Diastereoselective additions of nucleophiles to alpha-acetoxy ethers using the alpha-(trimethylsilyl)benzyl auxiliary

We report the diastereoselective addition of a variety of nucleophiles to alpha-(trimethylsilyl)benzyl-substituted oxocarbenium ions. The oxocarbenium ions are generated from alpha-acetoxy ethers, which are easily prepared via reductive acetylation of esters. The alpha-(trimethylsilyl)benzyl auxiliary produces good to excellent facial selectivity with a variety of nucleophiles, including silyl enol ethers, silyl ketene acetals, allylsilanes, and crotylsilanes. The utility of this auxiliary is further demonstrated in a complex ketone aldol coupling reaction. [reaction: see text]     

Photochemical release of aldehydes from alpha-acetoxy nitroveratryl ethers

Photolabile aldehyde-releasing precursors (alpha-acetoxy ethers) were prepared by reduction of the corresponding esters with DIBAL and quenching the intermediate aluminum hemiacetal with acetic anhydride. These species smoothly released aldehydes upon irradiation with UV light at 350 nm. Using this method, not only simple model aliphatic aldehydes were liberated but also specimens relevant for the flavor and fragrance industry (methional, phenylacetaldehyde, and (R)-citronellal). [reaction: see text]     

An efficient one-pot synthesis of unsymmetrical ethers: a directly reductive deoxygenation of esters using an InBr3/Et3SiH catalytic system

This study describes a novel one-pot procedure for a directly reductive conversion of the carbonyl function of esters to the corresponding ethers by Et3SiH in the presence of a catalytic amount of InBr3.     

Use of acid fluorides increases the scope of the reductive acylation of esters

The use of acyl fluorides in the Rychnovsky reductive acylation of esters allows a variety of esters to be converted to their corresponding alpha-acyloxy ethers in good to excellent yields, without the need to sacrifice an extra equiv of carboxylic acid functionality. [structure: see text]     

Convergent synthesis of polycyclic ethers via the intramolecular allylation of alpha-acetoxy ethers and subsequent ring-closing metathesis

The Lewis acid mediated reaction of alpha-acetoxy ethers 15-22 gave the corresponding cyclized products 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 32, 34, and 36 in good yields with high stereoselectivities. Those cyclized products were subjected to ring-closing metathesis to afford the polycyclic ethers 38-42, 44, and 45 in good yields. The usefulness of the present methodology was demonstrated by the convergent synthesis of the CDEF ring system of brevetoxin B (1) and the CDEFG ring system of gambierol (2).     

Pd-catalyzed one-pot chemoselective hydrogenation protocol for the preparation of carboxamides directly from azides

Carboxamides were obtained efficiently in high yields from azides on reaction with the corresponding pre-formed activated carboxylic acids in a single-step reductive transformation using hydrogen atmosphere (balloon) under Pd/BaSO₄ or Pd/CaCO₃ catalysis. The method is highly chemoselective and compatible with extremely labile functional groups such as benzyl carbamates, benzyl ethers, benzyl esters, and olefins.     

Reductive acetylation of nitrocarboxylic acids of the thiophene and furan series or their esters

The corresponding 4-acetylamino-2-thiophenecarboxylic acids or their esters were produced by the action of reduced iron on solutions of 4-nitro-2-thiophenecarboxylic acid, its derivatives, or their esters in a mixture of acetic acid and acetic anhydride. Esters of 5-acetylamino-2-thiophenecarboxylic or 5-acetylamino-2-furancarboxylic acids are formed from esters of 5-nitro-2-thiophenecarboxylic or 5-nitro-2-furancarboxylic acids. Free 5-nitro-2-thiophenecarboxylic and 5-nitro-2-furancarboxylic acids are entirely decomposed under the conditions of reductive acetylation by iron. The ester of 5-acetylamino-3-thiophenecarboxylic acid was obtained from the methyl ester of 5-nitro-3-thiophenecarboxylic acid.     

Stereoselectivity and regioselectivity in the segment-coupling Prins cyclization

The scope of the segment-coupling Prins cyclization has been investigated. The method is outlined in Scheme 1 and involves esterification of a homoallylic alcohol (1), reductive acetylation to give the alpha-acetoxy ether (3), and cyclization on treatment with a Lewis acid to produce a tetrahydropyran (4). Alkene geometries dictate the product configurations, with E-alkenes leading to equatorial substituents and Z-alkenes leading to axial substituents (Table 1). Not unexpectedly, applying the method to allylic alcohols leads to fragmentation rather than a disfavored 5-endo-trig cyclization. Dienols in which one alkene is allylic and the other alkene is homoallylic cyclize efficiently and produce the tetrahydropyrans 49-54, Table 3. Dienols with two homoallylic alkenes cyclize with modest to high regioselectively, generating tetrahydropyrans 40-45, Table 2. The relative rates for cyclization decrease in the order of vinyl > Z-alkene > E-alkene > alkyne. The configurations of the products are consistent with cyclization via a chair conformation, Figure 1. The 2-oxonia Cope rearrangement may be a factor in the regioselectivity of diene cyclizations and in the erosion of stereoselectivity with Z-alkenes. This investigation establishes the stereoselectivity and regioselectivity for a number of synthetically useful segment-coupling Prins cyclizations.     

The reductive etherification of carbonyl compounds using polymethylhydrosiloxane activated by molecular iodine

Aldehydes and ketones undergo a smooth reductive etherification by polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) in the presence of a catalytic amount of molecular iodine under mild conditions to afford the corresponding symmetrical ethers in excellent yields. This new reagent system (PMHS/I₂) provides a simple and convenient route for the preparation of symmetrical ethers from carbonyl compounds.     

Synthesis of Perfluoroalkyl‐Substituted γ‐Lactones and 4,5‐Dihydropyridazin‐3(2H)‐ones via Donor?Acceptor Cyclopropanes

Rh₂(OAc)₄‐Catalyzed decomposition of diazo esters in the presence of perfluoroalkyl‐ or perfluoroaryl‐substituted silyl enol ethers smoothly provided the corresponding alkyl 2‐siloxycyclopropanecarboxylates in very good yields. The generated donor? acceptor cyclopropanes are equivalents of γ‐oxo esters, which we demonstrated by their one‐pot transformations to yield fluorine‐containing heterocycles. A reductive procedure selectively afforded perfluoroalkyl‐substituted γ‐hydroxy esters or γ‐lactones. The treatment of the donor? acceptor cyclopropanes with hydrazine or phenylhydrazine afforded a series of perfluoroalkyl‐ and perfluoroaryl‐substituted 4,5‐dihydropyridazin‐3(2H)‐ones.     

Study of different parameters affecting the derivatization of acidic herbicides with trimethylsulfonium hydroxide to make them suitable for gas chromatography analysis

In this study, an orthogonal array design was applied to know the way different parameters affected the derivatization of some herbicides that are commonly applied in the soils. Herbicides formulated as esters have been reported to rapidly hydrolyse, in contact with soil, to their corresponding acids and phenols. What involves is that both forms need to be monitored. Acidic herbicides and phenols cannot be detected by gas chromatography (GC) due to their polarity and low volatility that cause peak asymmetry. Therefore, masking of these polar groups by eliminating the active hydrogen atom with derivatization to their corresponding esters/ethers is needed in order to yield products that possess enhanced volatility and improved GC properties. A lot of derivatization reagents have been proposed but trimethylsulfonium hydroxide (TMSH) was selected due to its easy and quantitative formation of methyl esters/ethers. It was observed that the addition of TMSH promoted not only esterification of acids/phenols but trans-esterification of the original non-hydrolyzed remaining esters to their corresponding methyl ones. As a result, methyl esters/ethers were the final product of both reactions. Different parameters were studied in the statistical design for both TMSH promoted reactions: type of solvent, pH, temperature and time of incubation. The amount of derivatization reagent was calculated to be high enough to ensure the complete derivatization of all compounds present in the sample. The reaction medium was shown as an important factor. The formation of some methyl esters/ethers decreased with increasing time and temperature because trans-esterification, being an equilibrium where the formation of smaller structures is promoted, was not enough shifted. However, the statistical analysis revealed that only the pH of the solution played an important role during the derivatization process. The presence of the anionic form of the acids appeared to be essential for derivatization, being diminished in strong acidic conditions. In addition, pre-heating was shown not to improve derivatization reaction, being easily carried on in the injector port of the GC system.     

Rhenium complex-catalyzed acylative cleavage of ethers with acyl chlorides

It was found that rhenium complex was an efficient catalyst for the acylative cleavage of C-O bond of ethers with acyl chlorides. When acyclic ethers were allowed to react with acyl chlorides in the presence of a catalytic amount of ReBr(CO)₅, acylative cleavage of C-O bond of acyclic ethers smoothly proceeded to give the corresponding esters in moderate to good yields. Similarly, cyclic ethers were acylative cleaved by acyl chlorides to give the corresponding chloro substituted esters in good yields by the use of Re₂O₇ catalyst.     

An Improved Method for the Efficient Conversion of Unstaurated Alcohols,Ethers and Esters to Their Corresponding Aldehydes,Ketones, Enol Ethers and Enol Esters

Catalytic conversion of unsaturated alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes and ketones with nonacarbonyl diiron in benzene at 40–50 C are performed efficiently in high yields. The efficient preparation of some enol ethers and also preperation of a few esters from their corresponding unsaturated ethers and esters are also performed by this method.     

Proton-exchanged montmorillonite-mediated reactions of methoxybenzyl esters and ethers

Proton-exchanged montmorillonite (H-mont) was found to be an eco-friendly and cost-effective catalyst for the generation of O-methylated quinone methides (QM) from the corresponding p or o-methoxybenzyl esters and ethers. Nucleophilic trapping of the O-methylated QM with arenes, alcohols, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, silyl enol ethers, and allylsilanes has been carried out, respectively, leading to eco-friendly benzylation reactions. Using this protocol, H-mont-mediated deprotection of PMB-protected esters and ethers have been realized for the first time. This work would pave the way for further exploration in O-alkylated QM that are of chemical and biological significance.     

Electroreductive acylation of aromatic ketones with acylimidazoles

[Reaction: see text]. The intermolecular reductive coupling of aromatic ketones with acylimidazoles was effected by electroreduction in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane and gave alpha-trimethylsiloxy ketones and esters. The best result was obtained using Bu4NPF6 as a supporting electrolyte and a Pb cathode in THF. The alpha-trimethylsiloxy-containing products were transformed to the corresponding alpha-hydroxy ketones and esters by treatment with TBAF in THF. This method was also effective for the intramolecular reductive coupling of delta- and epsilon-keto acylimidazoles.     

Catalytic Reduction of Cyclic Ethers with Hydrosilanes

Catalytic reductive transformations of ethers as a synthetic building block are an important class of chemical reactions because a range of essential chemical feedstocks and fuels in contemporary life can be prepared through the key step of ethereal C?O bond cleavage of cellulosic biomass. Although conventional stoichiometric and catalytic methods for sp²‐ and sp³‐C?O bond cleavage of linear ethers and alcohols with hydrosilanes are well established, silylative ring opening of cyclic ethers has been less highlighted in this context. This review outlines catalytic systems for the silylative reduction of a range of cyclic ethers, including epoxides and sugars, leading to the corresponding alcohols and/or hydrocarbons. The chemical reactivity and selectivity of these ring‐opening catalytic processes are discussed with respect to the type of substrates; the representative catalytic working modes are also described.     

Rhodium-catalyzed cleavage reaction of aryl methyl ethers with thioesters

A rhodium complex catalyzed the reaction of aryl methyl ethers and thioesters giving the corresponding aryl esters and methyl sulfides. S-(p-Chlorophenyl) p-(dimethylamino)benzothioate was used for the reaction of methyl aryl ethers with electron-withdrawing groups, and an S-(p-tolyl) derivative was used for those with electron-donating groups. Polymethoxybenzenes were converted to the esters in a regioselective manner.     

Acetylation of aromatic ethers using acetic anhydride over solid acid catalysts in a solvent-free system. Scope of the reaction for substituted ethers

The acetylation of aryl ethers using acetic anhydride in the presence of zeolites under modest conditions in a solvent-free system gave the corresponding para-acetylated products in high yields. The zeolite can be recovered, regenerated and reused to give almost the same yield as that given when fresh zeolite is used.     

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.     

Lewis acid-promoted conjugate addition of dienol silyl ethers to nitroalkenes: synthesis of 3-substituted azepanes

A novel gamma-selective conjugate addition of 1-silyl-substituted dienol ethers to nitroalkenes activated by Lewis acids has been developed. The resulting alpha,beta-unsaturated acylsilanes undergo photoinduced protodesilylation to afford the corresponding enals, which can be conveniently transformed into azepanes under appropriate reductive conditions.