-diazepine 5 and 2,3-benzo-1,4-diazepines 8a-c .     

Reactions of α,β‐Unsaturated Thioamides with Diazo Compounds

Several reactions of the α,β‐unsaturated thioamide 8 with diazo compounds 1a – 1d were investigated. The reactions with CH₂N₂ ( 1a ), diazocyclohexane ( 1b ), and phenyldiazomethane ( 1c ) proceeded via a 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of the diazo dipole at the C?C bond to give the corresponding 4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carbothioamides 12a – 12c , i.e., the regioisomer which arose from the bond formation between the N‐terminus of the diazo compound and the C(α)‐atom of 8 . In the reaction of 1a with 8 , the initially formed cycloadduct, the 4,5‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazole‐3‐carbothioamide 11a , was obtained after a short reaction time. In the case of 1c , two tautomers 12c and 12c ′ were formed, which, by derivatization with 2‐chlorobenzoyl chloride 14 , led to the crystalline products 15 and 15 ′. Their structures were established by X‐ray crystallography. From the reaction of 8 and ethyl diazoacetate ( 1d ), the opposite regioisomer 13 was formed. The monosubstituted thioamide 16 reacted with 1a to give the unstable 4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carbothioamide 17 .     

Palladium Catalysis Enables Benzylation of α,α‐Difluoroketone Enolates

A palladium‐catalyzed decarboxylative benzylation reaction of α,α‐difluoroketone enolates is reported, in which the key C(α)?C(sp³) bond is generated by reductive elimination from a palladium intermediate. The transformation provides convergent access to α‐benzyl‐α,α‐difluoroketone‐based products, and should be useful for accessing biological probes.     

α‐ and β‐Glycosyl Sulfonium Ions: Generation and Reactivity

Low‐temperature electrochemical oxidation of thioglycosides gave glycosyl triflates from which glycosyl sulfonium ions were produced (see scheme). The latter were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and cold‐spray mass spectrometry as a mixture of α‐ and β‐isomers (45:55). The α‐glycosyl sulfonium ion exhibited higher reactivity than the β‐glycosyl sulfonium ion in the reaction with methanol, which gave a mixture of α‐ and β‐methyl glycosides (41:59).

     

Reactions of acetylenic β-keto cyanides and β-keto esters with different ammonia derivatives

Different aryl substituted acetylenic β-keto cyanides (IAa-o) and β-keto esters (IBa-o) reacted with each of hydrazine hydrate, phenylhydrazine, hydroxylamine hydrochloride and semicarbazide hydrochloride in boiling alcohol to give the same heterocyclic nucleus for each type of ammonia derivative. In certain cases, intermediate acetylenic hydrazides were isolated at room or zero temperatures and cyclized to give the appropriate pyrazol-5-one compounds when healed above their melting points. It is concluded that Michael addition is favoured at elevated temperatures and Claisen addition is favoured at lower temperatures.     

Reactions of α,β‐Enones with Diazo Compounds,Part 3

Carbonyl ylides arising from ethyl acetodiazoacetate/dimethyl diazomalonate and α,β‐enones with mainly s‐cis conformations underwent disrotatory cyclization to produce dihydrofuran derivatives. This process proved to be sensitive to steric effects. The corresponding ylides arising from rather s‐trans α,β‐enals yielded dioxole derivatives. The mechanisms of the reactions are discussed.     

Electrophilic Cyanation of Boron Enolates: Efficient Access to Various β‐Ketonitrile Derivatives

The highly efficient electrophilic cyanation of boron enolates using readily available cyanating reagents, N‐cyano‐N‐phenyl‐p‐toluenesulfonamide (NCTS) and p‐toluenesulfonyl cyanide (TsCN), is reported. Various β‐ketonitriles were prepared by this new protocol, which has a remarkably broad substrate scope compared to existing methods. The present method also allowed efficient synthesis of β‐ketonitriles containing a quaternary α‐carbon center. In addition, a preliminary result with the use of a chiral boron enolate for the enantioselective cyanation reaction is described.