Stereoselective synthesis of syn-α-methyl-β-hydroxy esters

Boron enolates of an ethyl ketone structurally related to erythrulose react with achiral aldehydes in a highly stereoselective fashion to yield 1,2-syn/1,3-syn stereoisomers. Oxidative cleavage of the aldol adducts yields enantiopure O-formylated syn-α-methyl-β-hydroxy esters, easily cleaved to the corresponding hydroxyl-free compounds. The aforementioned ketone behaves therefore as a chiral propionate enolate equivalent.     

Tandem nucleophilic addition/fragmentation reactions and synthetic versatility of vinylogous acyl triflates

A thorough analysis of the chemistry of vinylogous acyl triflates provides insight into important chemical processes and opens new directions in synthetic technology. Tandem nucleophilic addition/C-C bond cleaving fragmentation reactions of cyclic vinylogous acyl triflates 1 yield a variety of acyclic acetylenic compounds. Full details are disclosed herein. A wide array of nucleophiles, such as organolithium and Grignard reagents, lithium enolates and their analogues, hydride reagents, and lithium amides, are applied. The respective reactions produce ketones 2, 1,3-diketones and their analogues 3, alcohols 4, and amides 5. The present reactions are proposed to proceed through a 1,2-addition of the nucleophile to the carbonyl group of starting triflates 1 to form tetrahedral alkoxide intermediates C, followed by Grob-type fragmentation, which effects C-C bond cleavage to yield acyclic acetylenic compounds 2-5 and 7. The potent nucleofugacity of the triflate moiety is channeled through the sigma-bond framework of 1, providing direct access to the fragmentation pathway without denying other typical reactions of cyclic vinylogous esters. The synthetic versatility of vinylogous acyl triflates, including functionalization reactions of the cyclic enone core (1 --> 6 or 8), is also illustrated.     

Novel Grignard reaction of chelated boric esters derived from diethyl (2R,3R)-tartrate: a one-step access to a bulky γ,γ,γ-trisubstituted γ-hydroxy-β-ketoester via selective arylation and sequent deboronation

Reaction of the tetracoordinated spiroborate esters derived from diethyl (2R,3R)-tartrate with Grignard reagents was further examined and found that sterically hindered MesMgBr has different reaction behavior from PhMgBr to the spiroborate esters. It has been proved that in the case of PhMgBr reaction, the formation of the chiral bicyclodiboronic ester (R,R)-2 was accomplished step by step via two 1,3-cyclizations of the hydrolytic products of the resulting boron compound. However, in the case of MesMgBr reaction, only one esteral group of the tartrate moiety was diarylated, and a bulky γ,γ,γ-trisubstituted γ-hydroxy-β-ketoester and mesitylboronic anhydride were provided after the resultant was worked up. The composition and structure of the products were authorized by the spectral and single crystal X-ray analysis. A formation mechanism of γ-hydroxy-β-ketoester and mesitylboronic anhydride was also suggested.     

Influence de la solvatation par le tert-butanol sur la structure et la reactivite de l'enolate de potassium de l'acetylacetate d'ethyle en presence de couronne ou de cryptand. etude par spectrometrie infra-rouge et cinetique

The structure and the nucleophilic reactivity of crowned (18-crown-6) or cryptated {cryptand (2.2.2)} potassium ethyl acetoacetate enolate have been compared in tert-butanol and in DME (or THF). In the protic solvent tert-butanol, the crowned and the cryptated potassium enolate species both exist as loose ion pairs in which the enolate anion, strongly hydrogen-bonded to the solvent, is in a “transoid” (non chelating) conformation. Both species show similar reactivities towards alkylating agents but completely different reactivities are observed in aprotic weakly dissociating media (THF, DME). In contrast to what is observed in tert-butanol, the cryptated species and the crowned species have very different nucleophilic reactivities in THF or DME; in those solvents only the cryptated species retains a loose ion pair structure; the crowned species is a contact ion pair in which the enolate anion chelates the potassium cation. The solvation of this crowned chelate species by tert-butanol has been demonstrated in binary mixtures of solvents (C₆D₆-t-BuOH, THF-t-BuOH). The oxygen basicity of the enolate anion is very different in the crowned chelated ion pair compared with the cryptand separated ion pair.     

Claisen-type condensation of vinylogous acyl triflates

[reaction: see text] The Claisen-type condensation reaction of cyclic vinylogous carboxylic acid triflates with lithium enolates and their analogues produces acyclic alkynes bearing a 1,3-diketone-type moiety. The present transformation is proposed to proceed via a 1,2-addition of the enolate to the vinylogous acyl triflate, followed by fragmentation of the aldolate intermediate.     

The zirconium alkoxide-catalyzed aldol-Tishchenko reaction of ketone aldols

The aldol-Tishchenko reaction of ketone aldols as enol equivalents has been developed as an efficient strategy to furnish differentiated 1,3-anti-diol monoesters in one step. The thermodynamically unstable ketone aldols undergo a facile retro-aldolization to yield a presumed zirconium enolate in situ, which then undergoes the aldol-Tishchenko reaction in typically high yields and with complete 1,3-anti diastereocontrol. Evaluation of a broad range of metal alkoxides as catalysts and optimization of the reaction protocol led to a modified zirconium alkoxide catalyst with attenuated Lewis acidity and dichloromethane as solvent, which resulted in suppression of the undesired acyl migration to a large extent. Various ketone aldols have been prepared and subjected to the general process, giving rise to a broad range of differently substituted 1,3-anti-diol monoesters, which may be hydrolyzed to the corresponding 1,3-anti-diols.     

Ion-dipole complex formation from deprotonated phenol fatty acid esters evidenced by using gas-phase labeling combined with tandem mass spectrometry

The behavior of para-hydroxy-benzyl and hydroxy-phenylethyl fatty acid esters and methoxy derivatives toward the NH₃/NH₂ ^? system was investigated. Under these negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) conditions, proton abstraction takes place mainly at the more acidic site (i.e., phenol); however, this reaction is not entirely regioselective. Using NICI-ND₃ conditions, both isomeric phenoxide and enolate molecular species are produced in competition from these phenol esters. Their respective low-energy collision-activated dissociation spectra are studied, and they strongly differ, showing that these molecular species are not convertible to a common structure. Analysis of specific fragmentations of the OD-enolate parent species labeled by ND₃ in the gas phase, indicates that by charge-promoted cleavage, isomerization into an ion-dipole intermediate takes place prior to dissociation. This complex, containing a ketene moiety, isomerizes into different isomeric forms via two consecutive proton transfers: the first, which is very exothermic, is irreversible in contrast to the second, less exothermic reaction, which occurs via a reversible process. It is evidenced by the loss of labeling at phenol or enolizable sites in the fragment ions. Such a stepwise process does not take place from the phenoxide parent ion, which preferentially yields a very stable carboxylate ion. A thermochemical approach, using estimated acidity values, yields a rationalization of the observed reactivities of the various substrates studied.     

Lithium n-benzyltrimethylsilylamide (LSA): a new reagent for conjugate addition - enolate trapping reactions

Lithium N-benzyltrimethylsilyl amide (LSA) adds to crotonates in a 1,4-manner, though the reaction of ordinary lithium amides with α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds is accompanied with a 1,2-addition and hydrogen abstraction at the γ-position. The conjugate addition via LSA followed by enolate trapping with electrophiles produces the corresponding α-substituted β-amino esters, which are, in turn, converted into β-lactams and α-substituted α, β-unsaturated esters.     

Mass spectrometric studies on 17β-estradiol-17-fatty acid esters: Evidence for the formation of anion-dipole intermediates

The behaviour towards low collision energy processes (eV range) of [M  H]⁻ prepared under negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) ammonia conditions from 17β-estradiol-17-fatty acid esters has been investigated. From such bifunctional compounds containing two acidic sites (i.e. phenol and ester groups), two isomeric forms (i.e. phenoxide and enolate forms) characterize the [M  H]⁻ ion structures, whose distribution depends on the ion preparation mode. Here NICI (ammonia) provides both phenoxide and enolate forms as the [M  H]⁻ species. This behaviour contrasts with the regioselectivity observed for proton abstraction from phenol under NICI (N₂O) and fast atom bombardment conditions. Production of both phenoxide and enolate forms in NICI (ammonia) is demonstrated under NICI (ND₃) conditions in which DO-labelled [M_d  H]⁻ enolate ions are produced in a similar yield to unlabelled [M_d  D]⁻ phenoxide ions. Collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) spectra of both isomeric deprotonated molecules differ strongly by the presence of two different pairs of complementary daughter ions, suggesting that these ionic species are unconvertible. This is due to a steric hindrance effect on the long-distance proton transfer. A mechanistic investigation on the formation of fragment ion pairs produced under CAD was performed with various deuterium-labelled molecules. From these experiments, evidence is provided for molecular isomerizations into ion-dipole complexes (prior to dissociation) which are structurally dependent on the initial charge location. Direct dissociation of these intermediates competes with the occurrence of exothermic proton transfer(s) yielding the formation of other isomeric intermediate forms. The orientation of these proton transfers is dictated by the relative acidities of both moieties of the complex.     

Electronic structure of the enolate anion of chlorophyll b

The enolate anion of chlorophyll b (Chl b) has been synthesized under deoxygenated conditions and its electronic structure characterized for the first time by ¹H NMR and electronic absorption spectroscopy. The formation of the enolate anion caused a marked perturbation to the 18 π-electron [18]diazaannulene aromatic pathway of Chl b. This perturbation appeared as noticeable upfield shifts, exceeding 1 ppm, for the meso-CH protons of the Chl b enolate anion. Nevertheless, the enolate anion remained diatropic, maintaining aromaticity in its delocalized macrocycle.     

Competitive homolytic and heterolytic decomposition pathways of gas‐phase negative ions generated from aminobenzoate esters

An alkyl‐radical loss and an alkene loss are two competitive fragmentation pathways that deprotonated aminobenzoate esters undergo upon activation under mass spectrometric conditions. For the meta and para isomers, the alkyl‐radical loss by a homolytic cleavage of the alkyl‐oxygen bond of the ester moiety is the predominant fragmentation pathway, while the contribution from the alkene elimination by a heterolytic pathway is less significant. In contrast, owing to a pronounced charge‐mediated ortho effect, the alkene loss becomes the predominant pathway for the ortho isomers of ethyl and higher esters. Results from isotope‐labeled compounds confirmed that the alkene loss proceeds by a specific γ‐hydrogen transfer mechanism that resembles the McLafferty rearrangement for radical cations. Even for the para compounds, if the alkoxide moiety bears structural motifs required for the elimination of a more stable alkene molecule, the heterolytic pathway becomes the predominant pathway. For example, in the spectrum of deprotonated 2‐phenylethyl 4‐aminobenzoate, m/z 136 peak is the base peak because the alkene eliminated is styrene. Owing to the fact that all deprotonated aminobenzoate esters, irrespective of the size of the alkoxy group, upon activation fragment to form an m/z 135 ion, aminobenzoate esters in mixtures can be quantified by precursor ion discovery mass spectrometric experiments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Platinum(II) cationic complexes with derivatives of 2-acyl-1,3-cyclopentanedions

cis-Diammineplatinum(II) complexes containing 2-acyl-1,3-cyclopentadion fragments as a bidentate acido ligand were prepared by the transformation of cis-diamminediiodoplatinum(II) to cis-diamminesulfatoplatinum(II) under the action of silver sulfate with the subsequent treatment of the resulting complex by barium hydroxide and by the reaction of the synthesized base with a twofold amount of 2-acyl-1,3-cyclopentanedion. The products are the cationic complexes of cis-diammineplatinum(II) and contain 2-acyl-1,3-cyclopentanedionate as a bidentate acido ligand, which chelates platinum atom by the carbonyl groups of side acyl chain and one group connected with five-membered cycle, whereas a 2-acyl-1,3-cyclopentadion enolate anion forms counter ion.     

Acylations of β-Diketones with Dimethyl Malonate to Give 3,5,7-Triketo Esters and Their Cyclization Products

Work in this laboratory and elsewhere has shown that tetra-β-carbonyl compounds can be prepared by Claisen condensation of the weakly electrophilic monoanion of a β-keto ester with the strongly nucleophilic dianion of a β-dicarbonyl compound.¹ To avoid proton transfer from the active α-methylene group of the β-keto ester, or nucleophilic attack on its β-carbonyl group, the enolate anion rather than the neutral form is employed in the reaction.²     

Aluminum enolates via retroaldol reaction: catalytic tandem aldol-transfer—Tischtschenko reaction of aldehydes with aldol adducts of ketones to ketones

Bidentate aluminum chelates derived from biphenol, binaphthol and catechol were found to be efficient catalysts for aldol-transfer reactions of ketone to ketone aldol adducts with aliphatic or aromatic aldehydes giving rise to the formation of aldol adducts of ketones to the aldehydes. In the presence of an excess of an aliphatic aldehyde, a catalytic tandem aldol-transfer—Tischtschenko reaction is observed. The tandem reaction produces monoesters of 1,3-diols with high anti selectivity and with modest to good chemical yield. 1,2-Unsaturated aldehydes are less reactive in the aldol-transfer reaction and require 2-4 times higher load of the catalyst to be used than aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes. Poor diastereoselectivity was observed in the formation of α-substituted aldols and 2-substituted monoesters of anti-1,3-diols indicating that the aldol-transfer reaction is not diastereoselective with the catalysts studied. The utility of the highly 1,3-anti selective formation of diolmonoesters was found to be limited by acyl migration.     

The mechanism of the loss of H2 and H2O from 1,4-cyclohexanediol anion and related compounds

Losses of H₂ and H₂O from the [M-H]^? alkoxide anions of 1,4-cyclohexanediol formed in OH^? negative chemical ionization were studied using synthetic deuterated analogues and labelling by hydrogen-deuterium exchange between neutrals in the ion source prior to ionization. Simple 1,2-H₂ elimination leading to an enolate ion does not occur, but stereospecific mechanisms are shown to give a ketolate intermediate daughter ion. Collisionally activated dissociation spectra of the resulting daughter ions are the same as those of the corresponding ions generated directly from ketols.     

Collision-induced dissociation of ester enolate ions using fourier transform mass spectrometry

A series of ester enolates was investigated by the technique of collision-induced dissociation (CID) using a Fourier transform mass spectrometer. Two primary modes of fragmentation were observed which led to CID products characteristic of the acyl and alkoxyl moieties of the ester enolates. An investigation of the fragmentation mechanism revealed that the primary fragmentation mode appears to be a sensitive function of the structure and the proton affinities of the two possible product ions. In most cases the anion (ketenyl or alkoxide) with the lower proton affinity was observed as the threshold product, suggestive of a proton-bound dimer intermediate. Interesting secondary dissociations were observed to occur from the primary product ions, as alkoxide ions fragmented to enolate ions or other stabilized anions.     

A synthesis of esters, amides, and sulfones bearing a 1-cyclopentenyl group at the α-position from cyclobutanones with one-carbon ring-expansion

Treatment of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, derived from cyclobutanones and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, with lithium enolate of carboxylic acid tert-butyl esters, lithium enolate of carboxylic acid N,N-dimethylamides, or lithium α-carbanion of alkyl phenyl sulfones gave adducts in high yields. The adducts were treated with isopropylmagnesium chloride or ethylmagnesium chloride in dry toluene to give esters, amides, and sulfones bearing a 1-cyclopentenyl group at the α-position in moderate to good yields with one-carbon ring-expansion via magnesium carbenoid 1,2-CC insertion reaction. The magnesium carbenoid 1,2-CC insertion reaction proved to be highly stereospecific. The reaction mechanism and origin of the specificity are described.     

Regioselective addition of Ti enolates to conjugated enones: New insights into the mechanism based on experimental and DFT investigation

The regioselective addition mechanism of the Ti(IV) enolates derived from α-diazo-β-keto carbonyl compounds and α-diazo-β-keto phosphonates to conjugated enones has been studied on the basis of a hypothetical bridging chloride-controlled theory, by density functional theory (DFT), and experimentally. The DFT results indicate that, for the Ti(IV) enolate 3 derived from α-diazo-β-keto carbonyl compounds, the free energy of the bridging chloride-controlled 1,2-addition transition state is 2.4 kcal/mol higher than that of 1,4-addition, and the calculated enthalpies of 1,2-addition is 4.36 kcal/mol more than that of 1,4-addition. For the Ti(IV) enolate 4 derived from α-diazo-β-keto phosphonates, in contrary, the free energy of the bridging chloride-controlled 1,2-addition transition state is 1.1 kcal/mol lower than that of 1,4-addition, and the calculated enthalpy of 1,2-addition is 3.46 kcal/mol less than that of 1,4-addition. Our findings demonstrate that the nucleophilic addition of these Ti(IV) enolates to conjugated enones was carried out not only kinetically but also irreversibly for the first time.     

Stereoselective syntheses and transformations of chiral 1,3-aminoalcohols and 1,3-diols derived from nopinone

A library of 1,3-difunctionalized pinane derivatives were synthesized and applied as chiral catalysts in the addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde. 1,3-Aminoalcohol 6a was prepared from (−)-nopinone 2 via stereoselective Mannich condensation and reduction of the resulting β-amino ketone 4. The key aminoalcohol 6a was transformed into primary, secondary and tertiary substituted aminoalcohols in order to study the effect of the substituent on catalytic activity. Starting from (−)-nopinone, cis- and trans-β-hydroxy esters 15 and 16 were prepared in a two-step stereoselective synthesis. Reduction of the hydroxy esters resulted in pinane-based 1,3-diols, while hydrolysis of the esters, followed by DCC-mediated amidation and subsequent reduction, led to cis- and trans-N-benzyl-1,3-aminoalcohols 8 and 23. trans-N-Benzyl-1,3-aminoalcohol 8 was also prepared by selective mono-debenzylation of 6a via a continuous-flow process in an H-Cube® system. The resulting aminoalcohols and diols were applied as chiral catalysts in the reaction of diethylzinc and benzaldehyde.     

Enantioselective N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyzed α-Oxidative Coupling of Enals with Carboxylic Acids Using an Iodine(III) Reagent

The enantioselective α-oxidative coupling of enals with carboxylic acids was developed via the umpolung of an NHC-bound enolate with an iodine(III) reagent. The corresponding α-acyloxyl-β,γ-unsaturated esters were afforded in good yields, with high regio- and enantioselectivities. The key step of the reaction involves the formation of enol iodine(III) intermediate from the enolate with iodosobenzene, which changes the polarity of α-carbon of the enal from nucleophilic to electrophilic, and thus facilitates the subsequent addition of carboxylate.