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Alkylation of enolates 26 Connections Building on: Arriving at: Looking forward to: • Enols and enolates ch21 • How to make new C–C bonds using • Forming C–C bonds by reacting • Electrophilic addition to alkenes ch20 carbonyl compounds as nucleophiles nucleophilic enolates with electrophilic carbonyl compounds Nucleophilic substitution reactions • How to prevent carbonyl compounds • ch27 ch17 reacting with themselves • Forming C–C bonds by reacting nucleophilic enolates with electrophilic carboxylic acid derivatives ch28 • Forming C–C bonds by reacting nucleophilic enolates with electrophilic alkenes ch29 • Retrosynthetic analysis ch30 Chapters 26–29 continue the theme of synthesis that started with Chapter 24 and will end with Chapter 30. This group of four chapters introduces the main C–C bond-forming reactions of enols and enolates. We develop the chemistry of Chapter 21 with a discussion of enols and enolates attack- ing to alkylating agents (Chapter 26), aldehydes and ketones (Chapter 27), acylating agents (Chapter 28), and electrophilic alkenes (Chapter 29). Carbonyl groups show diverse reactivity In earlier chapters we discussed the two types of reactivity displayed by the carbonyl group. We first described reactions that involve nucleophilic attack on the carbon of the carbonyl, and in Chapter 9 we showed you that these are among the best ways of making new C–C bonds. In this chapter we shall again be making new C–C bonds, but using electrophilic attack on carbonyl compounds: in other words, the carbonyl compound carbonyl compound acts as an electrophile will be reacting as the nucleophile in R R R the reaction. We introduced the Nu nucleophilic forms of carbonyl com- O O OH pounds—enols, and enolates—in Nu Nu Chapter 21. There you saw them H reacting with heteroatomic elec- enolate acts as a nucleophile trophiles, but they will also react well R R R with carbon electrophiles provided the reaction is thoughtfully devised. O O O H enolate E Much of this chapter will concern that E phrase, ‘thoughtfully devised’. B Thought is needed to ensure that the carbonyl compound exhibits the right sort of reactivity. In particular, the carbonyl compound must not act as an electrophile when it is intended to be a nucleophile. If it does, it may react with itself to give some sort of dimer—or even a polymer—rather than neatly attacking the desired electrophile. This chapter is devoted to ways of avoiding this: in Chapter 27 we shall talk about how to promote and control the dimerization, known as the aldol reaction. 664 26 . Alkylation of enolates aim to avoid an unwanted dimerization: the aldol reaction nucleophilic R enolate R repeat enolization O ROHROH O O and attack R R OH n electrophilic unwanted polymer O carbonyl R unwanted "aldol product" Fortunately, over the last three decades lots of thought has already gone into the problem of con- trolling the reactions of enolates with carbon electrophiles. This means that there are many excellent solutions to the problem: our task in this chapter is to help you understand which to use, and when to use them, in order to design useful reactions. Some important considerations that affect all alkylations These reactions consist of two steps. The first is the formation of a stabilized anion—usually (but not always) an enolate—by deprotonation with base. The second is a substitution reaction: attack of the nucleophilic anion on an electrophilic alkyl halide. All the factors controlling SN1 and SN2 reactions, which we discussed at length in Chapter 17, are applicable here. step 1: formation of enolate anion step 2: alkylation (SN2 reaction with alkyl halide) strong base R1 (complete formation R1 R1 of anion) SN2 O O O H R weak base R2 X 2 B (anion in equilibrium with starting material) alkyl halide In each case, we shall take one of two approaches to the choice of base. • A strong base can be chosen to deprotonate the starting material completely. There is complete conversion of the starting material to the anion before addition of the electrophile, which is added in a subsequent step • Alternatively, a weaker base may be used in the presence of the electrophile. The weaker base will not deprotonate the starting material completely: only a small amount of anion will be formed, but that small amount will react with the electrophile. More anion is formed as alkylation uses it up The second approach is easier practically (just mix the starting material, base, and electrophile), but works only if the base and the electrophile are compatible and don’t react together. With the first approach, which is practically more demanding, the electrophile and base never meet each other, so their compatibility is not a concern. We shall start with some compounds that avoid the problem of competing aldol reactions completely, because they are not electrophilic enough to react with their own nucleophilic derivatives. Nitriles and nitroalkanes can be alkylated Problems that arise from the electrophilicity of the carbonyl group can be avoided by replacing C=O by functional groups that are much less electrophilic but are still able to stabilize an adjacent anion. We shall consider two examples, both of which you met in Chapter 21. L Alkylation of nitriles You met nitrile hydrolysis and addition Firstly, the nitrile group, which mirrors the carbonyl group in general reactivity but is much less eas- reactions, for example, in Chapter 12. ily attacked by nucleophiles (N is less electronegative than O). Nitriles and nitroalkanes can be alkylated 665 The anion formed by deprotonating a nitrile using strong base will not react with other molecules of nitrile but will react very efficiently with alkyl halides. The slim, linear structure of the anions makes them good nucleophiles for SN2 reactions. N N N N C C C alkyl halide C deprotonation alkylation R2 X R1 R1 H R1 R1 R2 nitrile nitrile ‘enolate’ anion B new C–C bond The nitrile does not have to be deprotonated completely for alkylation: with sodium hydroxide only a small amount of anion is formed. In the example below, such an anion reacts with propyl bromide to give 2-phenylpentanenitrile. CN Br CN NaOH BnEt3N Cl 84% yield 35 °C This reaction is carried out in a two-phase mixture (water + an immiscible organic solvent) to prevent the hydroxide and propyl bromide merely reacting together in an SN2 reaction to give propanol. The hydroxide stays in the aqueous layer, and the other reagents stay in the organic layer. + – A tetraalkylammonium chloride (benzyltriethylammonium chloride BnEt3N Cl ) is needed as a L phase transfer catalyst to allow sufficient hydroxide to enter the organic layer to deprotonate the You met phase transfer catalysis in Chapter 23, p. 000. nitrile. Nitrile-stabilized anions are so nucleophilic that they will react with alkyl halides rather well even when a crowded quaternary centre (a carbon bearing no H atoms) is being formed. In this example the strong base, sodium hydride, was used to deprotonate the branched nitrile completely and benzyl chloride was the electrophile. The greater reactivity of benzylic electrophiles compensates for the P poorer leaving group. In DMF, the anion is particularly reactive because it is not solvated (DMF sol- Remember our discussion about vates only the Na+ cation). the lack of nucleophilicity of hydride (H–) in Chapter 6? Here is Cl hydride acting as a base even in the presence of the electrophile: Ph quaternary carbon there was no need to do this NPhNaH, DMF, –10 °C NPhatom marked reaction in two steps because the base and electrophile cannot CN O Ph CN O react together. The compatibility of sodium hydride with electrophiles means that, by adding two equivalents of base, alkylation can be encouraged to occur more than once. This dimethylated acid was required in the synthesis of a potential drug, and it was made in two steps from a nitrile. Double alkylation with two equivalents of NaH in the presence of excess methyl iodide gave the methylated nitrile which was hydrolysed to the acid. The monoalkylated product is not isolated—it goes on directly to be deprotonated and react with a second molecule of MeI. MeO Me Me Me Me × CN NaH 2 MeO H2SO4 MeO CN CO2H MeI 666 26 . Alkylation of enolates first alkylation Me I H HH H HMe MeO MeO MeO • N N N second alkylation Me I H HMe Me Me Me MeO MeO MeO • N N N P With two nitrile groups, the delocalized anion is so stable that even a weak, neutral amine (tri- Multiple alkylation is not always desirable, and one of the side- ethylamine) is sufficiently basic to deprotonate the starting material. Here double alkylation again reactions in alkylations that are takes place: note that the electrophile is good at SN2, and the solvent is dipolar and aprotic (DMSO intended to go only once is the and DMF have similar properties). The doubly alkylated quaternary product was formed in 100% formation of doubly, or in special yield. cases triply, alkylated products. These arise when the first Cl Et3N, DMSO NC CN NC CN 100% yield alkylation product still has acidic + Ph Ph protons and can be deprotonated Ph to form another anion. This may in If the electrophile and the nitrile are in the same molecule and the spacing between them is appro- turn react further. Clearly, this is more likely to be a problem if the priate, then intramolecular alkylation will lead to cyclization to form rings that can have anything base is present in excess and can from three to six members. The preparation of a cyclopropane is shown using sodium hydroxide as usually be restricted by using only the base and chloride as a leaving group.