An unexpected equilibrium process associated with a standard approach to ynone synthesis

Mary M Jackson1, Carolyn Leverett, Jennifer F Toczko

  • 1GlaxoSmithKline, Chemical Development, Five Moore Drive, P.O. Box 13398, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 27709, USA.

Summary

Weinreb amides react completely with alkynyllithium reagents, unlike morpholine amides which show incomplete reactions due to equilibrium. Using excess alkynyllithium with morpholine amides enables useful ynone synthesis.

Related Concept Videos

Rate-Determining Steps03:08

Rate-Determining Steps

Relating Reaction Mechanisms
In a multistep reaction mechanism, one of the elementary steps progresses significantly slower than the others. This slowest step is called the rate-limiting step (or rate-determining step). A reaction cannot proceed faster than its slowest step, and hence, the rate-determining step limits the overall reaction rate.
The concept of rate-determining step can be understood from the analogy of a 4-lane freeway with a short-stretch of traffic-bottleneck caused due to...
Dynamic Equilibrium02:20

Dynamic Equilibrium

A reversible chemical reaction represents a chemical process that proceeds in both forward (left to right) and reverse (right to left) directions. When the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal, the concentrations of the reactant and product species remain constant over time and the system is at equilibrium. A special double arrow is used to emphasize the reversible nature of the reaction. The relative concentrations of reactants and products in equilibrium systems vary greatly;...
SN1 Reaction: Stereochemistry02:15

SN1 Reaction: Stereochemistry

This lesson provides an in-depth discussion of the stereochemical outcomes in an SN1 reaction.
In the first step of an SN1 reaction, the bond between the electrophilic carbon and the leaving group ionizes to generate the carbocation intermediate. The second step of the mechanism is the nucleophilic attack.
In the formed carbocation, the positively charged carbon is sp2 hybridized with a trigonal planar geometry. As all the three substituents lie on the same plane, a plane of symmetry for the...
Preparation of Alkynes: Alkylation Reaction02:27

Preparation of Alkynes: Alkylation Reaction

Introduction
Alkylation of terminal alkynes with primary alkyl halides in the presence of a strong base like sodium amide is one of the common methods for the synthesis of longer carbon-chain alkynes. For example, treatment of 1-propyne with sodium amide followed by reaction with ethyl bromide yields 2-pentyne.
Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution: Addition–Elimination (SNAr)01:30

Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution: Addition–Elimination (SNAr)

Nucleophilic substitution in aromatic compounds is feasible in substrates bearing strong electron-withdrawing substituents positioned ortho or para to the leaving group. The reaction proceeds via two steps: the addition of the nucleophile and the elimination of the leaving group.
The reaction begins with an attack of the nucleophile on the carbon that holds the leaving group. This results in the delocalization of the π electrons over the ring carbons. The resonance interaction between the...
Chemical Equilibria: Systematic Approach to Equilibrium Calculations01:21

Chemical Equilibria: Systematic Approach to Equilibrium Calculations

Equilibrium calculations for systems involving multiple equilibria are often complex. For example, to calculate the solubility of a sparingly soluble salt in an aqueous solution in the presence of a common ion, one must consider all the equilibria in this solution. Calculations for these systems can be complicated and tedious, so a systematic approach with a series of steps is often helpful. The process is detailed below.
The first step is to identify all the chemical reactions involved, The...