Competing Rearrangements of Ammonium Ylides: A Quantum Theoretical Study

The competition between the Stevens [1,2] and Sommelet-Hauser [2,3] rearrangements for a prototype ylide, N-methyl-3-propenylammonium methylide, has been investigated using ab initio and semiempirical molecular orbital methods. The activation energies for the two processes are remarkably close, separated by only 2 kJ mol(-)(1) at ROMP/6-311+G(d,p). Increasing the size of the basis set leads to a relative stabilization of the Sommelet-Hauser transition geometry, while higher levels of electron correlation (such as CCSD(T)) favor the Stevens rearrangement. Incorporation of solvent effects via the SCRF polarizable continuum model leads to a lowering of the energy barrier of the concerted [2,3] rearrangement, but has little effect on the dissociative [1,2] pathway. The activation energies of both pathways have been calculated for ylides bearing substituents on the ammonium nitrogen and the double bond. Substituents at nitrogen lead to an ylide which is sterically unstable and hence a preference for the dissociative [1,2] rearrangement. Electron-withdrawing substituents on the double bond show a preference for the [2,3] rearrangement, while mildly electron-donating alkyl substituents have very little effect on activation energies.     

First Example of 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition of Carbonyl Ylides to Cyclopropenes

Carbonyl ylide generated from 1-diazo-5-phenylpentane-2,5-dione in the presence of Rh₂(OAc)₄ reacts with 3-substituted cyclopropenes following the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition pattern to afford substituted 9-oxatricyclo[3.3.1.0^2,4]nonan-6-ones.     

Enantioselective Protonation of Cyclic Carbonyl Ylides by Chiral Lewis Acid Assisted Alcohols

Chiral Lewis acid-catalyzed asymmetric alcohol addition reactions to cyclic carbonyl ylides generated from N-(α-diazocarbonyl)-2-oxazolidinones featuring a dual catalytic system are reported. Construction of a chiral quaternary heteroatom-substituted carbon center was accomplished in which the unique heterobicycles were obtained in good yields with high stereoselection. The alcohol adducts were successfully converted to optically active oxazolidine-2,4-diones by hydrolysis. Mechanistic studies by DFT calculations revealed that alcohols could be activated by Lewis acids, enabling enantioselective protonation of the carbonyl ylides.     

Synthetic Potential of the Reaction of Allylic Phosphonium Ylides with α, β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds

The reaction of triphenylphosphonium-2-propenylide (14) with mesityl oxide (9) is shown to proceed via initial Michael addition followed by trans ylidation and an intramolecular Wittig condensation to yield 1, 5, 5-trimethyl-1, 3-cyclohexadiene (10) as the reaction product.     

Dipolar Cycloaddition of Carbonyl Ylides Generated from Methyl cis-2-Diazoacetyl-1-cyclopropanecarboxylates

Carbonyl ylide generated from methyl cis-3-diazoacetyl-2,2-diphenyl-1-cyclopropanecarboxylate in the presence of Rh₂(OAc)₄ when brought into reaction of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditionя with N-arylmaleimides afforded substituted 4-aryl-7-methoxy-9,9-diphenyl-12-oxa-4-azatetracyclo-[5.4.1.0^2,6.0^8,10]dodecene-3,5,11-triones. Concurrent processes resulted in formation of cycloheptatrienes, hydroxyacetylcyclopropanecarboxylates, and benzophenone. Carbonyl ylide generated from methyl cis-2-diazoacetyl-1-cyclopropanecarboxylate in the same reaction gave rise to exo- and endo-4-aryl-7-methoxy-12-oxa-4-azatetracyclo[5.4.1.0^2,6 .0^8,10] dodecene-3,5,11-triones.__________Translated from Zhurnal Organicheskoi Khimii, Vol. 41, No. 2, 2005, pp. 205–213.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Molchanov, Diev, Kopf, Kostikov.     

Thermolysis of Imidates: A New Method for the Generation of Carbonyl Ylides

Thermolysis of dimethyl 2‐[(3‐oxo‐3H‐isoindol‐1‐yl)oxy]malonate ( 8 ) promotes a [1,4]‐H shift in the imidic ? N?C? O? CH? fragment of the starting molecule, which leads to a reactive carbonyl ylide. This carbonyl ylide can be trapped by the C?N bond of imidates and imines, as well as the C?O bond of benzaldehyde. The corresponding cycloadducts 11, 14 , and 16 are formed regioselectively in good yields (60–95%) and with high stereoselectivity. In the case of 11 , the minor cycloadduct in solution undergoes an isomerization to give the more stable stereoisomer. The structures of two cycloadducts, i.e., 11a and 14a , have been established by X‐ray crystallography.     

Synergistic Rhodium/Phosphoric Acid Catalysis for the Enantioselective Addition of Oxonium Ylides to ortho‐Quinone Methides

We report herein a powerful and highly stereoselective protocol for the domino‐type reaction of diazoesters with ortho‐quinone methides generated in situ to furnish densely functionalized chromans with three contiguous stereogenic centers. A transition‐metal and a Brønsted acid catalyst were shown to act synergistically to produce a transient oxonium ylide and ortho‐quinone methide, respectively, in two distinct cycles. These intermediates underwent subsequent coupling in a conjugate‐addition–hemiacetalization event in generally good yield with excellent diastereo‐ and enantioselectivity.     

Intramolecular Reactivity of Triplet Carbonylcarbenes

Through a double cyclization triplet carbonylcarbenes add smoothly to double bonds in the δ and ε position, but do not react intramolecularly with C–H bonds (see scheme). The addition reaction fails if the keto group is replaced with an ester group.     

Synthetic Applications of Carbonyl Ylides Generated via the Tandem Cyclization Cycloaddition Reaction of Rhodium Carbenoids

The author's chemical studies dealing with the generation of carbonyl ylides via the rhodium(II) induced cyclization of α-diazo alkanediones are summarized, Dipole formation occurs by reaction of a transient rhodium carbenoid intermediate with a neighboring carbonyl group. These cyclizations are performed under extremely mild conditions, typically at room temperature in a neutral organic solvent. Since these cycloadditions involve carbonyl ylides, the resulting products are oxabicycles of varying ring size. When the dipolarophile is intramolecularly tethered to the dipole, the subsequent cycloaddition affords complex oxapolycyclic systems with three (or more) component rings.     

An Efficient Method for Preparing the α-Deuterated-α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds by Reaction of Stable Phosphonium Ylides with Carbonyl Compounds in Deuterium Oxide

Carbonyl compounds reacted with stable phosphonium ylides in D₂O to give α-deuterated-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in the same flask. The chemical yield and deuterium incorporation are excellent under our procedure. The fragile group like ozonide was compatible with our reaction condition.     

Chemospecific Cyclizations of α‐Carbonyl Sulfoxonium Ylides on Aryls and Heteroaryls

The functionalization of aryl and heteroaryls using α‐carbonyl sulfoxonium ylides without the help of a directing group has remained so far a neglected area, despite the advantageous safety profile of sulfoxonium ylides. Described herein are the cyclizations of α‐carbonyl sulfoxonium ylides onto benzenes, benzofurans and N‐p‐toluenesulfonyl indoles in the presence of a base in HFIP, whereas pyrroles and N‐methyl indoles undergo cyclization in the presence of an iridium catalyst. Significantly, these two sets of conditions are chemospecific for each groups of substrates.     

Photochemistry of Aryl Vinyl Sulfides and Aryl Vinyl Ethers: Evidence for the Formation of Thiocarbonyl and Carbonyl Ylides

Aryl vinyl thioethers 5a and 9a and aryl vinyl ethers 5b and 9b form ylide intermediates following laser irradiation at 308 nm. In benzene, the ylides possess long-lived absorption bands in the 600-800 nm region with a second weaker band at approximately 460 nm. In methanol, a known quencher of zwitterionic species, the lifetimes are reduced significantly. The decay kinetics measured within the long wavelength absorption envelope vary with wavelength, indicating the presence of more than one ylide species. Formation of the ylides occurs via a naphthalene-like triplet state in the case of aryl vinyl ethers, while for the thioethers the multiplicity of the ylide precursor could be either singlet or triplet. Product formation in benzene for 5a and 5b involves ring closure of the ylide to produce dihydrothiophene and dihydrofuran products, respectively. For short periods of irradiation (either lamps or laser) a mixture of cis- and trans-fused products is observed, while for prolonged irradiation only the cis-fused compound is detected, suggesting a photoenolization mechanism for conversion of trans to cis. In addition to products derived from ring closure, 9a provides intramolecular addition product 12. Conversely, the ylide derived from 9b gives rise to the [3 + 2] cycloaddition product 13.     

Synergistic Catalysis with Azomethine Ylides

Azomethine ylides are useful intermediates for the rapid construction of chiral N‐containing compounds. However, its synthetic potential has not been fully developed due to the limited reaction models. In combination with synergistic catalysis and azomethine ylide chemistry, we have developed several types of novel catalytic system including Cu/Pd, Cu/Ir and PTC/Ir catalysis, which can convert readily‐available azomethine ylides to various high‐valued molecules such as unnatural α‐amino acids, homoallylic amines and N‐heterocycles. Compared with the traditional mono‐catalysis, the synergistic catalyst system exhibits enhanced catalytic efficiency and chiral induction ability in many cases. In addition, we have demonstrated that these strategies could be applied in the construction of bioactive compounds and natural products.