.
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complexes adding efficiently to less-reactive ketones and
ꢀ
whether d.r. values would be high. Oxidation of the C B bond
(after C!D) would render allylcopper complex II a metal
enolate equivalent, delivering products of value for stereose-
lective synthesis of biologically active polyketides.[9,10]
We began by evaluating different Cu-based catalysts
(Table 1). Treatment of aldehyde 1a and allene 3a with
5.0 mol% of CuCl and either 6 or 7 affords, after oxidative
Table 1: Screening of representative catalyst types.[a]
Scheme 2. Products from sequential 2-B(pin)-substituted allylcopper
formation/aldehyde addition/oxidation reactions catalyzed by rac-
binap/Cu complex. Reactions performed with 4.0 mol% of rac-binap,
4.0 mol% of CuCl, and 16 mol% of NaOtBu under otherwise the same
conditions as shown in Table 1, except 5.0 equivalents of allene used
for 8a and 8b and 2.0 equivalents of allene used for 8c. >98% conv.
in all cases. See the Supporting Information for details.
Entry
Substrate
Ligand
Conv. [%][b]
d.r.[b]
Yield [%][c]
1
2
3
4
5
6
1a
1a
1a
2a
2a
2a
6
7
47
58
>98
>98
>98
>98
92:8
94:6
95:5
91:9
93:7
94:6
36
41
80
76
83
85
rac-binap
6
7
rac-binap
[a] Reaction conditions: 1) substrate (1.1 equiv), ligand (5.0 mol%),
CuCl (5.0 mol%), NaOtBu (20 mol% for 1a or 1.5 equiv for 2a), B2(pin)2
(1.1 equiv), thf, 22 8C, 8.0 h (1a) or 18 h (2a) under N2 atm;
Methyl-substituted allenes are effective substrates (see 8a–c).
Aldehydes with aryl groups of diverse electronic and steric
attributes are suitable as well (see 4b–f, 8a, and 8b); those
with an electron-deficient substituent (see 8a and 8b) require
excess allene (5.0 equiv) as, otherwise, B(pin)-addition pre-
dominates. Reactions with alkyl-substituted aldehydes are
equally facile and selective (see 4g and 8c).
2) NaBO3·4H2O, thf/H2O (1:1), 22 8C, 1.0 h (for 1a and 2a) under N2
1
atm. [b] Determined by analysis of 400 MHz H NMR spectra of
unpurified mixtures (ꢂ2%). [c] Yields of isolated and purified products
(ꢂ5%; major isomer for entries 1–3 and both isomers for entries 4–6).
See the Supporting Information for details. binap=2,2’-bis(diphenyl-
phosphino)-1,1’-binaphthyl, TBS=tert-butyldimethylsilyl.
Aryl ketones are converted into products bearing tertiary
hydroxy groups in ꢁ 79% yield, > 98% g-selectivity, and
ꢁ 91:9 d.r. with NHC/Cu or rac-binap/Cu complexes
(Scheme 3). Sterically congested ketones (see 5b–d), those
that contain electron-withdrawing (see 5b, 5e, and 5 f) or
-donating substituents (see 5c) react with high efficiency and
selectivity. The transformation with an ethyl ketone (see 5g)
is facile but slightly less diastereoselective, presumably owing
to the diminished size difference between the carbonyl
substituents (see A, Scheme 1). Heterocyclic substituents
are tolerated (e.g., 5h in ꢁ 93:7 d.r.)[17] and cyclic ketones are
effective substrates: 5i is isolated in 82–88% yield and up to
94:6 d.r. (Scheme 3). Efficient and selective formation of 9
(83–87% yield, > 98:2 d.r.) is notable: it offers an attractive
alternative to a propionate ketone aldol process, where, as
would be true in all cases, access to the trisubstituted enolate
in high selectivity would be difficult. Unlike reactions with
aldehydes, however, use of alkyl-substituted ketones leads to
a preponderance of side reactions; it is plausible that the
lower electrophilicity of aliphatic ketones renders enolization
by NaOtBu and the ensuing undesired reactions more
competitive. Products expected from additions to aliphatic
ketones could be synthesized by catalytic hydrogenation of
the corresponding tertiary allylic alcohols derived from
transformations with a,b-unsaturated carbonyls.
workup,[11] b-hydroxyketone 4a with complete g-selectivity
and 92:8 and 94:6 d.r. but in 36% and 41% yield, respectively
(Table 1, entries 1 and 2).[12] Control experiments show that
the moderate efficiency arises from competitive NHC/Cu-
ꢀ
catalyzed Cu B addition to the aldehyde (approximately
90% conversion in 8.0 h without the allene). With the less
Lewis basic rac-binap (Table 1, entry 3), chemoselectivity
ꢀ
improves in favor of Cu B addition to the allene, delivering
4a in 80% yield, > 98% g-selectivity and 95:5 d.r. (< 2%
B(pin) addition to 1a).[13] In contrast, NHC- and rac-binap-
based catalysts promote efficient allylation of ketone 2a
(Table 1, entries 4–6),[14] consistent with a sluggish 1,2-addi-
[15]
ꢀ
ꢀ
tion of NHC Cu B to the carbonyl group. Complete g-
selectivity is observed and diastereoselectivity is high in spite
of the diminished size difference between the ketone
substituents (versus those of an aldehyde); unfavorable
diaxial interactions in A are likely less severe owing to
relatively long incipient bonds.[16]
Various aryl-substituted aldehydes can be used (4b–f,
Scheme 2); efficiency, g-, and diastereoselectivities are high.
2
ꢀ 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 1 – 7
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