The ene reaction of 5-allyl-2ϵ-hydroxy-5α-cholestan-3-one: An unusually facile ene reaction

The ene reaction of the unsaturated acyloins (8) occurs smoothly at 110°C demonstrating the greater reactivity of the acyloin versus the analogous ketone (4).     

Indium-mediated regio- and diastereoselective reduction of norbornyl alpha-diketones

A novel, efficient, and regio- as well as diastereoselective conversion of non-enolizable bicyclic alpha-diketones into synthetically useful acyloins mediated by indium metal is described. The reduction is highly diastereoselective, leading exclusively to endo-acyloins (endo-hydroxyl groups) in excellent yields, and tolerates a variety of sensitive substituents, such as acetate, ester, and bridgehead halogens. The regioselectivity in the reductions of monosubstituted alpha-diketones varied from 70:30 to 100:0 for the two possible isomeric alcohols. The methodology is extended to the synthesis of highly functionalized cyclopentane carboxaldehydes, potential building blocks in organic syntheses, by cleavage of the acyloins by treating them with Pb(OAc)4 in MeOH/PhH. Allylindium additions to carboxaldehydes 22 have been found to be highly diastereoselective.     

Condensation reactions of aryl acyloins with ureas in ethylene glycol

4,5-Diaryl-4-imidazolin-2-ones were prepared in good yield by heating aryl acyloins with ureas in eth-ylene glycol for 0.5-2 hours. 4,4′-Dimethoxybenzoin and 2,2′-pyridoin gave 4-oxazolin-2-one derivatives in addition to 4-imidazolin-2-ones.     

Acyloins from Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts: an alternative approach to the racemic total synthesis of bupropion

In this Letter, we describe an easy and straightforward strategy for the preparation of acyloins (α-hydroxyketones) from Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts, based on a Curtius rearrangement. Different acyloins were obtained with good overall yield (>40% for three steps). To exemplify the synthetic usefulness of this strategy, total synthesis of (±)-bupropion, a dopamine, and nor-epinefrine reuptake inhibitor has been accomplished in eight steps with an overall yield of 25%.     

Poly(1,4-butyl-bis-vinylpyridinium) borohydride as a new stable and efficient reducing agent in organic synthesis

The unstable sodium borohydride is stabilized on modified poly(4-vinylpyridinium), and it is used as an efficient and regenerable polymer-supported borohydride reagent for the reduction of a variety of carbonyl compounds, such as aldehydes, ketones, α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, α-diketones and acyloins, in good to excellent yields.     

Chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution of acyloins

[Reaction: see text]. Acyloins (alpha-hydroxy ketones) are important building blocks in organic synthesis, e.g., for the total synthesis of epothilones. Optically pure acyloins can be obtained by lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution (KR) of the racemate with, for example, Burkholderia cepacia lipase, but this process suffers from a yield limitation of 50%. To devise a dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR), we studied the racemization of two different acyloins and corresponding esters with various amine bases and ion exchangers. No combination of base and solvent was found that could selectively racemize the acyloin or corresponding ester under the conditions needed for a DKR. In contrast to bases, acidic resins (ARs) were found to racemize the acyloins selectively in n-hexane and in water. Unfortunately, the AR deactivated the lipase, preventing a one-pot DKR. Minor side reactions involving the AR, the substrate acyloin, and the vinyl ester acyl donor were also observed. However, an efficient DKR was made possible by the spatial separation of lipase and ion exchanger, with enzymatic transesterification and AR-catalyzed racemization taking place simultaneously in two compartments connected by a pump loop. The conversion of substrate alcohol was 91%, the selectivity toward the product butyrate ester 90%, and the enantiomeric excess of the (S)-product 93% ee.     

NaBH4/DOWEX(R)50WX4: A Convenient Reducing System for Fast and Efficient Reduction of Carbonyl Compounds to Their Corresponding Alcohols

The reduction of a variety of carbonyl compounds was efficiently carried out with NaBH₄/DOWEX(R)50WX4 system. The reactions were performed to give the corresponding alcohols derivatives in perfect yields in THF at room temperature. Reduction of acyloins and a‐diketones by this reducing system produced efficiently the corresponding vicinal diols. Also, the reduction of aldehydes over ketones has been accomplished successfully by this system. Regioselectivity of this system was also investigated with exclusive 1,2‐reduction of conjugated carbonyl compounds to their corresponding allylic alcohols in high to excellent yields.     

Titanyl Acetylacetonate as an Efficient Catalyst for Regioselective 1,2‐Reduction of α,β‐Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds and Conversion of α‐Diketones & Acyloins to Vicinal Diols with Sodium Borohydride

α,β‐Unsaturated aldehydes and ketones were reduced readily and exclusively to their corresponding allylic alcohols with NaBH₄ and catalytic amounts of titanyl acetylacetonate at room temperature. Reduction reactions were carried out in CH₃CN or THF. This reducing system was also efficient for the reduction of α‐diketones and acyloins to their corresponding vicinal diols in CH₃CN.     

The Stereochemistry of the Reaction of α-Silyl Lithium Reagents with Cyclic Tert-butyldimethylsilyl Acyloins

The reactions of the tert-butyldimethylsilylated acyloins of five-, six- and seven-membered rings with the lithium reagents of benzyltrimethylsilane, thiophenoxymethyltrimethylsilane and tri-methylsilyl acetonitrile were studied. These reactions favor formation of the substituted (Z) exo methylidene silyl ethers in moderate yields.     

Organometallic compounds in organic synthesis: reactions of some tricarbonylcyclohexadienyliumiron complexes with 1,2-bis(trimethylsiloxy)-1-cyclopentene. A novel route to 2-(substituted)-2-cyclopenten-1-ones.

1,2-Bis(trimethylsiloxy)-1-cyclopentene reacts with a range of tricarbonylcyclohexadienyliumiron cations to give initially siloxy acyloins, treatment of which with MeOH-HCl gives the 2-(substituted)-2-cyclopenten-1-one in good yields (56–78%).     

Sulfur heterocycles. II. The hydroxyoxathiolane to acyloin rearrangement

Thermal control of demasking conditions may be used to convert hydroxyoxathiolanes into either α-hydroxyaldehydes or the corresponding ring-expanded acyloins.     

Poly(n-butyl-4-vinylpyridinium) borohydride as a new stable and efficient reducing agent in organic synthesis

Sodium borohydride is stabilized on poly(n-butyl-4-vinylpyridinium) chloride, and it is used as an efficient and regenerable polymer-supported borohydride reagent for the reduction of a variety of carbonyl compounds, such as aldehydes, ketones, α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, α-diketones, and acyloins.     

Convenient synthesis of alpha-trifluoromethylated acyloins from alpha-hydroxy or alpha-amino acids

Alpha-trifluoromethylated acyloins (2 and 6) have been prepared from alpha-hydroxy acids (1), N-acylprolines (5) or N-acyl-N-alkyl alpha-amino acids (8) by novel transformation reactions with trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) in the presence of pyridine. The former reaction of 1 could proceed through mesoionic 1,3-dioxolium-4-olates, whereas the latter two reactions of alpha-amino acids (5 and 8) could involve mesoionic 1,3-oxazolium-5-olates. The reaction of 1 with TFAA shows more potential for practical applications because of the ready availability of the starting materials and ease of manipulation.     

Convenient Synthesis of Acyloins from Saturated Ethoxyethyl-Protected Cyanohydrins and α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes

Functionalized acyloins have been synthesized via Umpolung from saturated ethoxyethyl-protected cyanohydrins and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes.     

Chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution of allylic alcohols: a highly enantioselective route to acyloin acetates

Dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of a series of sterically hindered allylic alcohols has been conducted with Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) and ruthenium catalyst 1. The optically pure allylic acetates obtained were subjected to oxidative cleavage to give the corresponding acylated acyloins in high yields without loss of chiral information.     

Bio-organic synthesis of optically active cyanohydrins and acyloins

Chiral acyloins of high optical purity have been obtained in good yields by enzyme catalyzed formation of optically active cyanohydrins, followed by hydroxyl protection and reaction with a Grignard reagent.     

Ene reactions of unsaturated acyloins

Ene reactions of the unsaturated acyloins, 4,5-secocholest-3-en-6β-ol-5-one and 4,5-secocholest-3-en-5β-ol-6-one have been investigated.     

Preparation and isolation of dithiolene thiophosphoryl molecules as stable, protected forms of dithiolene ligands

The reaction of P4S10 with acyloins, RC(O)CH(OH)R, in refluxing dioxane, followed by the addition of alkylating agents, forms dithiolene thiophosphoryl thiolate compounds, (R2C2S2)P(S)(SR'), which are readily isolated and purified. The compounds that have been prepared and identified spectroscopically are those with R = p-anisyl, R' = Me (1); R = p-anisyl, R' = Bz (2); R = Ph, R' = Me (4); R = Et, R' = Bz (5). Compounds 1, 2, and 4 were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography and found to possess a tetrahedral coordination geometry about the phosphorus atom, with overall Cs symmetry. In each case, the mirror plane bisects the dithiolene S-P-S chelate and contains the thiophosphoryl bond, which ranges in length from 1.9241(8) to 1.9361(7) A. The use of 2-(bromomethyl)naphthalene as organic electrophile in the P4S10/acyloin reaction produced bis(2-methylnaphthalenyl) disulfide as the only identifiable product. The substitution of Lawesson's reagent for P4S10 in reactions with acyloins produced deoxy acyloin rather than products resulting from chalcogen exchange. Compounds 1-2 and 4-5 are Group 5 analogues of 1,3-dithiol-2-ones, (R2C2S2)C=O, and undergo a similar hydrolysis in aqueous base to liberate ene-1,2-dithiolate dianions from which corresponding metal dithiolene complexes may be prepared. Deprotection of 1 in MeO-/MeOH, followed by the addition of NiCl2.6H2O and then I2, produces square planar [Ni(S2C2(C6H4-p-OCH3)2)2] (8) in 93% yield. A high-resolution structure of 8 (P) reveals dithiolene C-C and C-S bond lengths that are clearly indicative of the thionyl radical monoanionic nature of the ligand. The use of isolated (R2C2S2)P(S)(SR') compounds as a dithiolene ligand source for the preparation of metal dithiolene complexes offers the advantages of clean reactivity and high yield.     

A practical access into conveniently functionalized,homochiral C-ring system of taxuyunnanine C

The preparation of a homochiral 7-nor taxoid C-ring framework, to be used in an A+C approach for the synthesis of low oxygenation pattern taxoids with an exocyclic olefin at C(4)–(20) and oxygenation at C(14), is described. Retrosynthetic analysis associated with the preparation of 3 has been designed around the targets 11 and 15 which could be produced by functional group manipulation starting from the known hydrindenone 4, obtained with a moderate e.e. (ca. 70%). A lipase was used to perform clean and high yield saponification on its corresponding acetoxy enone, while chemical resolution of the resulting acyloins allowed straightforward access to diastereomerically pure material.     

Water as a Green Solvent for Fast and Efficient Reduction of Carbonyl Compounds with NaBH4 under Microwave Irradiation

Reduction of varieties of carbonyl compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes and ketones, α‐diketones and acyloins was carried out very fast and efficiently by sodium borohydride in water under microwave irradiation. The corresponding product alcohols were obtained in high to excellent yields.