Amine and titanium (IV) chloride, boron (III) chloride or zirconium (IV) chloride-promoted Baylis-Hillman reactions

Article abstract of DOI:10.3390/61100852

The Baylis-Hillman reactions of various aryl aldehydes with methyl vinyl ketone at temperatures below -20°C using Lewis acids such as titanium (IV) chloride, boron (III) chloride or zirconium (IV) chloride in the presence of a catalytic amount of selected

Full text of DOI:10.3390/61100852

Molecules 2001, 6, 852-868
molecules
ISSN 1420-3049
http://www.mdpi.org
Amine and Titanium (IV) Chloride, Boron (III) Chloride or
Zirconium (IV) Chloride-Promoted Baylis-Hillman Reactions
Min Shi*, Jian-Kang Jiang and Shi-Cong Cui
Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, 354 Fenglin Lu, Shanghai 200032 China. Fax: +86-21-64166263.
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-mail: mshi@pub.sioc.ac.cn.
Received: 27 April 2001; in revised form 11 October 2001 / Accepted: 18 October 2001 / Published: 31
October 2001
Abstract: The Baylis-Hillman reactions of various aryl aldehydes with methyl vinyl
ketone at temperatures below -20oC using Lewis acids such as titanium (IV) chloride,
boron (III) chloride or zirconium (IV) chloride in the presence of a catalytic amount of
selected amines used as a Lewis bases afford the chlorinated compounds 1 as the major
product in very high yields. Acrylonitrile can also undergo the same reaction to give the
corresponding chlorinated product in moderate yield. A plausible reaction mechanism is
proposed. However, if the reaction was carried out at room temperature (ca. 20oC), then
the Z-configuration of the elimination product 3, derived from 1, was formed as the major
product.
Keywords: Titanium (IV) chloride; boron (III) chloride; zirconium (IV) chloride;
Bayliss-Hillman reaction; halogenation; Lewis base, amine.
Introduction
The Baylis-Hillman reaction and related processes, typically catalyzed by DABCO or tertiary
phosphines, have become increasingly important in organic synthesis because the resulting adducts may
have several functional groups available for numerous further transformations [1-5]. The major drawbacks

Molecules 2001, 6
853
of the Baylis-Hillman reaction are its slow reaction rate and a limited range of useful substrates. To
overcome these shortcomings many variations have been devised, such as the use of Lewis acids or
various other additives to activate the carbonyl electrophiles [6-10]. Among those Lewis acids examined,
TiCl4 has been successfully used to promote the Baylis-Hillman reaction in the presence of Lewis base
catalysts [9,11,12]. During our own investigations of the Baylis-Hillman process we found that many
amines are very effective Lewis bases in this interesting reaction and the reaction products differ
considerably from those reported so far [13]. Herein we wish to report the full details of the titanium (IV)
chloride, boron (III) chloride or zirconium (IV) chloride and amine promoted Baylis-Hillman reactions,
along with a plausible reaction mechanism based on the previous findings and our own results.
Results and Discussion
We initially attempted the reaction of p-nitrobenzaldehyde with methyl vinyl ketone in the presence of
o
TiCl4 (1.0 eq) at -78 C. No reaction occurred (Table 1, entry 1). However, after adding 20 mol % (0.20
eq) of triethylamine (Et3N) as a Lewis base, the reaction took place smoothly to give the chlorinated
product 1a, rather than 2a and 3a (usually considered the Baylis-Hillman olefin and trisubstituted alkene)
as reported by Kataoka and Li [9, 12], respectively (Scheme 1, Table 1, entry 2). By careful investigation,
we found that this reaction was very sensitive to the amounts of both TiCl4 and amines present in the
reaction mixture (Table 1). By means of catalytic amounts of amine and excess amounts of TiCl4 the
reaction proceeded very well. However, using large excesses of amine as a Lewis base, the reaction was
completely stopped (Table 1, entry 6). This result suggested that the amine could coordinate to TiCl4 and
that free TiCl4 acting as a Lewis acid was required to promote the reaction. The amount of TiCl4 was also
crucial for this reaction because using a catalytic amount of TiCl4, the reaction became very slow and gave
low yields of 1a (Table 1, entry 7 and 8). The best reaction conditions were found to be the use of 20 mol
% of amine as a Lewis base and 1.4 eq of TiCl4 as a Lewis acid (Table 1, entry 4).
Scheme 1
O
OH
R CH CH
Me
O
CH2 Cl
1a
Me
R CHO
TiCl4, Et3N
CH2Cl2, -78 oC
12 h
O
OH
CH C
CH2
R
Me
2a
R= p-NO2Ph

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854
Table 1. Reaction Conditions for the Bayliss-Hillman Reaction of p-Nitrobenzaldehyde
with Methyl Vinyl Ketone in the Presence of TiCl4 and Et3N
Eq. of Lewis Eq. of Lewis
Yielda) [%]
Entry
base (Et3N)
acid (TiCl4)
1a
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
0
1.4
1.4
1.4
1.4
1.4
1.4
0.4
0.8
0.05
0.1
0.2
1.0
6.0
0.2
0.2
60
76
81
45
0
36
54
a) isolated yields
For many arylaldehydes having strongly electron-withdrawing group on the phenyl ring, the reactions
proceed quickly to give compounds 1 in high yields using a catalytic amount of Lewis base (20 mol %) at
-78oC (Scheme 2, Table 2). However, other arylaldehydes or aliphatic aldehydes needed higher
temperatures (-20oC) to give the corresponding chlorinated product 1 in high to moderate yields.
Moreover, we found that besides triethylamine, 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) and
diethylamine were also very effective Lewis bases for this reaction in the presence of TiCl4 (Table 2).
Scheme 2
O
OH
O
TiCl4, Lewis base
+
R CHO
R CH CH
Me
Me
CH2Cl2, < -20 oC
CH2 Cl
1a-e
a: p-NO2Ph; b: m-NO2Ph; c: p-CF3Ph; d: Ph;
e: p-EtPh; f: p-ClPh; g: CH3(CH2)3.
All cases shown in Table 1 only needed a catalytic amount of amine (20 mol %) to bring the reaction
to completion in the presence of TiCl4 (Table 2). It should be emphasized that in all cases, only one
diastereomer was formed during the reaction process based on the 1H-NMR spectral data evidence. Their
relative configurations were confirmed as the syn-form by analysis of the X-ray crystal structure of 1a
[13] (Figure 1).

Molecules 2001, 6
855
Table 2. Bayliss-Hillman Reaction of Aldehydes with Methyl Vinyl Ketone
in the Presence of TiCl4 and 20 mol% of Lewis Base
Temp
[°C]
-78
-78
-78
-78
-20
-20
-20
-20
-78
-20
-78
-20
Time
[h]
12
Yielda) [%]
Entry
R
Lewis base
1
1
2
p-NO2-Ph
p-NO2-Ph
m-NO2-Ph
p-CF3-Ph
Ph
none
Et3N
Et3N
Et3N
Et3N
Et3N
Et3N
Et3N
Et2NH
Et2NH
DBU
DBU
-
12
81
88
80
80
72
70
45
88
71
82
65
3
12
4
48
5
48
6
p-Et-Ph
p-Cl-Ph
CH3(CH2)3
p-NO2-Ph
Ph
48
7
48
8
48
9
12
10
11
12
48
p-NO2-Ph
Ph
12
48
a) isolated yields
Figure 1: Crystal Structure of 1a
Compound 1 can be easily and completely transformed to the compound 2 [14] by treating with an
excess amount (2.0 eq) of triethylamine or 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) (Scheme 3). The
purification of 1 by preparative thin layer chromatography (TLC) was noted to also cause the
transformation of 1 to 2, therefore quick flash column chromatography is required in order to obtain the
pure product 1.

Molecules 2001, 6
856
Scheme 3
OH
1a
OH
O
O
Et3N or DBU
CH2Cl2
R
R
CH2
Cl
2a
R= p-NO2Ph
Besides methyl vinyl ketone, acrylonitrile underwent the same reaction to give the corresponding
chlorinated product 1h in moderate yield in CH2Cl2 at 10oC for 5 days (Scheme 4, Table 3, entries 1 and
2), but at -78 oC, no reaction occurred (entry 3). Raising the reaction temperature to reflux (45oC) caused a
decrease of the yield of 1h (Table 3, entry 4). On the other hand, using methyl acrylate as a Michael
acceptor, only trace amounts of chlorinated product were obtained under similar reaction conditions
(Scheme 5).
Scheme 4
OH
R CH CH CN
CH2 Cl
CN
1h
R CHO
TiCl4, amine
CH2Cl2
OH
R CH C CN
CH2
2h
R= p-NO2Ph
Scheme 5
O
O
OH
1i
OMe
R
R CHO
OMe
TiCl4, Et3N or DBU
CH2Cl2, 10 oC
Cl
trace
R= p-NO2Ph

Molecules 2001, 6
857
Table 3. Bayliss-Hillman Reaction of p-Nitrobenzaldehyde with Acrylonitrile
in the Presence of TiCl4 and 20 mol % of Amine as Lewis Base
Temp
Time
Yielda)
[%]
37
Entry
Amine
[°C]
[h]
5
1
2
3
4
Et3N
DBU
DBU
DBU
10
10
5
50
-78
3
0
40
3
16
a)isolated yield
To the best of our knowledge, this represents a novel Baylis-Hillman reaction system because use of a
catalytic amount of amine as a Lewis base has never been reported to date for titanium(IV) chloride
promoted Baylis-Hillman reactions. Recently, Aggarwal has reported that using stoichiometric amounts of
amine such as DABCO and a catalytic amount of titanium (IV) chloride gave reduced reaction rates, but
that use of stoichiometric amounts of amine and a catalytic amount of lanthanide triflates (5 mol%) gave
increased rates in the Baylis-Hillman reaction [7]. Our system shows that using excess amounts of
titanium (IV) chloride and catalytic amount of amines, the major reaction products in moderate to high
yields are the β-chlorinated compounds 1, which can be readily transformed to the Baylis-Hillman olefin
2. Thus the reaction rate of Baylis-Hillman reaction can be greatly accelerated by means of this reagent
system.
We also examined many other metal halides such as PdCl2, RhCl3, Cp2ZrCl2, ZrCl4, AlCl3, TMSCl,
SiCl4, BF3, BCl3 and found that BCl3 and ZrCl4 also worked as Lewis acids for this reaction, although
they are not as effective as TiCl4. For example, we carried out the Baylis-Hillman reaction using BCl3 and
ZrCl4 as Lewis acid with Et3N as a Lewis base under the same reaction conditions as those shown in
Scheme 1. The syn-chlorinated products can be also obtained (Scheme 6), but this required longer reaction
times (40 h) at -78oC. These results are summarized in Table 4.
Scheme 6
O
OH
O
BCl3 or ZrCl4, Et3N
R CHO
+
R CH CH
Me
Me
CH2Cl2, < -20 oC
CH2 Cl
1a-e

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858
Table 4. Baylis-Hillman Reaction of Aldehydes with Methyl Vinyl Ketone in the
Presence of BCl3 (1.4 eq.) or ZrCl4 (1.4 eq) and 20 mol % of Et3N
Temp
[°C]
-78
Time
[h]
40
Yielda)
[%]
64
Entry
R
Lewis acid
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
p-NO2-Ph
m-NO2-Ph
o-NO2-Ph
p-CF3-Ph
Ph
BCl3
BCl3
BCl3
BCl3
BCl3
BCl3
ZrCl4
ZrCl4
-78
42
63
-78
42
58
-78
48
42
-20
48
34
p-Cl-Ph
p-NO2-Ph
p-Cl-Ph
-20
48
45
-78
48
57
-78
48
43
a)isolated yields
In Scheme 7, we propose a tentative mechanism to explain the formation of product 1. In fact, the
reactions of trimethylamine and dimethylamine with titanium (IV) chloride had been investigated by
Antler and Laubengayer in 1955 [15a]. Chloride ion was detected although the system was complicated.
Based on his findings, Periasamy gave a mechanism for the reaction of tertiary amines with TiCl4 [15b].
Recently many crystal structures of Ti complexes derived from the reaction of TiCl4 with amines have
been disclosed including cationic Ti complexes [15c,d,e].
Scheme 7
O
+
(Et3N TiCl3) Cl-
TiCl4
+
Et3N
TiCl4
Cl
+
-
(Et3N TiCl3)
O
TiCl3
O
Cl
R-CHO
TiCl3
O
O
OH
R
O
R
Cl
Cl

Molecules 2001, 6
859
The reaction mechanism proposed in Scheme 7 is based on those previous findings and the results of
our own investigations as shown in Table 1. We believe that amine can strongly coordinate to the Ti metal
center of TiCl4 to give an ionic metal complex containing chloride ion. This reaction is related with the
attack of chloride ion on the methyl vinyl ketone in a Michael addition fashion (Scheme 7). Using BCl3 or
ZrCl4 as a Lewis acid, the reactions would proceed via the same mechanism. Thus, the formation of
chlorinated compound 1 is a major reaction process in the TiCl4, BCl3, and ZrCl4 and Lewis base amine
promoted Baylis-Hillman reaction.
Figure 2: The chiral Lewis bases used for the Bayliss-Hillman reaction
Ph
OMe
MeO
Ph
N
C Ph
OH
Ph
OMe
MeO
C Ph
OH
N
H
N
Bn
C Ph
OH
N
H
C
B
A
D
Ph
O
Ph
O
O
Ph
Ph
O
O
NH2
NH2
NH2
O
O
O
O
N
NH PPh2
Ph
N
H
C Ph
OH
E
H
G
F
O
NH2
N
N
L
NH2
Se
NH PPh2
HO
S
NH PPh2
OH
OMe
N
N
I
J
K
We also examined the catalytic enantioselective Baylis-Hillman reaction using chiral amines or
aminoalcohols as chiral Lewis bases for this reaction (Scheme 8). The enantiomeric excesses achieved
were determined by chiral HPLC analysis of 1a or 2a after treating with DBU or Et3N. In Figure 2, we

Molecules 2001, 6
860
show the chiral Lewis bases used for this reaction. These chiral ligands (A-L) were either prepared by us
according to the known synthetic methods or purchased from Aldrich. For sterically bulky amines, the
reaction is relatively slow and longer reaction times are required, but in all cases, the achieved
enantiomeric excesses were only about 10~20%. We believe that this is related to the mechanism shown
in Scheme 7 because the reaction is via separated ionic intermediates and the chiral centers are far away
from the aldol reaction center. These results partially support our proposed reaction mechanism (Scheme
7).
Scheme 8
O
OH
O
TiCl4, Lewis base
p-NO2Ph CHO +
p-NO2Ph
CH CH
CH2 Cl
Me
CH2Cl2, < -20 oC
Me
1a
O
OH
p-NO2Ph CH C
CH2
DBU or Et3N
CH2Cl2
Me
2a
On the other hand, by carrying out this reaction at room temperature (about 20 oC), we confirmed that
the elimination product 3 was the only product under the same reaction conditions (Scheme 9, Table 5,
entries 3-10).
Scheme 9
O
O
TiCl4, Et3N
R CHO
+
R
Me
CH2Cl2, 20 oC
Cl
3
a: R= p-NO2Ph, b:R= o-NO2Ph, c: R= p-CF3Ph, d: R= p-ClPh,
e: R= m-FPh; f: R= p-EtPh; g: R= Ph; h: R= Me(CH2)8.
Table 5. Bayliss-Hillman Reaction of Aldehydes with Methyl Vinyl Ketone in the
Presence of 1.4 eq. of TiCl4 and 0.20 eq. of Et3N at Room Temperature
Yielda) (%)
Entry
R
Time [h]
3
30b)
1
2
3
p-NO2-Ph
p-NO2-Ph
p-NO2-Ph
6
6
50
24
92

Molecules 2001, 6
861
4
5
o-NO2-Ph
p-CF3-Ph
p-Cl-Ph
24
24
24
24
36
24
24
86
87
75
82
60
77
50
6
7
m-F-Ph
8
p-Et-Ph
9
Ph
10
CH3(CH2)8
a) isolated yield
b) in the absence of Lewis base
This reaction was first disclosed by Li and coworkers. They reported that in the presence of
stoichiometric or nonstoichiometric TiX4, compound 3 could be formed in its Z-configuration [12]. Later
we also reported that 3 could be exclusively obtained in the TiCl4 and chalcogenide promoted Baylis-
Hillman reaction at room temperature (20oC) [16]. The Z-configuration has been confirmed by X-ray
analysis (Figure 3) [16].
Figure 3: Crystal Structure of 3a
We now wish to report that in the initial reaction stage, the presence of Lewis base can still
significantly speed up this reaction (Table 5, entry 1 and 2). In order to clarify the formation of 3, we
treated 1a and 2a directly with TiCl4 in dichloromethane at room temperature. We found that 1a can be
transformed to 3a within 6 h, whereas the reaction of 2a with TiCl4 was much slower (Scheme 10). These

Molecules 2001, 6
862
results strongly suggest that 3a is derived directly from 1a formed first in the reaction. Thus, we conclude
that, at room temperature, the chlorinated products 1 could be formed either in the absence or in the
presence of Lewis base, but they are rapidly transformed to the elimination product 3 exclusively.
Scheme 10
O
OH
O
TiCl4
p-NO2Ph
1a
p-NO2Ph
3a
CH2Cl2, 3 h
Cl
Cl
100%
OH
2a
O
TiCl4
3a
p-NO2Ph
CH2Cl2, 30 h
20%
Conclusions
We have found that TiCl4, BCl3 or ZrCl4 and amine promoted Baylis-Hillman reaction is a very
efficient reaction system for producing chlorinated compounds 1. The amine compounds are good Lewis
bases and TiCl4, BCl3 and ZrCl4 are good Lewis acids for this reaction. The reaction temperatures, the
amount of Lewis acid, and the amount of Lewis base can drastically affect the reaction products and
reaction rates. The relative activities of different Lewis acids for this reaction are TiCl4 > BCl3 > ZrCl4 and
the best combination of Lewis acid and Lewis base for this reaction is TiCl4 (1.4 eq) with NEt3 (0.2 eq).
The relative configuration of 1 was not affected by the Lewis acids (TiCl4, BCl3 or ZrCl4) used at all. The
reaction was initiated by chloride ion attacking at the Michael acceptor of the α,β-unsaturated ketone. The
chloride ion was produced by coordination of Lewis bases (NEt3) to Lewis acids such as TiCl4, BCl3, and
ZrCl4. Undoubtedly compound 3 was derived mainly from 1. Efforts are underway to elucidate the full
mechanistic details of this reaction and to disclose the scope and limitations of this reaction. Work along
this line are currently in progress.
Acknowledgements
The State Key Project for Basic Research has provided financial support (Project 973; No.
G2000048007) as has the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China. We also thank Inoue
Photochirogenesis Project for supplying chemical reagents.

Molecules 2001, 6
863
Experimental Section
General
1
Melting points are uncorrected. H- and 13C-NMR spectra were recorded on a Bruker AMX-300
spectrometer at 300 MHz and 75 MHz, respectively. Mass spectra were recorded by the EI method and
HRMS was measured by a Finnigan MA+ mass spectrometer. Organic solvents used were dried by
standard methods when necessary. All solid compounds reported in this paper gave satisfactory CHN
microanalyses. Commercially obtained reagents were used without further purification. All reactions were
monitored by TLC with Huanghai GF254 silica gel coated plates. Flash Column Chromatography was
carried out using 300-400 mesh silica gel at increased pressure.
Typical procedure for the preparation of compounds 1a-h and 2a: 3-(Chloromethyl)-4-hydroxy-4-(4'-
nitrophenyl)-2-butanone (1a).
To a solution of triethylamine (10.1 mg, 0.1mmol, 14.0 µL) in CH2Cl2(1.3 mL) was added titanium
o
tetrachloride (0.7 mL, 0.7 mmol) at -78 C. After stirring for 5 min, a solution of p-nitrobenzaldehyde
(75.5 mg, 0.5 mmol) in CH2Cl2 (1.0 mL) and methyl vinyl ketone (105.0 mg, 1.5 mmol, 123.0 µL) were
o
added into the reaction solution at -78 oC, respectively. The reaction mixture was kept for 12 h at -78 C.
The reaction was quenched by addition of saturated aqueous NaHCO3 solution (1.0 mL). After filtration,
the filtrate was extracted with CH2Cl2 (5.0 mL x 2) and dried over anhydrous MgSO4. The solvent was
removed under reduced pressure and the residue was purified by a flash chromatography (silicagel, eluent
1:4 ethyl acetate/petroleum ether) to give compound 1a (105.0 mg, 81%) as a colorless solid, mp 90-91
1
oC; IR (KBr) ν 1720 cm-1; H-NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz): δ 2.20 (3H, s, Me), 2.93 (1H, br. s, OH), 3.22-
3.38 (1H, m), 3.67 (1H, dd, J 11.3, 4.0 Hz), 3.89 (1H, dd, J 11.3, 9.2 Hz), 5.11 (1H, d, J 5.6 Hz), 7.56 (2H,
d, J 8.6 Hz, Ar), 8.25 (2H, d, J 8.6 Hz, Ar); MS (EI) m/e 258 (MH+, 0.60), 208 (M+-49, 60), 71(M+-186,
100); Anal. Found: C, 51.64; H, 4.94; N, 5.35%. C11H12ClNO4 requires C, 51.27; H, 4.69; N, 5.44%.
3-(Chloromethyl)-4-hydroxy-4-(3'-nitrophenyl)-2-butanone (1b).
Colorless oil, 113 mg (88%); IR (KBr): ν 1720 cm-1 (C=O); 1H-NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz): δ 2.20 (3H,
s, Me), 2.95 (1H, br. s, OH), 3.20-3.35 (1H, m), 3.66 (1H, dd, J 11.3, 3.9 Hz), 3.89 (1H, dd, J 11.3, 9.3
Hz), 5.13 (1H, d, J 5.6 Hz), 7.54 (1H, t, J 7.9 Hz, Ar), 7.69 (1H, d, J 7.6 Hz, Ar), 8.2 (1H, d, J 7.6 Hz,
Ar), 8.25 (1H, s, Ar); MS (EI) m/e 257 (M+, 0.60), 208 (M+-49, 60), 71(M+-186, 100); [HRMS (EI) m/z
239.0353 (M+-H2O). C11H10O3NCl requires M-H2O, 239.0349].
3-(Chloromethyl)-4-hydroxy-4-(4'-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2-butanone (1c).
Colorless oil, 112 mg (80%); IR(KBr) ν 1720 cm-1 (C=O); 1H-NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz) δ 2.13 (3H, s,
Me), 2.65 (1H, br. s, OH), 3.22-3.37 (1H, m), 3.70 (1H, dd, J 10.2, 3.9 Hz), 3.89 (1H, dd, J 10.2, 10.2

Molecules 2001, 6
864
Hz), 5.02 (1H, d, J 6.1 Hz), 7.37 (2H, d, J 8.0 Hz, Ar), 7.64 (2H, d, J 8.0 Hz, Ar); MS (EI) m/e 280 (M+,
0.45), 243 (M+-37, 40), 43 (M+-237, 100); [HRMS (EI) m/z 262.0377 (M+-H2O). C12H10OClF3 requires
M-H2O, 262.0372].
3-(Chloromethyl)-4-hydroxy-4-phenyl-2-butanone (1d).
Colorless oil: 85 mg (80%); a; IR(KBr) ν 1720 cm-1 (C=O); 1H-NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz) δ 2.02 (3H,
s, Me), 2.45 (1H, br. s, OH), 3.22-3.37 (1H, m), 3.78 (1H, dd, J 10.7, 3.8 Hz), 3.90 (1H, dd, J 10.4, 10.4
Hz), 4.84 (1H, d, J 6.9 Hz), 7.10-7.32 (5H, m, Ar); MS (EI) m/e 212 (M+, 1.05), 163 (M+-49, 60), 107
(M+-105, 100); [HRMS (EI) m/z 212.0594 (M+). C11H13O2Cl requires M, 212.0604].
3-(Chloromethyl)-4-hydroxy-4-(4'-ethylphenyl)-2-butanone (1e).
o
1
Colorless solid: 87 mg (72%);; mp 69-71 C; IR(KBr) ν 1720 cm-1 (C=O); H-NMR (CDCl3, 300
MHz) δ 1.21 (3H, t, J 7.7 Hz), 2.02 (3H, s, Me), 2.15 (1H, br. s, OH), 2.63 (2H, q, J 7.7 Hz), 3.22-3.37
(1H, m), 3.80 (1H, dd, J 10.7, 3.8 Hz), 3.90 (1H, dd, J 10.7, 10.7 Hz), 4.82 (1H, d, J 7.2 Hz), 7.10-7.32
(4H, m, Ar); MS (EI) m/e 222 (M+-18, 1.20), 191 (M+-49, 20), 135 (M+-105, 100); [HRMS (EI) m/z
240.0908 (M+). C13H17O2Cl requires M, 240.0917].
3-(Chloromethyl)-4-hydroxy-4-(4'-chlorophenyl)-2-butanone (1f).
Colorless oil: 86 mg (70%); a; IR(KBr) ν 1720 cm-1 (C=O); 1H-NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz) δ 2.0 (3H, s,
Me), 2.50 (1H, br. s, OH), 3.20-3.32 (1H, m), 3.75 (1H, dd, J 10.7, 3.8 Hz), 3.87 (1H, dd, J 10.7, 10.7
Hz), 4.82 (1H, d, J 6.7 Hz), 7.10-7.32 (4H, m, Ar); MS (EI) m/e 246 (M+, 1.20), 121 (M+-125, 20), 91
(M+-155, 100); [HRMS (EI) m/z 246.0210 (M+). C11H12O2Cl2 requires M, 246.0214].
3-(Chloromethyl)-4-hydroxy-4-butyl-2-butanone (1g).
Colorless oil: 43 mg (45%); a; IR(KBr) ν 1720 cm-1 (C=O); 1H-NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz) δ 0.89 (3H,
t, J 7.1 Hz), 1.10-1.60 (6H, m), 2.08 (1H, s, OH), 2.34 (3H, s, Me), 3.0-3.10 (1H, m), 3.60-3.85 (3H, m);
MS (EI) m/e 192 (M+, 0.80), 155 (M+-37, 30), 43 (M+-149, 100); [HRMS (EI) m/z 192.0908 (M+).
C9H17O2Cl requires M, 192.0917].
Preparation of 2-(chloromethyl)-3-hydroxy-3-(4'-nitrophenyl)-propionitrile (1h).
Colorless oil: 45 mg (37%); IR(KBr) ν 1720 cm-1 (C=O); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz) δ 2.50 (1H, s,
OH), 3.28 (1H, q, J 6.1 Hz), 3.70 (1H, dd, J 11.3, 4.5 Hz), 3.96 (1H, dd, J 11.3, 5.8 Hz), 7.67 (2H, d, J 8.3
Hz), 8.28 (2H, d, J 8.3 Hz); MS (EI) m/e 240 (M+, 38.75), 205 (M+-35, 30), 152 (M+-149, 100); [HRMS
(EI) m/z 240.0310 (M+). C10H9ClN2O3 requires M, 240.0302].

Molecules 2001, 6
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3-[(4'-nitrophenyl)hydroxymethyl]-3-buten-2-one (2a).
A known compound [9]. Its physical data was comparable to that reported in literature: mp 66-68oC;
1H -NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz) d 2.36 (3H, s, Me), 3.26 (1H, br. s, OH), 5.68 (1H, s), 6.05 (1H, s), 6.28
(1H, s), 7.56 (2H, d, J 8.6 Hz, Ar), 8.19 (2H, d, J 8.6 Hz, Ar).
Typical Procedure for the Preparation of 3-(Chloromethyl)-4-(4'-nitrophenyl)-3-buten-2-one (3a).
To a solution of triethylamine (10.1 mg, 0.1 mmol, 14.0 µL) in CH2Cl2 (1.3 mL) was added 1.0 N
titanium tetrachloride (0.7 mL, 0.7 mmol) in CH2Cl2 at room temperature (20 oC). After stirring for 5 min,
a solution of p-nitrobenzaldehyde (76 mg, 0.5 mmol) in CH2Cl2 (1.0 mL) and methyl vinyl ketone (105
mg, 1.5 mmol, 123 µL) were added into the reaction solution at room temperature. The reaction mixture
was kept for 24 h at room temperature. The reaction was quenched by addition of saturated aqueous
NaHCO3 solution (1.0 mL). After filtration, the filtrate was extracted with CH2Cl2 (5.0 mL x 2) and dried
over anhydrous MgSO4. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the residue was purified by
flash silica gel chromatography to give compound 3a (110 mg, 92%) as a colorless solid (eluent: ethyl
1
acetate/petroleum ether=1/8): mp 134-136 oC; IR(KBr) ν 1640 cm-1 (C=O); H-NMR (CDCl3, 300 Hz) δ
2.55 (3H, s, Me), 4.38 (2H, s, CH2), 7.69 (1H, s), 7.75 (2H, d, J 8.6 Hz, Ar), 8.35 (2H, d, J 8.6 Hz, Ar);
MS (EI) m/e 239 (M+, 0.40), 222 (M+-17, 40), 115 (M+-124, 100); [Found: C, 54.94; H, 3.92; N, 5.87%.
C11H10ClNO3 requires C, 55.13; H, 4.21; N, 5.84%].
3-(Chloromethyl)-4-(2'-nitrophenyl)-3-buten-2-one (3b).
o
1
A colorless solid : 103 mg (86%); mp 120-122 C; IR(KBr) ν 1640 cm-1 (C=O); H-NMR (CDCl3,
300 MHz) δ=2.52 (3H, s, Me), 4.23 (2H, s, CH2), 7.64 (1H, td, J 6.4, 1.5 Hz, Ar), 7.72 (1H, d, J 6.7 Hz,
Ar), 7.80 (1H, t, J 7.5 Hz, Ar), 8.02 (1H, s), 8.27 (1H, d, 7.5 Hz, Ar); MS (EI) m/e 239 (M+, 60), 222
(M+-17, 50), 115 (M+-124, 50), 43 (M+-196, 100); [HRMS (EI) m/z 239.0351 (M+). C11H10ClNO3
requires M, 239.0349].
3-(Chloromethyl)-4-(4'-trifluoromethylphenyl)-3-buten-2-one (3c).
1
A colorless solid: 114 mg (87%); mp 43-45 oC; IR (KBr) ν 1640 cm-1 (C=O); H-NMR (CDCl3, 300
MHz) δ=2.54 (3H, s, Me), 4.39 (2H, s, CH2), 7.70 (1H, s), 7.60-7.76 (4H, m, Ar); MS (EI) m/e 262 (M+,
100), 193 (M+-69, 70), 183 (M+-79, 50), 115 (M+-147, 40); [HRMS (EI) m/z 262.0381 (M+). C12H10ClF3O
requires M, 262.0372].
Preparation of 3-(chloromethyl)-4-(4'-chlorophenyl)-3-buten-2-one (3d).
o
1
A colorless solid: 86 mg (75%); mp 87-89 C; IR (KBr) ν 1640 cm-1 (C=O); H-NMR (CDCl3, 300
MHz) δ=2.51 (3H, s, Me), 4.42 (2H, s, CH2), 7.46 (2H, d, J 8.6 Hz), 7.54 (2H, d, J 8.6 Hz), 7.69 (1H, s);

Molecules 2001, 6
866
MS (EI) m/e 228 (M+, 20), 193 (M+-35, 40), 149 (M+-79, 40), 115 (M+-113, 40), 43 (M+-185, 100);
[HRMS (EI) m/z 228.0110 (M+). C11H10Cl2O requires M, 228.0109].
Preparation of 3-(chloromethyl)-4-(3'-fluorophenyl)-3-buten-2-one (3e).
This compound was prepared in the same manner as that described above: 87 mg (82%); a colorless
1
solid; mp 63-64 oC; IR (KBr) ν 1640 cm-1 (C=O); H-NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz) δ=2.51 (3H, s, Me), 4.42
(2H, s, CH2), 7.10-7.50 (4H, m, Ar), 7.69 (1H, s); MS (EI) m/e 212 (M+, 15), 177 (M+-35, 40), 99 (M+-
113, 40), 43 (M+-169, 100); [HRMS (EI) m/z 212.0411 (M+). C11H10ClFO requires M, 212.0404].
Preparation of 3-(chloromethyl)-4-(4'-ethylphenyl)-3-buten-2-one (3f).
This compound was prepared in the same manner as that described above: 67 mg (60%); a colorless
oil; IR (KBr) ν 1640 cm-1 (C=O); 1H-NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz) δ=1.28 (3H, t, J 7.1 Hz), 2.51 (3H, s, Me),
2.67 (2H, q, J 7.1 Hz), 4.48 (2H, s, CH2), 7.31 (2H, d, J 8.0 Hz), 7.55 (2H, d, J 8.0 Hz), 7.69 (1H, s); MS
(EI) m/e 222 (M+, 30), 193 (M+-29, 100), 128 (M+-94, 40); [HRMS (EI) m/z 222.0809 (M+). C13H15ClO
requires M, 222.0811].
Preparation of 3-(chloromethyl)-4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one (3g).
This compound was prepared in the same manner as that described above: 75 mg (77%); a colorless
1
oil; IR (KBr) ν 1640 cm-1 (C=O); H-NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz) δ=2.52 (3H, s, Me), 4.46 (2H, s, CH2),
7.31-7.50 (3H, m, Ar), 7.51-7.61 (2H, m, Ar), 7.71 (1H, s); MS (EI) m/e 194 (M+, 100), 115 (M+-79, 40),
43 (M+-151, 40); [HRMS (EI) m/z 194.0498 (M+). C11H11ClO requires M, 194.0492].
Preparation of 3-(chloromethyl)-4-nonyl-3-buten-2-one (3h).
This compound was prepared in the same manner as that described above: 62 mg (50%); a colorless
1
oil; IR (KBr) ν 1640 cm-1 (C=O); H-NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz) δ 0.83 (3H, t, J 7.1 Hz, Me), 1.10-1.40
(12H, m, CH2), 1.40-1.60 (2H, m, CH2), 2.36 (3H, s, Me), 2.34 (2H, td, J 7.6, 7.6 Hz), 4.32 (2H, s, CH2),
6.85 (1H, t, J 7.6 Hz); MS (EI) m/e 244 (M+, 20), 209 (M+-35, 40), 109 (M+-135, 70), 43 (M+-201, 100);
[HRMS (EI) m/z 244.1596 (M+). C14H25ClO requires M, 244.1594].
X-Ray Crystallography
Suitable single crystals of compounds 1a and 3a were mounted on the tip of a glass capillary. Data
were collected on a Rigaku AFC7R diffractometer with graphite-monochromated Mo-K(α) radiation λ=
0.71069 (Å) using the ω-2θ technique at 20oC. The data were corrected for Lorentz polarization effects.
The structure was solved by direct methods and expanded using Fourier techniques [16]. The non-
hydrogen atoms were refined anisotropically by full-matrix least squares. All hydrogen atoms were

Molecules 2001, 6
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included in the calculated positions. All calculations were performed using the TEXSAN crystallographic
software package. The resulting crystal structures have been deposited at the Cambridge Crystallographic
Data Center and have been allocated deposition numbers CCDC 144817 for 1a and CCDC 142973 for 3a,
respectively.
References and Notes
1. For reviews, see: (a) Ciganek, E. Org. React. 1997, 51, 201; (b) Basavaiah, D.; Rao, P. D.; Hyma, R.
S. Tetrahedron, 1996, 52, 8001; (c) Drewes, S. E.; Roos, G. H. P. Tetrahedron, 1988, 44, 4653.
2. Brzezinski, L. J.; Rafel, S.; Leahy, J. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 4317.
3. Marko, I. E.; Giles, P. G.; Hindley, N. J. Tetrahedron, 1997, 53, 1015.
4. Richter, H.; Jung, G. Tetrahedron Lett. 1998, 39, 2729.
5. Barrett, A. G. M.; Cook, A. S.; Kamimura, A. J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1999, 2533.
6. Kunidig, E. P.; Xu, L. H.; Romanens, P.; Bernardinelli, G. Tetrahedron Lett. 1993, 34, 7049.
7. Aggarwal, V.; Mereu, A.; Tarver, G. J.; MaCague, R. J. Org. Chem. 1998, 63, 7183.
8. Kawamura, M.; Kobayashi, S. Tetrahedron Lett. 1999, 40, 1539.
9. (a) Kataoka, T.; Iwama, T.; Tsujiyama, S.-i.; Iwamura, T.; Watanaba, S.-i. Tetrahedron, 1998, 54,
11813. (b) Kataoka, T.; Iwama, T.; Kinoshita, S.; Tsujiyama, Y.; Iwamura, T.; Watanabe, S. Synlett.
1999, 197. (c) Kataoka, T.; Iwama, T.; Tsujiyama, S.; Kanematsu, K.; Iwamura, T.; Watanabe, S.
Chem. Lett. 1999, 257; (d) Kataoka, T.; Iwama, T.; Tsujiyama, S. J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun.
1998, 197. (e) Iwama, T.; Tsujiyama, S.-I.; Kinoshita, H.; Kanamatsu, K.; Tsurukami, Y.; Iwamura,
T.; Watanabe, S.-I.; Kataoka, T. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1999, 47, 956.
10. Ono, M.; Nishimura, K.; Nagaoka, Y.; Tomioka, K. Tetrahedron Lett. 1999, 40, 1509.
11. Nagaoka, Y.; Yomioka, K. J. Org. Chem. 1998, 63, 6428.
12. Li, G.; Gao, J.; Wei, H.-X.; Enright, M. Org. Lett. 2000, 2, 617.
13. Shi, M.; Jiang, J.-K.; Feng, Y.-S. Org. Lett., 2000, 2, 2397.
14. The X-ray crystal data for compound 1a: Empirical formula: C11H12ClNO4; Formula Weight: 257.67;
Crystal Color, Habit: colorless, column; Crystal dimensions: 0.28 x 0.30 x 0.18 mm; Crystal system:
orthorhombic; Lattice type: primitive; Lattice parameters: a = 10.615(1) Å, b = 14.277(1) Å, c =
7.838(1) Å, V = 1187.8(3) Å3; Space group: P212121 (#19); Zvalue = 4; Dclalc = 1.441 g/cm3; F000
536.00; µ(MoKα) = 3.23 cm-1; Residuals: R; Rw = 0.065; 0.052.
=
15. (a) Antler, M.; Laubengayer, A. W. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1955, 77, 5250. (b) Bharathi, P.; Periasamy,
M. Org. Lett., 1999, 1, 857. (c) Blake, A. J.; Collier, P. E.; Dunn, S. C.; Li, W.-S.; Mountford, P.;
Shishkin, O. V. J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans., 1997, 9, 1549. (d) Vol’pin, M. E.; Shur, V. B.;
Berkovich, E. G. Inorg. Chim. Acta, 1998, 280, 264. (e) Sinnema, P.-J.; van der Veen, L.; Spek, A. L.;
Veldman, N.; Teuben, J. H. Organometallics, 1997, 16, 4245.
16. Shi, M.; Jiang, J.-K. Tetrahedron, 2000, 56, 4793. The X-ray crystal data of compound 3a: Empirical
Formula: C22H20N2O6Cl2; Formula Weight: 479.32; Crystal Color, Habit: colorless, prismatic; Crystal
Dimensions: 0.20 x 0.20 x 0.30 mm; Crystal System: monoclinic; Lattice Type: primitive; Lattice
Type: a = 7.524(2) Å, b = 17.541(3) Å, c = 17.07(1) Å, β== 98.64(4)o, V = 2227(1) Å3; Space group:

Molecules 2001, 6
868
P21/n (#14); Z value = 4; Dcalc = 1.429 g/cm3; F000 = 992.00; u(MoKα) = 3.33 cm-1; R = 0.066, Rw =
0.061. TEXSAN, Crystal Structure Analysis Package, Molecular Structure Corporation, Houston, TX,
1985 and 1992.
Sample Availability: Samples are available from the authors.
© 2001 by MDPI (http://www.mdpi.org). Reproduction is permitted for noncommercial purposes.