Synthesis of methoxy-substituted phenols by peracid oxidation of the aromatic ring

[reaction: see text] A novel benign protocol for the preparation of hydroxy-methoxybenzene derivatives is disclosed. By utilizing this protocol, activated aromatic compounds such as 1,3-dimethoxy-2-methyl-benzene and 1-(2,6-dimethoxyphenyl)ethanone are smoothly converted to the corresponding monohydroxylated compound. The reaction can be considered to be a normal aromatic electrophilic substitution reaction, and the regioselectivity for the reaction thus follows the similar rules as for electrophilic substitutions. The protocol is composed by benign reagents, namely, hydogenperoxide, acetic acid, and p-toluene sulfonic acid, which lead to the production of ethaneperoxoic acid in situ. The ethaneperoxoic acid operates as the hydroxylating reagent. The hydroxylation reaction is completed within a short period and requires moreover only mild experimental conditions, which make this novel protocol a green, cheap, and rapid process leading to hydroxy-methoxybenzene derivatives. The proposed reaction mechanism is supported by density functional theory and NMR spectroscopy experiments. The mechanism is constituted by two discrete steps: (a) addition of OH+ to the most nucleophilic carbon atom of the aromatic ring, which is the rate-determining step, and (b) the loss of the proton from the aromatic ring.     

Syntheses of ortho-Adamantylphenols

Reactions of 1-haloadamantane with aromatic compounds such as benzene, toluene, bromobenzene and so on in the presence of Friedel-Craft type catalysts to afford adamantyl-(1)-benzene derivatives have been reported¹ already, but little is known about the reaction with phenolic cómpounds, the only example being the synthesis of 1,3-bis-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dimethyl-adamantane by the reaction of 1,3-dibromo-5,7-dimethyladamantane and phenol reported in a patent literature.²     

Catalytic, highly enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reactions of aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds to trifluoropyruvate. A simple approach for the formation of optically active aromatic and heteroaromatic hydroxy trifluoromethyl esters.

A new catalytic enantioselective synthetic method for the formation of optically active aromatic and heteroaromatic hydroxy-trifluoromethyl ethyl esters is presented. This catalytic enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reaction of trifluoromethyl pyruvate with aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds is catalyzed by a chiral bisoxazoline copper(II) complex and proceeds in good yield and with high enantiomeric excess. For a series of substituted indoles, the corresponding 3-substituted hydroxy-trifluoromethyl ethyl esters are formed in up to 93% yield and 94% ee. Pyrrole and 2-substituted pyrroles also react with trifluoromethyl pyruvate in a highly enantioselective aromatic electrophilic reaction and up to 93% ee and good yields are obtained. Furanes and thiophenes give the corresponding 2-hydroxy-trifluoromethyl ethyl esters in high enantiomeric excess; however, the yields of the products are only moderate. Various types of aromatic compounds react in this catalytic reaction with trifluoromethyl pyruvate to give the aromatic electrophilic addition product in good yield. To obtain high enantiomeric excess (> 80% ee) it is necessary that aromatic amines are protected with sterically demanding protecting groups such as benzyl or allyl. This prevents coordination of the amine nitrogen atom to the catalyst, as aromatic amines having a N,N-dimethyl group probably coordinate to the catalyst, leading to a significant reduction of the enantioselective properties of the catalyst. On the basis of the experimental results and the absolute configuration of the formed chiral center, the mechanism for the catalytic enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reaction is discussed.     

Effect of support nature on the efficiency of the chemisorption preconcentration of aromatic amines from air

The effect of silica gel-modifying additives on the efficiency of the chemisorption preconcentration of aniline, o-toluidine, and N,N-dimethylaniline as 5,7-dinitrobenzofurazan derivatives from atmospheric air was studied by HPLC. The recovery exhibited a maximum on unmodified silica gel, and the recovery of N,N-dimethylaniline was lower than that of primary aromatic amines. This is likely due to a decrease in the possibility of π-complex formation between an aromatic amine and silica gel after the chemical modification of the adsorbent surface. The formation of a π-complex will increase the rate of reaction between an aromatic amine and an electrophilic reagent.     

Electrophilic aromatic nitration: understanding its mechanism and substituent effects

Theoretical calculations and gas-phase mass spectrometric studies were performed for the reaction of the naked (NO2+) and monosolvated (CH3NO2.NO2+) nitronium ion with several monosubstituted aromatic compounds. From these studies, we propose a general model for regioselectivity based on the single-electron transfer (SET) mechanism and an alternative mechanistic scheme for electrophilic aromatic nitration. This scheme considers the SET and the polar (Ingold-Hughes) mechanisms as extremes in a continuum pathway, the occurrence and extents of both mechanisms being governed mainly by the ability, or lack of ability, of the aromatic compound to transfer an electron to NO2+.     

Unified mechanistic concept of electrophilic aromatic nitration: convergence of computational results and experimental data

The mechanism of electrophilic aromatic nitration was revisited. Based on the available experimental data and new high-level quantum chemical calculations, a modification of the previous reaction mechanism is proposed involving three separate intermediates on the potential energy diagram of the reaction. The first, originally considered an unoriented pi-complex or electron donor acceptor complex (EDA), involves high electrostatic and charge-transfer interactions between the nitronium ion and the pi-aromatics. It explains the observed low substrate selectivity in nitration with nitronium salts while maintaining high positional selectivity, as well as observed oxygen transfer reactions in the gas phase. The subsequent second intermediate originally considered an oriented "pi-complex" is now best represented by an intimate radical cation-molecule pair, C(6)H(6)(+)(*)()/NO(2), that is, a SET complex, indicative of single-electron transfer from the aromatic pi-system to NO(2)(+). Subsequently, it collapses to afford the final sigma-complex intermediate, that is, an arenium ion. The proposed three discrete intermediates in electrophilic aromatic nitration unify previous mechanistic proposals and also contribute to a better understanding of this fundamentally important reaction. The previously obtained ICR data of oxygen transfer from NO(2)(+) to the aromatic ring are also accommodated by the proposed mechanism. The most stable intermediate of this reaction on its potential energy surface is a complex between phenol and NO(+). The phenol.NO(+) complex decomposes affording C(6)H(6)O(+)(*)/PhOH(+) and NO, in agreement with the ICR results.     

A novel samarium(II)-mediated tandem spirocyclization onto an aromatic ring

We report a samarium(II)-mediated tandem spirocyclization reaction to provide dispiro[4.2.4.2]tetradecadiene and dispiro[4.2.5.2]pentadecadiene skeletons. The reaction was achieved by intramolecular addition of a ketyl radical onto an aromatic ring bearing an electrophilic moiety followed by reductive capture of the spirohexadienyl radical intermediate with SmI₂ in the presence of HMPA.     

Relationship between the properties of radical cations and the rate constants and the substitution patterns in electrophilic aromatic substitution

By a charge transfer mechanism for electrophilic aromatic substitution the logarithmic plot of overall rate constants for substitution against ionization potentials is correctly predicted. Also, orientation of substitution is found to be correlated with the hyperfine coupling constants of the aromatic radical cation. The presence of radical cations under the conditions of electrophilic substitution is discussed.     

Combined experimental and theoretical study on aromatic hydroxylation by mononuclear nonheme iron(IV)-oxo complexes

The hydroxylation of aromatic compounds by mononuclear nonheme iron(IV)-oxo complexes, [FeIV(Bn-tpen)(O)]2+ (Bn-tpen=N-benzyl-N,N',N'-tris(2-pyridylmethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine) and [FeIV(N4Py)(O)]2+ (N4Py=N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine), has been investigated by a combined experimental and theoretical approach. In the experimental work, we have performed kinetic studies of the oxidation of anthracene with nonheme iron(IV)-oxo complexes generated in situ, thereby determining kinetic and thermodynamic parameters, a Hammett rho value, and a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) value. A large negative Hammett rho value of -3.9 and an inverse KIE value of 0.9 indicate that the iron-oxo group attacks the aromatic ring via an electrophilic pathway. By carrying out isotope labeling experiments, the oxygen in oxygenated products was found to derive from the nonheme iron(IV)-oxo species. In the theoretical work, we have conducted density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the hydroxylation of benzene by [FeIV(N4Py)(O)]2+. The calculations show that the reaction proceeds via two-state reactivity patterns on competing triplet and quintet spin states via an initial rate determining electrophilic substitution step. In analogy to heme iron(IV)-oxo catalysts, the ligand is noninnocent and actively participates in the reaction mechanism by reshuttling a proton from the ipso position to the oxo group. Calculated kinetic isotope effects of C6H6 versus C6D6 confirm an inverse isotope effect for the electrophilic substitution pathway. Based on the experimental and theoretical results, we have concluded that the aromatic ring oxidation by mononuclear nonheme iron(IV)-oxo complexes does not occur via a hydrogen atom abstraction mechanism but involves an initial electrophilic attack on the pi-system of the aromatic ring to produce a tetrahedral radical or cationic sigma-complex.     

Introduction of the pyrylium ring into compounds of the aromatic and heterocyclic series

Halogen-substituted pyrylium cations react with organic nucleophilic compounds via an electrophilic mechanism to form new pyrylium salts. The reaction is extended to aromatic, heterocyclic, andnonbenzoid aromatic systems. Pyrylium salts that contain other functional groups do not enter into this reaction. The IR spectra of the compounds obtained are presented.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 10, pp. 1320–1323, October, 1971.     

Significant enhancement of monooxygenase activity of oxygen carrier protein hemocyanin by urea

Oxygenation of a series of p-substituted phenols to the corresponding catechols (phenolase activity) by the (mu-eta2:eta2-peroxo)dicopper(II) species of Octopus hemocyanin has been directly examined for the first time by using a UV-vis spectroscopic method in a 0.5 M borate buffer solution containing 8 M urea under anaerobic conditions. Preliminary kinetic studies have indicated that the reaction involves an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism as in the case of phenolase reaction of tyrosinase. The oxygenation of phenols by hemocyanin also proceeded catalytically when the reaction was carried out under aerobic conditions.     

Beckmann rearrangement of cyclotriveratrylene (CTV) oxime: tandem Beckmann-electrophilic aromatic addition

The Beckmann rearrangement has been performed on the oxime of cyclotriveratrylene (CTV) with thionyl chloride affording the ring-expanded 10-membered ring amide exclusively in high yield. Modified conditions afford a helical pentacycle derived from an unusual tandem Beckmann rearrangement and electrophilic aromatic addition followed by demethylation and tautomerization.     

Electrophilic aromatic nitration using perfluorinated rare earth metal salts in fluorous phase

In this paper, we describe a practical, useful electrophilic aromatic nitration process in fluorous phase by using perfluorodecalin (C10F18, cis- and trans-mixture) as a fluorous solvent and perfluorinated rare earth metal salt [Yb(OSO2C8F17)3] as a catalyst for the electrophilic aromatic nitration.     

Bromination of aromatic molecules with polymer supported reagents

Crosslinked co-poly/styrene-4-vinyl(N-hexylpyridinium bromide) was converted with bromine or chlorine to insoluble polymer supported complexes or respectively, and their reactivity studied in reactions with various aromatic molecules. Reagent was found in all cases to be milder than reagent and regiospecifically transformed alkoxy and amino substituted benzenes ( ) into 4-bromo derivatives, while corresponding reactions with resulted in dibromo derivatives. Several benzoheterocyclic molecules were converted with to substitution or addition products, i.e. 2,3-dibromo-N-methylpyrrole, 3-bromobenzo/b/thiophene, and 2,3-dibromo-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran. In the series of ortho-alkyl disubstituted benzene derivatives, i.e. o-xylene, indane, and tetraline, where the Mills-Nixon effect was established with various electrophilic reagents, bromination reactions with showed higher β-selectivity than the corresponding reactions with bromine. The rate of bromination in various alkyl substituted benzenes with reagent depended on the magnitude of the alkyl group, as well as the para/ortho regioselectivity, amounting to 100% in the case of tert-butylbenzene.     

Conjugate addition of aromatic amines to ethenetricarboxylates

The conjugate addition of amines is considered to be a useful reaction in synthetic organic chemistry. The reaction of reactive electrophilic olefins, ethenetricarboxylates, and aromatic amines with and without catalytic Lewis acids such as ZnCl₂ and ZnBr₂ at room temperature gave amine adducts in high yields. The products were converted to α-amino acid, dl-aspartic acid derivatives. Using Lewis acids such as Sc(OTf)₃ and Zn(OTf)₂ at higher temperature (40-80 °C), the reaction of ethenetricarboxylates and N-methylaniline gave an aromatic substitution product. A catalytic enantioselective conjugate addition using a chiral Lewis acid was also investigated. For example, the reaction of 1,1-diethyl 2-tert-butyl ethenetricarboxylate with N-methylaniline in the presence of chiral bisoxazoline-Cu(II) complex in THF at −20 °C for 17 h gave an amine adduct in 91% yield and 78% ee. On the other hand, the reaction with aniline and primary aniline derivatives gave adducts with almost no ee%.     

Addition of electron-rich aromatics to azafullerenium carbocation. A stepwise electrophilic substitution mechanism

[reaction: see text] The reaction between the C(59)N(+) carbocation and the electron-rich aromatic compounds toluene and anisole has been mechanistically studied. The measured intermolecular kinetic isotope effects are consistent with an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism in which the arenium cation is formed by electrophilic attack of C(59)N(+) on the aromatic ring in the first step of the reaction, followed by hydrogen abstraction in a rate-determining second step.     

NO(2)(+) nitration mechanism of aromatic compounds: electrophilic vs charge-transfer process

The nitration of methylnaphthalenes with NO(2)BF(4) and NOBF(4) was examined in order to shed light on the controversial aromatic nitration mechanism, electrophilic vs charge-transfer process. The NO(2)(+) nitration of 1,8-dimethylnaphthalene showed a drastic regioselectivity change depending on the reaction temperature, where ortho-regioselectivity at -78 degrees C and para-regioselectivity at 0 degrees C were considered to reflect the electrophilic and the direct or alternative charge-transfer process, respectively, because the NO(+) nitration through the same reaction intermediates as in the NO(2)(+) nitration via a charge-transfer process resulted in para-regioselectivity regardless of the reaction temperature. The NO(2)(+) nitration of redox potential methylnaphthalenes higher than 1,8-dimethylnaphthalene gave a similar ortho-regioselectivity enhancement to 1,8-dimethylnaphthalene at lower temperature, thus reflecting the electrophilic process. On the other hand, the NO(2)(+) nitration of redox potential methylnaphthalenes lower than 1,8-dimethylnaphthalene showed para-regioselectivity similar to the NO(+) nitration, indicating the direct or alternative charge-transfer process. In the presence of strong acids where the direct charge-transfer process will be suppressed by protonation, the ortho-regioselectivity enhancement was observed in the NO(2)(+) nitration of 1,8-dimethylnaphthalene, suggesting that the direct charge-transfer process could be the main process to show para-regioselectivity. These experimental results imply that the NO(2)(+) nitration proceeds via not only electrophilic but also direct charge-transfer processes, which has been considered to be unlikely because of the high energy demanding process of a bond coordination change between NO(2)(+) and NO(2). Theoretical studies at the MP2/6-31G(d) level predicted ortho- and para-regioselectivity for the NO(2)(+) nitration via electrophilic and charge-transfer processes, respectively, and the preference of the direct charge-transfer process over the alternative one, which support the experimental conclusion     

Synthesis of pyridine-borane complexes via electrophilic aromatic borylation

Pyridine-borane complexes were synthesized from 2-arylpyridines through an electrophilic aromatic borylation reaction with BBr(3). The intermediate 2-(2-dibromoborylaryl)pyridines were stable enough to be handled in air and served as the synthetic platform for variously substituted pyridine-borane complexes. This facile method would be useful for the synthesis of aza-π-conjugated materials having boron-nitrogen coordination.     

An efficient synthesis of peri-hydroxy aromatic compounds via a strong-base-induced

An efficient synthesis of peri-hydroxy aromatic compounds has been accomplished via a strong-base-induced [4+2] cycloaddition of homophthalic anhydrides with alpha-sulfinyl-substituted derivatives of enolizable enones. The unsubstituted enones did not undergo an efficient [4+2] cycloaddition reaction with homophthalic anhydrides, presumably due to their enolization under the basic reaction conditions. The sulfinyl group not only promotes the cycloaddition reaction but also undergoes in situ elimination under the reaction conditions to afford the peri-hydroxy aromatic compounds in a single step. The application of this methodology for the synthesis of a key intermediate of antitumor antibiotic fredericamycin A is described. PM3 calculations of various 2-substituted cyclopentenones as well as the mechanism of the cycloaddition are also discussed.     

Gold(I)-Catalyzed Intermolecular Formal [4+2] Cycloaddition of O-Aryl Ynol Ethers and Enol Ethers: Synthesis of Chromene Derivatives

Gold(I)-catalyzed formal [4+2] cycloaddition of O-aryl ynol ethers 1 and enol ethers 2 is described. This intermolecular reaction between two electron-rich unsaturated systems takes place, under mild conditions, in the presence of 5 mol% [IPrAu(CH₃CN)]SbF₆ as catalyst giving chromene derivatives with good yields. The cycloaddition is completely regio- and stereoselective, as well as versatile for both reactives. Silyl enol ethers can also react in the same way and under the same reaction conditions with quantitative yields. A plausible mechanism through a selective addition of the enol ether to the alkyne gold activated complex followed by an intramolecular aromatic electrophilic substitution is proposed. Several experimental results support the presence of a cationic oxonium intermediate prior to the aromatic substitution. The reaction represents a new entry to the chromene core.