A New Protocol for Regio- and Stereocontrolled Aldol Reactions through the Conjugate Addition of Dialkylboranes to α,β-Unsaturated Ketones

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00020a025

A one-pot, two-step procedure, consisting of the 1,4-addition of dialkylboranes to β-substituted (E)-α,β-unsaturated ketones followed by the reaction of the resulting configurationally pure (Z)-(vinyloxy)boranes with aldehydes, is reported.The overall process corresponds to a regio- and stereocontrolled aldol addition of an unsymmetrical ketone to an aldehyde.A concerted 1,4-addition mechanism accounts for the stereochemical outcome of the hydroboration reaction; cyclic enones do not undergo conjugate addition, while (Z)-β-substituted or β,β-disubstituted α,β-unsaturated ketones still react in a 1,4-fashion, but with a slower rate and a lower degree of chemoselectivity with respect to β-substituted (E)-α,β-unsaturated ketones.In the cases of α,β-disubstituted α,β-unsaturated ketones and (E)-(S-phenylthio)cinnamate, which react with dicyclohexylborane to give a mixture of E and Z enolates, an alternative mechanism is proposed.