Solution structures and reactivities of the mixed aggregates derived from n-butyllithium and vicinal amino alkoxides

Lithium Amino Alkoxide-Evans Enolate Mixed Aggregates: Aldol Addition with Matched and Mismatched Stereocontrol

Building on structural and mechanistic studies of lithiated enolates derived from acylated oxazolidinones (Evans enolates) and chiral lithiated amino alkoxides, we found that amino alkoxides amplify the enantioselectivity of aldol additions. The pairing of enantiomeric series affords matched and mismatched stereoselectivities. The structures of mixed tetramers showing 2:2 and 3:1 (alkoxide-rich) stoichiometries are determined spectroscopically. Rate and computational studies provide a viable mechanistic and stereochemical model based on the direct reaction of the 3:1 mixed tetramers, but they raise unanswered questions for the 2:2 mixed aggregates.

Conformational Polymorphism of Lithium Pinacolone Enolate

A metastable, polymorphic hexameric crystal structure of lithium pinacolone enolate (LiOPin) is reported along with three preparation methods. NMR-based structural characterization implies that the lithium pinacolate hexamer deaggregates to a tetramer in toluene but retains mainly the hexameric structure in nonaromatic hydrocarbon solvents such as cyclohexane. Moreover, the presence of a small amount of lithium aldolate (LiOA) dramatically influences the aggregation state of LiOPin by forming a mixed aggregate with a 3:1 ratio (LiOPin₃·LiOA).

Enediolate-dilithium amide mixed aggregates in the enantioselective alkylation of arylacetic acids: structural studies and a stereochemical model

A combination of X-ray crystallography, (6)Li, (15)N, and (13)C NMR spectroscopies, and density functional theory computations affords insight into the structures and reactivities of intervening aggregates underlying highly selective asymmetric alkylations of carboxylic acid dianions (enediolates) mediated by the dilithium salt of a C2-symmetric chiral tetraamine. Crystallography shows a trilithiated n-butyllithium-dilithiated amide that has dimerized to a hexalithiated form. Spectroscopic studies implicate the non-dimerized trilithiated mixed aggregate. Reaction of the dilithiated amide with the dilithium enediolate derived from phenylacetic acid affords a tetralithio aggregate comprised of the two dianions in solution and the dimerized octalithio form in the solid state. Computational studies shed light on the details of the solution structures and afford a highly predictive stereochemical model.

Mixed aggregates of an alkyl lithium reagent and a chiral lithium amide derived from N-ethyl-O-triisopropylsilyl valinol

The crystal structure of a mixed aggregate containing lithiated (S)-N-ethyl-3-methyl-1-(triisopropylsilyloxy)butan-2-amine derived from (S)-valinol and cyclopentyllithium is determined by X-ray diffraction. The mixed aggregate adopts a ladder structure in the solid state. The ladder-type mixed aggregate is also the major species in a toluene-d8 solution containing an approximately 1:1 molar ratio of the lithiated chiral amide to cyclopentyllithium. A variety of NMR experiments including diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) with diffusion coefficient-formula (D-FW) weight correlation analyses and other one- and two-dimensional NMR techniques allowed us to characterize the complex in solution. Solution state structures of the mixed aggregates of n-butyl, sec-butyllithium, isopropyllithium with lithiated (S)-N-ethyl-3-methyl-1-(triisopropylsilyloxy)butan-2-amine are also reported. Identical dimeric, ladder-type, mixed aggregates are the major species at a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 lithium chiral amide to alkyllithium in toluene-d8 solution for all of the different alkyllithium reagents.

The barrier to enantiomerization and dynamic resolution of N-Boc-2-lithiopiperidine and the effect of TMEDA

The kinetics of enantiomerization and dynamic thermodynamic resolution (DTR) of N-Boc-2-lithiopiperidine have been measured, revealing significant differences in enthalpy and entropy for these processes and a role for the achiral ligand TMEDA; the racemization and the DTR are catalytic and first order in [TMEDA], and this has implications for asymmetric synthesis with chiral organolithiums.

Microsolvation and 13C-Li NMR coupling

The empirical expression (1)J(CLi) = L[n(a + d)](-1) is proposed; it claims a reciprocal dependence of the NMR coupling constant (1)J((13)C, Li) in a C-Li compound on two factors: (i) the number n of lithium nuclei in bonding contact with the observed carbanion center and (ii) the sum (a + d) of the numbers a of anions and d of donor ligands coordinated at the Li nucleus that generates the observed (1)J(CLi) value. The expression was derived from integrations of separate NMR resonances of coordinated and free monodentate donor ligands (t-BuOMe, Et2O, or THF) in toluene solutions of dimeric and monomeric 2-(alpha-aryl-alpha-lithiomethylidene)-1,1,3,3-tetramethylindan at moderately low temperatures. This unusually slow ligand interchange is ascribed to steric congestion in these compounds, which is further characterized by measurements of nuclear Overhauser correlations and by solid-state structures of the dimers bearing only one donor per lithium atom (d = 1). Increasing microsolvation numbers d are also accompanied by typical changes of the NMR chemical shifts delta (positive for the carbanionic (13)C(alpha), negative for C(para) and p-H). The aforementioned empirical expression for (1)J(CLi) appears to be applicable to other cases of solvated monomeric, dimeric, or tetrameric C-Li compounds (alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, and aryl) and even to unsolvated (d approximately 0) trimeric, tetrameric, or hexameric organolithium aggregates, indicating that (1)J(CLi) might serve as a tool for assessing unknown microsolvation numbers. The importance of obtaining evidence about the (13)C NMR C-Li multiplet splitting of both the nonfluxional and fluxional aggregates is emphasized.

Analysis of an asymmetric addition with a 2:1 mixed lithium amide/n-butyllithium aggregate

A 2:1 lithium amide/ n-butyllithium aggregate 1 is investigated as an asymmetric addition template in hydrocarbon solvents. Several different chiral lithium amides were synthesized from l-valine and tested in the asymmetric addition of n-BuLi to various aldehydes. Enantiomeric excesses up to 83% were obtained in the case of the addition of n-BuLi to pivaldehyde at -116 degrees C in pentane. (1)H and (13)C INEPT DOSY were utilized to characterize a new trimeric complex 12 between 2 equiv of lithium amide and 1 equiv of lithium alkoxide. This mixed aggregate strongly indicates the possibility of product-induced chirality inhibition that is detrimental to the enantioselectivity of asymmetric addition reaction.

A dispensable methoxy group? Phenyl fencholate as a chiral modifier of n-butyllithium

Phenyl fenchol forms a 3:1 aggregate with n-butyllithium (3-BuLi), showing unique lithium-HC agostic interactions both in toluene solution (1H,7Li-HOESY) and in the solid state (X-ray analysis). Although methoxy-lithium coordination is characteristic for many mixed aggregates of anisyl fencholates with n-butyllithium, endo-methyl coordination to lithium ions compensates for the missing methoxy groups in 3-BuLi. This gives rise to a different orientation of the fenchane moiety, encapsulating and chirally modifying the butylide unit.

Structural and Rate Studies of the 1,2-Additions of Lithium Phenylacetylide to Lithiated Quinazolinones: Influence of Mixed Aggregates on the Reaction Mechanism

The 1,2-addition of lithium phenylacetylide (PhCCLi) to quinazolinones was investigated using a combination of structural and rate studies. (6)Li, (13)C, and (19)F NMR spectroscopies show that deprotonation of quinazolinones and phenylacetylene in THF/pentane solutions with lithium hexamethyldisilazide affords a mixture of lithium quinazolinide/PhCCLi mixed dimer and mixed tetramer along with PhCCLi dimer. Although the mixed tetramer dominates at high mixed aggregate concentrations and low temperatures used for the structural studies, the mixed dimer is the dominant form at the low total mixed aggregate concentrations, high THF concentrations, and ambient temperatures used to investigate the 1,2-addition. Monitoring the reaction rates using (19)F NMR spectroscopy revealed a first-order dependence on mixed dimer, a zeroth-order dependence on THF, and a half-order dependence on the PhCCLi concentration. The rate law is consistent with the addition of a disolvated PhCCLi monomer to the mixed dimer. Investigation of the 1,2-addition of PhCCLi to an O-protected quinazolinone implicates reaction via trisolvated PhCCLi monomers.

Crystallographic Distinction between “Contact” and “Separated” Ion Pairs: Structural Effects on Electronic/ESR Spectra of Alkali-Metal Nitrobenzenides

The classic nitrobenzene anion-radical (NB(-*) or nitrobenzenide) is isolated for the first time as pure crystalline alkali-metal salts. The deliberate use of the supporting ligands 18-crown-6 and [2.2.2]cryptand allows the selective formation of contact ion pairs designated as (crown)M(+)NB(-*), where M(+) = K(+), Rb(+), and Cs(+), as well as the separated ion pair K(cryptand)(+)NB(-*)-both series of which are structurally characterized by precise low-temperature X-ray crystallography, ESR analysis, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The unusually delocalized structure of NB(-*) in the separated ion pair follows from the drastically shortened N-C bond and marked quinonoidal distortion of the benzenoid ring to signify complete (95%) electronic conjugation with the nitro substituent. On the other hand, the formation of contact ion pairs results in the substantial decrease of electronic conjugation in inverse order with cation size (K(+) > Rb(+)) owing to increased localization of negative charge from partial (NO(2)) bonding to the alkali-metal cation. Such a loss in electronic conjugation (or reverse charge transfer) may be counterintuitive, but it is in agreement with the distribution of odd-electron spin electron density from the ESR data and with the hypsochromic shift of the characteristic absorption band in the electronic spectra. Most importantly, this crystallographic study underscores the importance of ion-pair structure on the intrinsic property (and thus reactivity) of the component ions-as focused here on the nitrobenzenide anion.

Nitrile anions: solvent-dependent cyclizations

Extensive cyclizations in hydrocarbon and polar solvents demonstrate a profound solvent sensitivity for intramolecular nitrile anion alkylations. S(N)i cyclizations enforce very precise steric constraints in the transition state, allowing correlation of the cyclization stereochemistry with the orbital orientation of the nitrile anion. Collectively the cyclizations suggest a continuum of nitrile anion transition states, varying from planar to fully pyramidal, that selectively cyclize to cis- and trans-decalins, respectively.