Synlett 2006(11): 1703-1706  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-948164
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Highly Selective Catalytic Cross-Aldol Reactions of Chloral with Aliphatic Aldehydes

Fanglin Zhang, Ning Su, Yuefa Gong*
Department of Chemistry, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, P. R. of China
Fax: +86(27)87543632; e-Mail: gongyf@mail.hust.edu.cn;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 15 February 2006
Publication Date:
04 July 2006 (online)

Abstract

An efficient synthetic method for β-trichloromethyl-β-hydroxy aldehydes is described. Using piperidine or l-prolinamide as the catalyst, direct cross-aldol reactions of chloral with aliphatic aldehydes occur smoothly at room temperature. The cross-aldol condensation products are isolated in high yields (up to 95%), and a moderate to high enantioselectivity (up to 88% ee) is observed in the case of l-prolinamide.

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Compound 2: 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 1.08 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3 H, CH2CH 3), 1.82 (dq, J = 7.2 Hz, 2 H, CH 2CH3), 1.93 (dq, J = 7.2 Hz, 2 H, CH 2CH3), 3.03 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 1 H, CHCH2), 3.17 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 1 H, CHCH2), 4.16 (s, 1 H, CHOH), 4.29 (s, 1 H, CHOH), 4.30 (s, 1 H, CHOH), 9.75 (d, J = 2.4 Hz, 1 H, CHO), 9.94 (d, J = 2.8 Hz, 1 H, CHO). IR (film): ν = 3435, 2968, 2936, 2843, 2769, 1713, 1124, 808 cm-1. MS (EI, 70 eV): m/z (%) = 55.22 (100), 73.05 (90), 136.69 (95), 191.82 (30), 218.90 (15) [M]+.

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A Typical Procedure.
To a suspension of chloral (148 mg, 1.0 mmol) and a catalytic amount of l-prolinamide (34 mg, 0.3 mmol) in CH2Cl2 (8 mL) was added freshly distilled butanal (72 mg, 1.0 mmol) in one portion at 0 °C. The reaction mixture was first stirred at 0 °C for 1 h, then for additional 24 h at r.t. The reaction mixture was treated with H2O (10 mL). Then the solution was extracted with EtOAc (3 Ž 10 mL). The combined organic layer was dried over anhyd MgSO4, filtered, and concentrated in vacuo. The residue was purified by column chromatography on silica gel using 6:1 (v/v) hexane-EtOAc as eluent, collecting 209 mg of product 2 in 95% yield (R f = 0.43 for 1; R f = 0.31 for 2). The ee was determined by chiral GC analysis with a DIKMA Chirasil-DEX CB (25 m Ž 0.25 mm) column. Temperature program: from 70 °C to 170 °C at a rate of 10 °C/min, then isotherm for 20 min at 170 °C; t R(major) = 16.6 min; t R(minor) = 17.2 min for anti isomer; t R = 17.5 min, 18.3 min for syn isomer. [α]D 20 -2.9 (c 1.0, CHCl3).

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Compound 3: R f = 0.21, 6:1 (v/v) hexane-EtOAc. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 1.39 (d, J = 7.6 Hz, 3 H, CHCH 3), 1.41 (d, J = 7.6 Hz, 3 H, CHCH 3), 3.12-3.18 (m, 1 H, CHCH3), 3.19-3.23 (m, 1 H, CHCH3), 4.15 (br s, 1 H, CHOH), 4.23 (s, 1 H, CHOH), 4.75 (d, J = 3.2 Hz, 1 H, CHOH), 9.67 (s, 1 H, CHO), 9.95 (d, J = 2.8 Hz, 1 H, CHO). IR (film): ν = 3438, 2982, 2941, 2844, 2734, 1722, 1124, 808 cm-1. MS (EI, 70 eV): m/z (%) = 121.92 (100), 140.79 (43), 204.47 (15) [M]+. [α]D 20 +4.9 (c 1.0, CHCl3).
Compound 4: R f = 0.36, 6:1 (v/v) hexane-EtOAc. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 1.08, 1.18 [d, J = 7.2 Hz, 6 H, CH(CH 3)2], 1.11, 1.12 [d, J = 7.2 Hz, 6H, CH(CH 3)2], 2.35-2.40 [m, J = 7.2 Hz, 1 H,CH(CH3)2], 2.52-2.56 [m, J = 7.2 Hz, 1 H, CH(CH3)2], 2.87 (dd, J = 6.8, 3.2 Hz, 1 H, CHCHO), 2.98 (dd, J = 6.0, 2.4 Hz, 1 H, CHCHO), 3.04 (br s, 1 H, CHOH), 4.37 (d, J = 6.8 Hz, 1 H, CHOH), 4.82 (d, J = 7.2 Hz, 1 H, CHOH), 9.87 (d, 1 H, J = 2.8 Hz, CHO), 9.96 (q, 1 H, J = 1.2 Hz, CHO). IR (film): ν = 3437, 2953, 2935, 2852, 2734, 1713, 1126, 813 cm-1.
Compound 5: R f = 0.49, 6:1 (v/v) hexane-EtOAc. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 0.90 (t, J = 6.4 Hz, 3 H, CH2CH 3), 1.32-1.45 (m, 6 H, CH 2CH 2CH 2CH3), 1.73-1.87 (m, 2 H, CHCH 2), 4.16 (s, 1 H, CHOH), 4.56 (d, J = 2.8 Hz, 1 H, CHOH), 4.28 (s, 1 H, CHOH), 9.74 (d, J = 2.4 Hz, 1 H, CHO), 9.94 (d, J = 2.8 Hz, 1 H, CHO). IR (film): ν = 3436, 2958, 2930, 2862, 2734, 1713, 1128, 816 cm-1. MS (EI, 70 eV): m/z (%) = 73.08 (100), 121.94 (35), 142.99 (43), 189.79 (25), 260.96 (5) [M]+. [α]D 20 -4.0 (c 1.0, CHCl3).