A novel synthesis of α, β-unsaturated γ-hydroxy carbonyl compounds from enones with carbon homologation

The alkylation of enone with 1-chloroalkyl phenyl sulfoxide followed by treatment with thiophenolate afforded α-phenylthio-β, γ-unsaturated carbonyl compound, which was oxidized and then hydrolyzed to give α, β-unsaturated γ-hydroxy carbonyl compound in good yield.     

Trifluoromethyl group induced highly stereoselective synthesis of α-hydroxy carbonyl compounds

The reaction of enolate prepared from ethyl 3-methyl-4,4,4-tri-fluorobutyrate with MoO₅-Py-HMPA complex provides ethyl (2S,3S)-2-hydroxy-3-methyl-4,4,4-trifluorobutyrate predominantly. In contrast, NaBH₄ reduction of the corresponding 2-oxobutyrate affords (2R, 3S)-hydroxyester preferentially.     

A novel synthesis of epoxides and allylic alcohols from carbonyl compounds through α, β-epoxy sulfoxides

Treatment of α,β-epoxy sulfoxides, easily prepared from carbonyl compounds with 1 equivalent of n-butyllithium at −100 °C gave the desulfinated epoxides in good yields. The similar α,β-epoxy sulfoxides having arylmethyl group at α-position, on treatment with excess n-butyllithium at −70 °C afforded 3-aryl allylic alcohols.     

A new pyridine synthesis starting from α, β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds

A new and mild synthetic method of substituted pyridines from α, β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds through a sequence involing (1) 1, 4-conjugate addition of thiophenol (2) condensation with a methylene ketone (3) Pummerer rearrangement to an unsaturated 1, 5-dicarbonyl compound (4) treatment with ammonia is described.     

Organocatalytic synthesis of α-hydroxy and α-aminophosphonates

A new and highly flexible procedure is described for the synthesis of α-amino- and α-hydroxy phosphonates. In the presence of a catalytic amount of oxalic acid (10 mol %), trimethyl phosphite reacts with aldehydes or imines (generated in situ from an aldehyde and an amine) to yield the corresponding coupled products in good yield.     

Assembly of functionalized α-hydroxy carbonyl compounds via combination of N-heterocyclic carbene and Pd catalysts

Functionalized α-hydroxy carbonyl compounds were prepared from various aldehydes and allylic acetates via a multicomponent reaction, which were catalyzed by N-heterocyclic carbene and Pd catalysts in one pot.     

A novel olefination of carbonyl compounds with α-bromoacetic ester mediated by tri-n-butylstibine

Tri-n-butylstibine has been found to mediate the olefinatlon of carbonyl compounds by α-bromoacetic ester to give corresponding olefins in good yields.     

Asymmetric nucleophilic monofluorobenzylation of carbonyl compounds: synthesis of enantiopure vic-fluorohydrins and α-fluorobenzylketones

Asymmetric nucleophilic monofluoroalkylation of a broad range of aldehydes with an α-fluoro-γ-sulfinylbenzyl carbanion takes place with complete control of the facial selectivity at the carbanion and good to high anti-diastereoselectivity to give easily separable mixtures of two optically pure 1,2-fluorohydrin derivatives (up to 24:1 anti/syn). Separation and removal of the p-tolylsulfinyl group with tBuLi provides enantiomerically pure anti-1,2-disubstituted-1,2-fluorohydrins, whereas α-fluorobenzylketones can be obtained by desulfinylation of the mixture followed by pyridinium chlorochromate oxidation (one-pot process).     

Copper-mediated synthesis of α-trifluoromethylthio- and seleno-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds

A novel route to the synthesis of α-trifluoromethylthio- and seleno-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds via a copper-mediated trifluoromethylthiolation/trifluoromethylselenolation of α-halo-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl substrates is reported.     

Lead(IV) acetate mediated cleavage of β-hydroxy ethers: enantioselective synthesis of α-acetoxy carbonyl compounds

α-Acetoxy aldehydes or α-acetoxy ketones can be efficiently synthesized by treating 2,3-epoxy primary alcohols with lead tetraacetate. The reaction, which proceeds with complete regio- and stereoselectivity facilitates the enantioselective synthesis of α-acetoxy carbonyl compounds from allyl alcohols, via Sharpless epoxidation. Cyclic β-hydroxy ethers, with an oxygenated five-, six- or seven-membered ring, are transformed into α-acetoxy ethers.     

Sulfoxide-mediated α-arylation of carbonyl compounds

A novel sulfoxide-mediated α-arylation of carbonyl compounds is reported. This reaction proceeds under very mild conditions at room temperature and does not require any transition-metal promoter or catalyst.     

A short synthesis of α-allenic alcohols from α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with dichloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide

The reaction of the α-sulfinyl carbanion of dichloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide with α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds gave 1-chlorocyclopropyl p-tolyl sulfoxides having a carbonyl group in good to high yields. The carbonyl groups in the products were reduced or treated with alkylmetals to give alcohols. Finally, the alcohols were treated with Grignard reagent to give α-allenic alcohols via the rearrangement of the cyclopropylmagnesium carbenoid intermediates, which were generated by the sulfoxide-magnesium exchange reaction, in good to high yields. This procedure provides a new method for a short synthesis of various α-allenic alcohols in two or three steps from relatively easily available α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds.     

AlEt3-promoted eliminative ring-opening of β-hydroxy epoxides: highly stereoselective synthesis of terminal α-hydroxy olefins

AlEt₃-promoted eliminative ring-opening of β-epoxy alcohols leading to α-hydroxy olefins is reported. This eliminative ring-opening reaction is shown to be highly stereoselective, thus providing an alternative asymmetric synthesis for α-hydroxy olefins.     

A practical synthesis of novel α-dibromoalkyl- and trimethylsilylmethyl-aminoboranes and derivatives

Addition of LDA to a mixture of trimethylborate and dibromomethane in THF at a temperature of -78°C leads to the formation of dibromomethyllithium and its capture by borate ester. ClB(OMe)(2) converts the resulting borate salt to dimethoxy(dibromomethyl)borane 2. N,N-Dimethylamino(methoxy)(dibromomethyl)borane 3 and N,N-bis(dimethylamino)(dibromomethyl)borane 4 were prepared by an amination reaction between N,N-dimethylaminotrimethylsilane and dimethoxy(dibromomethyl)borane 2. To obtain dichlorotrimethylsilylmethylborane 7 not containing the α-halomethyl group, N,N-bis(dimethylamino)(trimethylsilylmethyl)borane 5 was first obtained from the reaction of ClB(NMe(2))(2) with an organolithium reagent. Dimethoxy(trimethylsilylmethyl)borane 6 was then prepared by methoxylation of compound 5. Finally, compound 7 was prepared by chlorination of 6 using BCl(3). The chemical structures of these compounds were determined using (13)C, (1)H, (11)B NMR and GC/MS/MS techniques.     

A short and stereoselective synthesis of highly substituted cyclopropanes from α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with dichloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide

The reaction of the α-sulfinyl carbanion of dichloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide with a variety of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds gave highly substituted cyclopropanes (up to five substituents) in good to high yields with high stereoselectivity.     

The asymmetric synthesis of chiral cyclic α-hydroxy phosphonates and quaternary cyclic α-hydroxy phosphonates

A highly practical, catalytic enantioselective cyclic phosphite addition to aldehydes and ketones was developed. The reaction rate of the asymmetric hydrophosphonylation was significantly enhanced by the addition of silver carbonate. Particularly, significant improvement has been achieved on the asymmetric hydrophosphonylation of unactivated ketones, giving quaternary α-hydroxy phosphonates with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee).     

Fluoride ion-catalyzed generation and carbonyl addition of α-halo carbanions derived from α-halo organosilicon compounds

The title carbanion species are generated from the corresponding α-haloorganosilicon compounds by the action of a catalytic amount of tris(diethylamino)sulfonium difluorotrimethylsilicate and are found to undergo addition to aldehyde carbonyl efficiently at ambient temperature. The synthetic potential of the reaction is demonstrated by application to the synthesis of some insecticides.     

Absolute configurational assignment of α-hydroxy acids and α-hydroxy esters from their Cupra A circular dichroism spectra

The in situ formed complexes of cuprammonium solution (Cupra A) with optically active α-hydroxy acids and α-hydroxy esters show circular dichroism spectra suitable for determination of the absolute configuration of both groups of compounds. In the long wavelength spectral region, compounds of R configuration at the α carbon atom display a positive Cotton effect of around 600 nm and a negative one at ca. 720 nm, whereas (S)-α-hydroxy acids and esters exhibit negative and positive Cotton effects, respectively, in the same spectral range.     

Stereoselective functionalisation of SuperQuat enamides: asymmetric synthesis of homochiral 1,2-diols and α-benzyloxy carbonyl compounds

Homochiral (E)- and (Z)-enamides derived from SuperQuat (S)-4-phenyl-5,5-dimethyl-oxazolidin-2-one undergo highly diastereoselective epoxidation upon treatment with dimethyldioxirane. Subsequent epoxide opening with meta-chlorobenzoic acid proceeds via a stereoselective S_N1-type process, with retention of configuration, to give the corresponding 1′-m-chlorobenzoyl-2′-hydroxy derivatives. Treatment of the SuperQuat enamides with mCPBA effects this two-step transformation in one pot. Reductive cleavage of the isolated 1′-m-chlorobenzoyl-2′-hydroxy derivatives (≥96% de) generates homochiral 1,2-diols in ≥96% ee. Alternatively, regioselective lithiation of the enamide at C(1′) with ^tBuLi followed by reaction with an aromatic aldehyde and in situ O-benzylation generates a 1′-(benzyloxy-aryl-methyl) substituted enamide with high diastereoselectivity. Subsequent oxidative cleavage of the enamide CC bond with NaIO₄/RuCl₃ followed by methanolysis of the resultant N-acyl fragment furnishes an O-benzyl protected α-hydroxy methyl ester in high ee.