NaOH-catalyzed crossed Claisen condensation between ketene silyl acetals and methyl esters

We have developed a practical crossed Claisen condensation between ketene silyl acetals and methyl esters using catalytic NaOH to obtain alpha-monoalkylated beta-keto esters and inaccessible alpha,alpha-dialkylated beta-keto esters.     

Mild and efficient pentafluorophenylammonium triflate (PFPAT)-catalyzed C-acylations of enol silyl ethers or ketene silyl (Thio)acetals with acid chlorides

A pentafluorophenylammonium triflate (PFPAT) catalyst (5 mol %) successfully promoted C-acylation of enol silyl ethers with acid chloride to produce various beta-diketones (12 examples; 62-92% yield). Similarly, C-acylation of ketene silyl acetals or ketene silyl thioacetals (i.e., crossed Claisen condensation) proceeded smoothly to provide not only alpha-monoalkylated beta-keto (thio)esters but also thermodynamically unfavorable (less accessible) alpha,alpha-dialkylated beta-keto (thio)esters in good to excellent yield (38 examples; 60-92% yield).     

Lewis acid mediated aldol condensations using thioester silyl ketene acetals

BF₃-OEt₂ mediated thioester silylketene acetal additions to aldehydes are stereoconvergent and give high anti-syn ratios and good chemical yields. An acyclic transition state model was hypothesized in order to account for the observed selectivity. Theoretical methods (MNDO) were used to evaluate the ground-state conformations of thioester silylketene acetals and to model the acyclic transition states. Lewis acid mediated additions of thioester silylketene acetals to 2-phenylpropion-aldehyde (BF₃-OEt₂), O-benzyl lactic aldehyde (SnCl₄), 2,3-0,O-dibenzyl glyceraldehyde (SnCl₄), and 3-benzyloxy-2-methylpropionaldehyde (TiCl₄) were found to be highly diastereoface selective so that three contiguous stereocenters could be established. With α-, β- , or α,β-alkoxy aldehydes, relative stereoselection (chelation) effectively controls internal stereolection. The ground state conformations of the chiral aldehydes were studied using molecular mechanics (MM2).     

Practical and robust method for stereoselective preparations of ketene silyl (thio)acetal derivatives and NaOH-catalyzed crossed-Claisen condensation between ketene silyl acetals and methyl esters

We developed an efficient, practical, and robust method for stereoselective preparations of (Z)-ketene trimethylsilyl (TMS) thioacetals from thioesters and alkyl (1Z)- or (1Z,3E)-1,3-bis(TMS)dienol ethers from alkyl β-ketoesters. The former preparation was performed by convenient procedure (LDA-TMSCl, 0-5 °C, 2.5 h), while the latter preparation involved convenient method A (2NaHMDS-2TMSCl) and cost-effective method B (NaH, NaHMDS-2TMSCl). The first catalytic NaOH-catalyzed crossed-Claisen condensation between ketene silyl acetals and methyl esters proceeded successfully to give a variety of α-monomethyl β-ketoesters and inaccessible α,α-disubstituted β-ketoesters. For further extension, a couple of Claisen-aldol tandem reactions of the obtained β-ketoester analogues utilizing TiCl₄ and TiCl₄-Bu₃N reagents smoothly proceeded with good to excellent stereoselectivity.     

Isothiourea-catalysed asymmetric C-acylation of silyl ketene acetals

Screening of a range of chiral isothioureas and acyl donors to promote the asymmetric C-acylation of silyl ketene acetals indicates that C(2)-aryl-dihydropyrimidobenzothiazole-derived isothioureas and propionic anhydride give optimal reactivity and enantioselectivity in this process. Under optimised conditions 3-acyl-3-aryl or 3-acyl-3-alkylfuranones are prepared in good yields and moderate to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee; ee=enantiomeric excess).     

Lewis base activation of lewis acids. Addition of silyl ketene acetals to aldehydes

The weak Lewis acid silicon tetrachloride can be activated by catalytic amounts of the chiral bisphosphoramide (R,R)-3 to form a highly reactive, chiral trichlorosilyl cation which is an extremely effective promoter of aldol addition reactions between aldehydes and silyl ketene acetals. The tert-butyldimethylsilyl ketene acetal of methyl acetate adds nearly instantaneously to aromatic and olefinic aldehydes as well as aliphatic aldehydes (albeit more slowly) with excellent enantioselectivity. The homologous tert-butyldimethylsilyl ketene acetal of tert-butyl propanoate adds with nearly exclusive anti diastereoselectivity to a similar range of aldehydes also with excellent enantioselectivity. The origin of the slower reaction rate with aliphatic aldehydes is revealed to be the formation of chlorosilyl ether adducts.     

Comparison between electron transfer and nucleophilic reactivities of ketene silyl acetals with cationic electrophiles

The products and kinetics for the reactions of ketone silyl acetals with a series of p-methoxy-substituted trityl cations have been examined, and they are compared with those of outer-sphere electron transfer reactions from 10,10'-dimethyl-9,9', 10, 10'- tetrahydro-9,9'-biacridine [(AcrH)2] to the same series of trityl cations as well as other electron acceptors. The C-C bond formation in the reaction of beta,beta-dimethyl-substituted ketene silyl acetal (1: (Me2C=C(OMe)OSiMe3) with trityl cation salt (Ph3C+ClO4-) takes place between 1 and the carbon of para-positon of phenyl group of Ph3C+, whereas a much less sterically hindered ketene silyl acetal (3: H2C=C(OEt)OSiEt3) reacts with Ph3C+ at the central carbon of Ph3C+. The kinetic comparison indicates that the nucleophilic reactivities of ketene silyl acetals are well correlated with the electron transfer reactivities provided that the steric demand at the reaction center for the C-C bond formation remains constant.     

High diastereoselectivity in lewis acid mediated aldol condensations using thioester silyl ketene acetals.

BF₃ OEt₂ mediated aldol condensations of thioester silyl ketene acetals are stereoconvergent, and exhibit high internal (anti) and relative (Cram) diastereoselectivity.     

Enantioselective acylation of silyl ketene acetals through fluoride anion-binding catalysis

A highly enantioselective acylation of silyl ketene acetals with acyl fluorides has been developed to generate useful α,α-disubstituted butyrolactone products. This transformation is promoted by a new thiourea catalyst and 4-pyrrolidinopyridine and represents the first example of enantioselective thiourea anion-binding catalysis with fluoride.     

Reaction of nitrones with silyl ketene acetals: a DFT study

Theoretical calculations at the DFT level indicate that the reaction of a nitrone with a silyl ketene acetal proceeds, contrary to previous suggestions, through a classical 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, followed by a silyl group transfer step to give the open-chain product. Introduction of a diffuse basis set is necessary to describe properly nitrones. The influence of a Lewis acid has been studied.     

Enantioselective aldol reaction of silyl ketene acetals promoted by a Lewis base-activated Lewis acid catalyst

The enantioselective aldol reaction of a silyl ketene acetal was promoted by chiral phosphine oxide-activated tetrachlorosilane to afford the corresponding adduct in high yield with moderate enantioselectivity.     

Uncatalyzed reaction of silyl ketene acetals with oxalyl chloride: a straightforward preparation of symmetrical pulvinic acids

[reaction: see text] Several natural pulvinic acids were synthesized. Silyl ketene acetals derived from methyl arylacetates (4 equiv) reacted with oxalyl chloride at -78 degrees C, without the need of adding a catalyst. After treatment of the crude diketones with DBU and acidification with hydrochloric acid, symmetrical pulvinic acids methyl esters were obtained. Saponification of the methyl esters afforded the corresponding pulvinic acids in 60-70% overall yields from oxalyl chloride.     

Lewis base activation of Lewis acids: catalytic, enantioselective addition of silyl ketene acetals to aldehydes

The concept of Lewis base activation of Lewis acids has been reduced to practice for catalysis of the aldol reaction of silyl ketene acetals and silyl dienol ethers with aldehydes. The weakly acidic species, silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4), can be activated by binding of a strongly Lewis basic chiral phosphoramide, leading to in situ formation of a chiral Lewis acid. This species has proven to be a competent catalyst for the aldol addition of acetate-, propanoate-, and isobutyrate-derived silyl ketene acetals to conjugated and nonconjugated aldehydes. Furthermore, vinylogous aldol reactions of silyl dienol ethers are also demonstrated. The high levels of regio-, anti diastereo-, and enantioselectivity observed in these reactions can be rationalized through consideration of an open transition structure where steric interactions between the silyl cation complex and the approaching nucleophile are dominant.     

Thiourea-catalyzed nucleophilic addition of TMSCN and ketene silyl acetals to nitrones and aldehydes

The effect of hydrogen bonding between nitrones and urea derivatives in the nucleophilic addition reaction was examined. Thioureas bearing an electron-withdrawing group on an aromatic ring, behave like Lewis acid to promote the addition of TMSCN and ketene silyl acatals to various nitrones and aldehydes. Presumed interaction between nitrones and thioureas was supported by NMR experiments.     

Gallium tribromide catalyzed coupling reaction of alkenyl ethers with ketene silyl acetals

A 'Ga'llant couple: The α-alkenylation of esters was accomplished by GaBr(3) -catalyzed coupling between alkenyl ethers and ketene silyl acetals. In this reaction system, various alkenyl ethers, including those with vinyl and substituted alkenyl groups, were applicable, and the scope of applicable ketene silyl acetals was sufficiently broad. The mechanism is also discussed.     

Lewis base activation of Lewis acids: catalytic, enantioselective addition of glycolate-derived silyl ketene acetals to aldehydes

A catalytic system involving silicon tetrachloride and a chiral, Lewis basic bisphosphoramide catalyst is effective for the addition of glycolate-derived silyl ketene acetals to aldehydes. It was found that the sense of diastereoselectivity could be modulated by changing the size of the substituents on the silyl ketene acetals. In general, the trimethylsilyl ketene acetals derived from methyl glycolates with a large protecting group on the alpha-oxygen provide enantiomerically enriched alpha,beta-dihydroxy esters with high syn-diastereoselectivity, whereas the tert-butyldimethylsilyl ketene acetals derived from bulky esters of alpha-methoxyacetic acid provide enantiomerically enriched alpha,beta-dihydroxy esters with high anti-diastereoselecitvity.     

Acid catalysis in aldol condensation of α-amino silyl ketene acetals. Diastereoselective synthesis of α-amino-β-hydroxyacids.

The aldol-type condensation between α-dibenzylamino trimethylsilyl ketene acetals and various achiral and chiral aldehydes in the presence of a Lewis acid furnishes α-amino-β -hydroxyacids in moderate yields with preferential C₂C₃$\text{threo}$ configuration.