Stereoselektive Protonierung von Carbanionen, 1. Diastereoselektive Protonierung von C – H-aktivierten Cyclohexan-Derivaten

Recent Studies on the Regioselective C-Protonation of Enol Derivatives using Carbonyl-Containing Proton Donors

Enolate protonation can occur by two different pathways. With strong acids regioselective protonation generally occurs on the oxygen of the enolate to give an enol and then acid catalysed tautomerisation leads directly to the thermody-namically preferred carbonyl motif. However, with much weaker acids kinetic protonation on carbon can occur to give directly the carbonyl derivative. This review discuss recent developments into the use of chelating acids to promote this stereochemically important C-protonation and we comment on factors that appear to promote this selectivity.

Inter- and intramolecular stereoselective protonation of enols(1,2)

Kinetic control of the stereoselectivity of protonation of enolates and other delocalized species commonly affords the less stable diastereomer as a consequence of the considerable exothermicity and resulting sp(2) transition-state hybridization of the alpha-carbon. Protonation then is from the less hindered face of the enolate. The present study is aimed at reversing this phenomenon by intramolecular delivery of the proton. The approach employed required the synthesis of two enolate precursors, one with a 2-pyridyl group strategically close to the alpha-carbon and the other with a phenyl group in the same location. The synthesis required 15 steps and involved new methodology. Intramolecular proton transfer, reversing the usual stereoselectivity, was successful. The selectivity proved to depend on several factors including the exo versus endo configuration of the diastereomer reacting, the proton donor employed, and the concentration of the proton donor. A kinetic analysis permitted the determination of the relative reaction orders of the protonation on the two faces of the enolate.

Gamma-hydroxy-alpha,beta-alkenenitriles: chelation-controlled conjugate additions

Temporarily anchoring Grignard and organolithium reagents to gamma-hydroxy-alpha,beta-alkenenitriles promotes efficient conjugate additions to what are otherwise recalcitrant Michael acceptors. Sequential deprotonation and addition of a modest excess of a second Grignard reagent allows effective conjugate delivery of alkyl groups to cyclic and acyclic alkenenitriles. Mechanistically, conjugate additions proceed through alkylmagnesium alkoxide complexes for all but the more substituted alkenenitriles that require alkyl transfers from the more reactive ate complexes. Synthetically, chelation-controlled conjugate additions rapidly, and stereoselectively, assemble substituted nitriles, installing up to two new stereocenters in a single synthetic operation.

Intramolecular proton transfer

[structure: see text] Reversal of the normal kinetic protonation stereochemistry results as a consequence of intramolecular delivery.

Conformational effects in the diastereoselective protonation of chiral enolates derived from 2,4-dimethyl-1-tetralone using carbonyl chelating proton donors

The synthesis of syn-2,4-dimethyl-1-tetralone 6 via a reprotonation strategy using chelating proton donors is discussed. We comment on the comformational effects associated with these acids, and discuss the differences between direct protonation and deprotonation-reprotonation of chiral enolates in the presence of diisopropylamine and LiBr.Key words: conformation, chelating proton donors, deprotonation-reprotonation strategy, diastereoselective protonation and solvent effects.

Control of the Stereochemistry of Kinetic Protonation: Intramolecular Proton Delivery(1)(,)(2)

Four decades ago, we noted that for delocalized carbanions and enols the protonation transition state is close to sp(2) hybridized and that, as a consequence, under kinetic control protonation takes place from the less hindered approach, most often with formation of the less stable of two possible stereoisomers. The initial report was followed by an extensive series of examples. Nevertheless, a major question remained, namely whether it was possible to deliver the proton to the more hindered face of such a species using intramolecular proton transfer. To this end, silyl ether precursors to the enols of 3-benzoyl-endo-6-phenyl-exo-6-pyridylbicyclo[3.1.0]hexane and its endo-6-pyridyl-exo-6-phenyl stereoisomer were synthesized. The corresponding enols were generated with fluoride anion. The endo-phenyl enol stereoisomers, on kinetic protonation, led stereoselectively to the endo-3-benzoyl product resulting from the less hindered protonation. In stark contrast, the endo-6-pyridyl enol isomer led stereoselectively to the exo-3-benzoyl ketone by intramolecular proton delivery. However, the kinetic orders of the stereochemistries differ; the intramolecular process requires additional proton donor molecules. The log of the ratio of the two stereochemistries is linear with the log of the proton donor concentration with the slope giving the difference in kinetic orders. An aromatic cyclic 14 electron Hückel transition state is proposed. Additionally, the roles of acyl, nitro and cyano delocalizing groups were analyzed with ab initio computations.

Stereogenic Propargylic Centers via Base-Mediated Terminal Allene Isomerization

A study of alkali metal amide-mediated isomerizations of terminal allenes is described. The isomerizations of substituted ethenylidenecyclohexanes to form diastereomeric mixtures of terminal alkynes have been conducted to determine factors which may influence the stereochemistry at the newly formed propargylic centers. An initial base screen revealed that potassium N-methylbutylamide (KMBA) exhibits the highest level of equatorial to axial alkyne diastereoselectivity. With the severely hindered terminal allene 26, the use of potassium 3-aminopropylamide is required to effect isomerization. A general synthesis of deuterated terminal allenes has also been achieved, and a mechanistic study using d(2)-allenes 18a,b has revealed the involvement of a propargylic anion in the course of the KMBA-mediated isomerizations.