Catalytic monosilylation of 1,2-diols

The selective monosilylation of 1,2-diols catalyzed by dimethyltin dichloride was successfully developed. This procedure was applied to various 1,2-diols, giving monosilylated products in good to excellent yields with high chemoselectivity.     

Stepwise oxidation of 1,2-diols resulting from molecular oxygen activation by copper

The oxidation of 1,2-diols through copper promoted activation of molecular oxygen was studied. The influence of the substituents and experimental conditions is discussed, and examples of catalytic applications are reported.     

Reductive monoalkylation of nitro aryls in one-pot

The scope of the serendipitous reductive monoalkylation of ethyl (4-methoxy-3-nitrophenyl) acetate taking place during reduction of the nitro functionality to the corresponding primary amine when treated with hydrogen (1 atm) over Pd/C (10%) in ethanol is investigated. Upon prolonged reaction time the reaction conducted in ethanol and methanol yields significant amount of the corresponding secondary amines, while when performed in n-butanol and i-propanol it only resulted in the formation of a small amount of the corresponding secondary amines. Further development of the reductive monoalkylation reaction provided conditions that facilitate conversion of a range of different nitro aryls in one-pot to the corresponding secondary benzyl amino aryls in mostly good to excellent yields. This is accomplished by using hydrogen (1 atm) over Pd/C (10%) as reducing agent and benzaldehyde as the benzyl source combined with a stepwise reaction sequence. This chemistry was further extended to the formation of substituted benzyl amino aryls. The yields of the latter products varied dramatically depending on the substitution patterns associated with the benzaldehyde. However, by altering the reaction conditions it was possible to improve the yields of the benzylated products.     

The development of N-aryl trifluoroacetimidate-based benzyl and allyl protecting group reagents

An exploration of the role of para-substituents on the balance between stability and reactivity of N-phenyl trifluoroacetimidates prompted the discovery of new reagents for the addition of allyl and benzyl protecting groups, namely O-allyl and O-benzyl N-(p-nitrophenyl)trifluoroimidates. These compounds are stable and crystalline at ambient temperature, making them ideal alternatives to existing benzylating and allylating reagents used under acidic conditions.     

Trialkylsilyl triflimides as easily tunable organocatalysts for allylation and benzylation of silyl carbon nucleophiles with non-genotoxic reagents

Trialkylsilyl triflimides generated in situ are unique catalysts for the electrophilic benzylation or allylation of trialkylsilylenol ethers or allyl trialkylsilanes with non-genotoxic alkylating reagents such as benzyl and allyl acetates. In most cases the reactions are fast at room temperature and yields are high. The reaction works particularly well with electron-rich benzyl donors including derivatives of pyrrole, indole and furane.     

Polymorphism of racemic 1,2-diols with aliphatic chains: isostructural series of phases in dry and hydrated samples

The different phases occurring in homologous dried n-alkane-1,2-diols (1,2-diols) and n-alkane-1,2,1′,2′-tetraols (1,2-boladiols), as well as in hydrated n-alkane-1,2-diols were characterised according to their X-ray diffraction patterns. The analysis of the X-ray data is mainly based on the small-angle region. The scattering in the wide-angle region, which may be regarded as fingerprint, is at present used for a qualitative discrimination of the phases. A homologous series of compounds is considered isostructural if the data show a linear relationship between the repeat distance d _L and the number of C atoms (Cm) in a chain. Assuming that a given lateral packing remains constant, two characteristic values can be obtained from the plot of d _L versus Cm. The slope b contains information about the tilt angle of the chains for the respective layer model and the intercept a represents the thickness of the hydrophilic part of the aggregate. A great variety of headgroup thicknesses and tiltings of the chains were found. Bilayers or double bilayers are the repeat unit in 1,2-diols, whereas in 1,2-boladiols the molecules are packed in monolayers. Water changes the packing of the chains and new packing modes with crossed chain axes were obtained. The ability to form hydrogen-bridged networks on both ends of the molecules forces the chains to occupy larger areas in dried 1,2-boladiols compared to the corresponding 1,2-diols. Received: 24 June 1998 Accepted in revised form: 15 February 1999     

Reactions of levulinic acid and pseudolevulinic esters with various C-nucleophiles

The reactions of levulinic acid and its pseudo esters, which are readily available from carbohydrate-containing raw materials, with various C-nucleophiles are described. Different reaction pathways were demonstrated depending on the nature of the leaving groups and nucleophiles. For 5-methyl-5-methoxydihydrofuran-2(3H)-one, the reaction was found to proceed by a route giving hept-6-enoic acid derivatives. In contrast, the reaction of 2-methyl-5-oxotetrahydrofuran-2-yl acetate proceeds via intramolecular cyclization to form γ-valerolactone derivatives.     

4-(tert-Butyldimethylsilyloxy)benzylidene acetal: a novel benzylidene-type protecting group for 1,2-diols

A novel 1,2-diol-protecting group, p-silyloxybenzylidene group, has been developed. In addition to the stepwise deprotection conditions including desilylation and the subsequent acidic hydrolysis of the p-hydroxybenzylidene group in AcOH-THF-H₂O, we have established the one-pot deprotection under basic conditions [K₂CO₃ (5 equiv), NH₂OH·HCl (5 equiv), and CsF (1 equiv) in MeOH-H₂O].     

Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indoles with trichloroacetimidates

Substituted indole scaffolds are often utilized in medicinal chemistry as they regularly possess significant pharmacological activity. Therefore the development of simple, inexpensive and efficient methods for alkylating the indole heterocycle continues to be an active research area. Reported are reactions of trichloroacetimidate electrophiles and indoles to address the challenges of accessing alkyl decorated indole structures. These alkylations perform best when either the indole or the imidate is functionalized with electron withdrawing groups to avoid polyalkylation.     

Air-stable hypervalent organobismuth(III) tetrafluoroborate as effective and reusable catalyst for the allylation of aldehyde with tetraallyltin

Air-stable hypervalent organobismuth(III) tetrafluoroborate (C₆H₁₁N(CH₂C₆H₄)₂BiBF₄) was synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic techniques. The compound shows good catalytic efficiency in the allylation reaction of different aldehydes with tetraallyltin in a medium of aqueous methanol, giving the corresponding homoallylic alcohols in excellent chemoselectivity and yields.     

Alkylation of acetals using manganate-BF3·OEt2 mixed reagent

A mixture of `R<sub>3</sub>MnMgBr' and BF<sub>3</sub>·OEt<sub>2</sub> prepared in advance only by stirring both reagents in ether converted acetals to alkylation products, where an alkoxy group of acetals was substituted by the alkyl group of manganese reagent used. Ketals also reacted with the `mixed reagent' to afford the corresponding alkylation products in high yield. α-Alkoxy-substituted cyclic ethers and acetoxy-substituted cyclic ethers were selectively converted to ring-opening alkylation products and α-alkyl-substituted cyclic ethers, respectively.     

Highly efficient indium-catalyzed chemoselective allylation-etherification and reductive etherification of aromatic aldehydes with functional silanes

Indium(III) chloride is an effective Lewis acid catalyst for one-pot allylation-etherification and reductive etherification of aromatic aldehydes with functional silanes, allyltriethoxysilane, and triethoxysilane, at room temperature to afford corresponding ethers in excellent yields. Additionally, the InCl₃-catalyzed reactions in the presence of TMSCl offer significant advantages in its ease of working-up for the preparation of unsymmetrical ethers under mild conditions.     

Allylation of acetals and ketals with allyltrimethylsilane catalyzed by the mixed Lewis acid system AlBr3/CuBr

The synthesis of homoallyl ethers from various acetals and a cyclic ketal with allyltrimethylsilane catalyzed by aluminum bromide in the presence of trimethylaluminum as a desiccant is described. We found that the addition of a catalytic amount of copper(I) bromide accelerates the allylation reactions to afford the homoallyl ether derivatives in good to excellent yield.     

[Cd2(tren)2(dl-alaninato)](ClO4)3: an efficient water-compatible Lewis acid catalyst for chemo-, regio-, and diastereo-selective allylation of various aldehydes

The use of [Cd₂(tren)₂(dl-alaninato)](ClO₄)₃·H₂O (I) (tren = tris(2-aminoethyl)amine) as an efficient water-compatible Lewis acid catalyst for the allylation of aldehydes in aqueous media was described. The reaction proceeded smoothly to afford the corresponding homoallyl alcohols in up to 96% yield. Additionally, cinnamyltributylstannane was selected as the allylation reagent, the regio- and diastereoselectivity of the reaction favors the formation of the γ-product and the anti isomers, respectively.     

Chromium-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of 1, 3-diols

An efficient,chromium-catalyzed highly enantioselective preparation of protected 1,3-diols has been achieved.In the presence of a chiral chromium catalyst using the carbazole-based bisoxazoline as the chiral ligand,a variety of optically pure 1,3-diols were synthesized in 34%-87%yields with up to 98%ee.The benzyl as well as silyl ethers were suitable substitutions for the hydroxyl group.Meanwhile,aromatic,aliphatic and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes are well tolerated under the mild reaction conditions.     

Alkylation of aromatic compounds with multi-component Lewis acid catalysts of ZnCl2 and ionic liquids with different organic cations

Alkylation of aromatic compounds with various alkylating agents such as benzyl chloride, benzyl alcohol and isopropyl chloride were investigated using ZnCl₂ based ionic liquid (ILs) Lewis acid catalysts. Multi-component Lewis acid catalysts of ZnCl₂ and ionic liquids such as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, 1-butylpyridinium bromide, cholin chloride and tetrabutylammonium bromide were prepared, supported on silica gel, and compared for alkylation reactions with various alkylating agents. Among the IL-based catalysts, 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium-bromide-ZnCl₂ and 1-butylpyridinium bromide-ZnCl₂ are highly active.     

Stereoselective synthesis of functionalised triol units by SnCl4 promoted allylation of α-benzyloxyaldehydes: crucial role of the stoichiometry of the Lewis acid

Enantiomerically pure syn-anti and syn-syn configured triol units are efficiently synthesized by the SnCl₄ mediated allylation of chiral α-benzyloxyaldehydes with the uniquely functionalised allylstannane 9. Remarkably, the stereochemistry of the adducts is solely governed by the amount of Lewis acid employed.     

Ionic liquids as efficient phase-transfer catalysts for the solid base-promoted monoalkylation of diethyl malonate

Ionic liquids （ILs） based on 1,3-dialkylimidazolium and tetraalkylammonium cations were employed as a series of efficient, environmentally benign phase-transfer catalysts （PTCs） for the base-promoted monoalkylation of diethyl malonate. The influence of various heterogeneous bases on yields was studied. Good yields and high selectivity were obtained. Solvent-free, mild reaction condition, short reaction time, and easy purification were the merits of this method. The catalytic system （IL-hase） could also be recycled after the extraction of products with ether.     

Stereoselective allylation of chiral monoperoxyacetals

Neighboring iodo-, alkoxy-, acetoxy- and silyl groups impart useful levels of diastereoselection in the Lewis acid-mediated allylation of monoperoxyacetals. Although monoperoxyacetals are found to be considerably less reactive than corresponding nonperoxidic acetals, similar stereochemical trends are observed in the two series.     

Photo-allylation and photo-benzylation of carbonyl compounds using organotrifluoroborate reagents

Allyl- and benzyl-trifluoroborates can be applied to the photoreaction of carbonyl compounds to afford the corresponding alcoholic adducts in acceptable yields via a photo-induced single electron transfer pathway. The results were confirmed from the reaction selectivity and the negative free energy change for the electron transfer process.