1,2-Dibromoethane and KI mediated α-acyloxylation of ketones with carboxylic acids

The 1,2-dibromoethane-and Kl-mediatedα-acyloxylation of ketones is reported in moderate to good yield without the use of transition metals and strong oxidants.Various acids are well tolerated with wide functional group compatibility.An 1,2-dibromoethane-and Kl-catalysed reaction mechanism is proposed based on the results of control experiments.     

Rhodium-catalyzed α-fluoroalkylation reaction of ketones using silyl enol ethers

The treatment of silyl enol ethers with fluoroalkyl halides (R_f-X) in the presence of RhCl(PPh₃)₃ gave α-fluoroalkylated ketones. It seems that a rhodium complex derived from the silyl enol ether and RhCl(PPh₃)₃ played an important role for the oxidative addition of fluoroalkyl halides and the reductive elimination of the product.     

Two-carbon homologation of aldehydes and ketones to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes

Phosphonate reagents were developed for the two-carbon homologation of aldehydes or ketones to unbranched- or methyl-branched α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. The phosphonate reagents, diethyl methylformyl-2-phosphonate dimethylhydrazone and diethyl ethylformyl-2-phosphonate dimethylhydrazone, contained a protected aldehyde group instead of the usual ester group. A homologation cycle entailed condensation of the reagent with the starting aldehyde, followed by removal of the dimethylhydrazone protective group with a biphasic mixture of 1 M HCl and petroleum ether. This robust two-step process worked with a variety of aldehydes and ketones. Overall isolated yields of unsaturated aldehyde products ranged from 71% to 86% after the condensation and deprotection steps.     

General and highly α-regioselective zinc-mediated prenylation of aldehydes and ketones

A simple, efficient, and general α-prenylation approach for the synthesis of a variety of α-prenylated alcohols has been successfully developed. A wide range of α-prenylated alcohol derivatives could be obtained in good yields by highly α-regioselective zinc-mediated prenylation of various aldehydes and ketones with prenyl bromide at 120 °C in HMPA. By simply altering the reaciton solvent and temperature, the method allows the achievement of a highly notable opposite regiocontrol, providing the expected regiochemical product. The method provides a convenient route for the direct α-prenylation of carbonyl compounds in a highly α-regioselective manner using a cheap and convenient mediator. Two possible pathways are proposed to account for the formation of these synthetically difficult-to-obtain molecules.     

The Darzens condensation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones

The one-pot Darzens condensation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones with enolates of an α-bromo ester or ketone is described.     

A new practical synthesis of silyl enol ethers : II. From α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones

In acetonitrile as the solvent and in the presence of a tertiary amine the trimethylchlorosilane/sodium iodide (trimethyliodosilane “in situ”) reagent provides the corresponding siloxy dienes when reacted with α,β-unsaturated series. These reactions occurs via the formation of 1,2 or -1,4 onium salt intermediates.     

Catalytic asymmetric α-alkylation of ketones and aldehydes with N-benzylic sulfonamides through carbon-nitrogen bond cleavage

A range of ketones and aldehydes smoothly undergo asymmetric S(N)1 α-alkylation with N-benzylic sulfonamides in the presence of 10 mol % of a chiral imidazolidinone and trifluoroacetic acid to give the corresponding products in good to excellent yields and with good enantioselectivity. This chemistry has been successfully extended to the asymmetric desymmetrization of 4-substituted cyclohexanones, which exhibits greater than 99:1 diastereoselectivity and good enantioselectivity.     

1,3-Diphenylpropan-1,3-diamines IX. reaction of α-chlorooxime ethers with α-lithiobenzylamines

Summary The carbanions of the benzylamine derivatives1–4 have been reacted with -chlorooxime ether5 in order to get precursors of 1,3-diphenylpropane-1,3-diamines. Isonitrile1 afforded the expected result, whereas lithiated benzamide2 underwent oxidative dimerization and transmetallated chlorooxime derivative5. Isoxazolidine3 gave the condensation product21 as a mixture of diastereomers; treatment of imine4 led to the desired amine-oxime15 in low yield.Dedicated with warm regards to Prof. Dr.J. Knabe, Saarbrücken, Germany, on the occasion of his 75^th birthday     

Vicarious nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen in aldehydes and Knoevenagel reaction of iminium salts with α-halocarbanions

Iminium salts derived from aromatic aldehydes react with -chlorocarbanions via two different pathways: reaction with secondary carbanion of halomethyl sulfones proceeds as the Knoevenagel condensation, while tertiary -chlorocarbanions gave products of vicarious nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen in parent aldehydes.     

Zn-mediated rhodium-catalyzed α-trifluoromethylation of ketones via silyl enol ethers

The treatment of silyl enol ethers of ketones with CF₃-I and Et₂Zn in the presence of RhCl(PPh₃)₃ in DME gave α-trifluoromethyl ketones in good yields. The reaction can be widely applicable to silyl enol ethers derived from aliphatic or aromatic ketones. In the absence of the rhodium catalyst, the reaction was very slow and the yields were quite poor.     

PBu3-mediated vinylogous Wittig reaction of α-methyl allenoates with aldehydes and mechanistic investigations

A highly stereoselective PBu(3)-mediated vinylogous Wittig olefination between α-methyl allenoates and a variety of aldehydes is presented as the first example of a practical and synthetically useful vinylogous Wittig reaction. Mechanistic experiments including deuterium-labeling, intermediate entrapment, and NMR monitoring have been deliberately conducted. On the basis of mechanistic investigations, a reliable mechanism for the vinylogous Wittig reaction is proposed, which features a water/phosphine-coassisted allylic phosphorus ylide 1,3-rearrangement pathway, rather than previous retro-Diels-Alder ones. It is noteworthy that mechanistic findings in this work also provide supportive evidence for typical mechanisms of important phosphine-mediated reactions of allenoates.     

Study on the “Tin-Ene” reaction of α-bromoacetophenone and metallic tin with aldehydes

β-hydroxy ketones were obtained in good yields by the “tin-ene” reactions of α-bromoacetophenone and metallic tin with aldehydes.     

Hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of photochemically generated α-hydroxy-o-quinodimethanes with trifluoromethyl ketones

Hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of α-hydroxy-o-quinodimethanes photochemically generated from o-tolualdehydes with trifluoromethyl ketones gave a mixture of hemiacetals and hydroxyaldehydes in fairly good yields. Their subsequent oxidation with PCC provided 1-isochromanones as formal oxidative [4+2] cycloaddition products. In contrast, similar reaction of aromatic ketones such as o-methylbenzophenone, 1-indanone, and α-tetralone gave exclusively the corresponding ketones having (trifluoromethyl)methylol groups at the o-position.     

The NHCs-mediated cross-coupling of aromatic aldehydes with benzyl halides: synthesis of α-aryl ketones

A new NHCs-mediated synthetic method was found to produce α-aryl ketones in 22-63% yields in one-pot process from the corresponding aromatic aldehydes and benzyl halides. This method is the first example of the NHCs-mediated intermolecular nucleophilic acylation of aromatic aldehydes with benzyl halides.     

OsO4-catalyzed amination of silyl enol ethers: enantioselective synthesis of α-amino ketones

Osmium tetroxide catalyzed asymmetric aminohydroxylation of silyl enol ethers using cinchona alkaloids as chiral ligands and chloramine-T as the nitrogen source affords enantiomerically pure α-amino ketones.     

Reductive aldol-type reaction of α,β-unsaturated esters with aldehydes or ketones in the presence of Rh catalyst and Et2Zn

The reaction of RhCl(PPh₃)₃ with Et₂Zn easily generated a rhodium–hydride complex (Rh−H) that added to α,β-unsaturated esters to form rhodium enolate complexes by formal 1,4-reduction. These rhodium enolates gave the corresponding Reformatsky-type reagents through transmetalation, and they reacted with various aldehydes and ketones to give reductive aldol-type products in good to excellent yields.     

An expedient synthesis of α,α-difluoro-β-hydroxy ketones via decarboxylative aldol reaction of α,α-difluoro-β-keto acids with aldehydes

A novel decarboxylative aldol reaction of α,α-difluoro-β-keto acids with aldehydes in the absence of any base and metal catalysts has been developed. This reaction provides a highly convenient and efficient method for the synthesis of structurally diverse α,α-difluoro-β-hydroxy ketones in good to excellent yields.