A Facile Synthesis of 2-Oxazolines via Dehydrative Cyclization Promoted by Triflic Acid

2-oxazolines are common moieties in numerous natural products, pharmaceuticals, and functional copolymers. Current methods for synthesizing 2-oxazolines mainly rely on stoichiometric dehydration agents or catalytic dehydration promoted by specific catalysts. These conditions either generate stoichiometric amounts of waste or require forcing azeotropic reflux conditions. As such, a practical and robust method that promotes dehydrative cyclization while generating no byproducts would be attractive to oxazoline production. Herein, we report a triflic acid (TfOH)-promoted dehydrative cyclization of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)amides for synthesizing 2-oxazolines. This reaction tolerates various functional groups and generates water as the only byproduct. This method affords oxazoline with inversion of α-hydroxyl stereochemistry, suggesting that alcohol is activated as a leaving group under these conditions. Furthermore, the one-pot synthesis protocol of 2-oxazolines directly from carboxylic acids and amino alcohols is also provided.     

Synthesis of 2-Oxazolines from Ring Opening Isomerization of 3-Amido-2-Phenyl Azetidines

Chiral 2-oxazolines are valuable building blocks and famous ligands for asymmetric catalysis. The most common synthesis involves the reaction of an amino alcohol with a carboxylic acid. In this paper, an efficient synthesis of 2-oxazolines has been achieved via the stereospecific isomerization of 3-amido-2-phenyl azetidines. The reactions were studied in the presence of both Brønsted and Lewis acids, and Cu(OTf)₂ was found to be the most effective.     

Reaction of cis-2,3-dioctylaziridine with carboxylic acids

A series of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids reacted with 2,3-dioctylaziridine to yield β-hydroxyalkyl amides in 69–89% yields and 2-substituted 4,5-di-n-octyl-δ²-oxazolines in amounts ranging from traces to 12% of the theoretical. No correlation could be found between carboxylic acid strength and either hydroxyamide or δ²-oxazoline yields. Solvents affected the product distribution.     

Direct synthesis of 2-oxazolines from carboxylic acids using 2-chloro-4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazine under mild conditions

2-Acyloxy-4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazines obtained from carboxylic acids and 2-chloro-4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazine were subsequently treated with 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol to afford the corresponding 2-oxazolines in excellent yield at room temperature.     

Synthesis of 2-(α-Hydroxyalkyl)-2-Oxazoline under Microwave Irradiation in Bluk

Four 2-(α-hydroxyalkyl)-2-oxazolines and a 2-(α-hydroxy-α,α-diphenyl)-2-benzooxazole were synthesized from β-amimoalcohols and α-hydroxy carboxylic acids under microwave irradiation in the absence of a solvent.     

Synthesis of 2-alkylthio-5-acetyl-2-oxazolines

The reaction of 2-acetyloxiranes with alkyl thiocyanates in the presence of Lewis acids (BF₃, AlCl₃) has given 2-alkylthio-5-acetyl-2-oxazolines (yields 40–60%). It has been shown that the reaction of trans-2-acetyl-3-methyloxirane and of trans-2-acetyl-3-methyloxirane and of trans-2-acetyl-2,3-dimethyloxirane with alkyl thiocyanates takes place stereospecifically and leads to cis-2-alkylthio-5-acetyl-2-oxazolines.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 468–471, April, 1980.     

A straightforward, one-pot protocol for the preparation of libraries of 2-oxazolines

A practical protocol for the parallel synthesis of 2-oxazolines using polymer-supported reagents is described. Polymer-supported Mukaiyama reagent is used to couple a carboxylic acid with an amino alcohol, giving a beta-hydroxyamide, which is then cyclized in situ using either polymer-supported sulfonyl chloride resin or polymer-bound 2-fluoropyridinium triflate. Both 2,4-disubstituted and 2,4,5-trisubstituted 2-oxazolines are obtained in high yields and excellent purities after a simple resin filtration and solvent evaporation routine.     

Recent syntheses and reactions of cyclic imidic esters

Δ²-Oxazolines and 4H-5,6-dihydrooxazines are readily obtainable from carboxylic acids and 2- or 3-amino alcohols by gas-phase dehydration, and 4H-dihydrooxazines can also be obtained by condensation of N-(hydroxymethyl) carboxamides with olefins. These cyclic imidic esters undergo reactions in which the ring is cleaved; these reactions include a new type of polymerization. The behavior of alkyl groups in position 2 and the cyclodditions in the 2,3-position also have been studied. Reactions in side chains on position 2 and addition experiments on the sulfur analogues of the cyclic imidic esters are also reported. A table shows the principal infrared bands of substituted Δ²-oxazolines.     

Reaction of acetyloxiranes with acetonitrile

2-Acetyloxiranes react with acetonitrile in the presence of equimolar amounts of Lewis acids. It was established that the use of boron trifluoride etherate or sulfuric acid as the catalyst leads to 2,7- and 3,6-diepoxy-1,5-dioxocanes, the use of aluminum trichloride, as well as stannic chloride, leads to the corresponding chlorohydrins, while the use of gaseous boron trifluoride leads to 2-oxazolines in satisfactory yields. It is shown that the reaction is regio- and stereospecific and that the resulting substituted 2-methyl-5-acetyl-2-oxazolines have a cis configuration.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No, 8, pp. 1022–1024, August, 1982.     

Synthesis of 2-oxazolines via boron esters of N-(2-hydroxyethyl) amides

A new, convenient, one-pot process is presented for the synthesis of 2-oxazolines in high yields (75-94%) via boron esters of N-(2-hydroxyethyl) amides. The procedure involves thermolysis of the boron esters at 240-260 °C, in the presence of solid CaO as an acid scavenger and allows the preparation of oxazolines from hydroxyethyl amides of aliphatic and aromatic monocarboxylic acids.     

Transcyclization of benzoxazoles

The reaction of benzoxazoles with aromatic and aliphatic acids, which gives transcyclization products — 2-substituted benzoxazoles — was studied. The reaction of 2-hydroxyacetanilide with aliphatic acids gives a mixture of 2-substituted benzoxazoles. Under similar conditions, 2-methylbenzothiazole, 2-alkyl-²-oxazolines, and 2-alkyl-²-thiazolines do not undergo transcyclization, but ring opening is observed in the latter two cases.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 11, pp. 1480–1482, November, 1972.     

Determination of the absolute configuration and identity of chiral carboxylic acids using a Cu(II) complex of pyridine–benzimidazole-based ligand

We report a new achiral Cu host [Cu(bmb–bpy)(H₂O)(OTf)₂] (bmb–bpy = 6,6′-bis[((1-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)thio)methyl]-2,2′-bipyridine) for the enantioselective and chemoselective recognition of chiral carboxylic acids. The binding of chiral carboxylic acids to [Cu(bmb–bpy)(H₂O)(OTf)₂] produced an exciton-coupled circular dichroism signal; the linear discriminant analysis allowed the assignment of the absolute configuration, enantiomeric excess, and identity of chiral carboxylic acids.     

Azacycloalkanes: XXXIX. New Syntheses of 1<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-Pyrrole-1-carboxylic acid and 1,2-dihydropyrrolo-[1,2-<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis>]pyrazin-3(4<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>)-one derivatives

New procedures have been developed for the synthesis of α-(2-formyl-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-substituted carboxylic acids, α-(2-R-aminomethyl-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-substituted carboxylic acids, and 1,2-dihydropyrrolo-[1,2-a]pyrazin-3(4H)-ones on the basis of furfurol and α-amino acids.     

2-Halogenoethyl and 2-halogenoethylthiol esters of furan series carboxylic acids

The corresponding 2-chloroethyl (2-chloroethylthiol) esters are synthesized by the action of ethylene chlorohydrin (chloroethylmercaptan) on the acid chlorides of 5-nitrofuran carboxylic acid and 3-(5-nitrofuryl-2)acrylic acid. The acid chlorides of benzoic, furan carboxylic, and 3-(furyl-2)-acryllc acids react with ethylene sulfide, to give 2-chloroethyl esters of those acids. Ethylene oxide does not react with the acid chlorides of benzoic acid and furan series carboxylic acids either at room temperature or on heating at 50° for 1 hour.     

A new caging phototrigger based on a 2-acetonaphthyl chromophore

Irradiation (λ ∼ 350 nm in an aqueous environment) of carboxylic acid esters derived from the reaction between carboxylic acids and 2-bromo-1-(naphthalene-2-yl)ethanone affords the parent carboxylic acid in good yield, making the 2-acetonaphthyl chromophore a good phototrigger for caging applications, including biomolecular caging.     

A simple and efficient method of preparing α-bromo carboxylic acids

A new and convenient method for α-bromination of aliphatic carboxylic acids is reported. Heating carboxylic acids for 16 hours at 85 °C in trifluoroacetic acid with 1.5 equivalents of N-bromosuccinimide and a catalytic amount of concentrated H₂SO₄ leads to good yields of the respective α-bromocarboxylic acids.     

FT-IR study on interactions between solutes and entrainers in supercritical carbon dioxide

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy has been used to measure the molarities of hydrogen bonding species between carboxylic acids (acetic acid and palmitic acid) and water in supercritical CO₂. The equilibrium constants of dimerization for the carboxylic acids were determined in supercritical CO₂ with octane. Further, the interactions of propanol-d (1- and 2-propanol-d) or xylenol (2,5-, 2,6- and 3,4-xylenol) isomers with acetone in supercritical CO₂ were studied. Experiments were carried out at 308.2–313.2 K and 7.0–20.0 MPa. The molarities of hydrogen bonding species between the carboxylic acids and water in supercritical CO₂ increase with the increasing molarity of water. The carboxylic acids interact more easily with ethanol than water in supercritical CO₂. For supercritical CO₂+carboxylic acid+octane systems, the equilibrium constants between the carboxylic acid monomer and dimer increase with the increasing molarity of octane. The equilibrium constants of the carboxylic acids seem to approach to those in liquid paraffin according to addition of octane in supercritical CO₂. The amount of the interaction species between 1-propanol-d and acetone is larger than that between 2-propanol-d and acetone. The amount of acetone interacting with OH group for 3,4-xylenol is the largest among those for xylenol isomers. These differences among the isomers may be caused by the screen effects of methyl groups around hydroxyl group for the isomers.     

Enantioselective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids over cinchonidine-modified Pd catalysts: effect of substrate structure on the adsorption mode

Systematic variation of the substrate structure in the enantioselective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids over cinchonidine-modified Pd catalysts indicated that aryl substituents in β position changed the adsorption mode of the substrates on the metal surface and eventually the configuration of the products formed in excess as compared to aliphatic substrates. The configuration of the products formed in excess by hydrogenation of eight α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, of which two have not been described yet, indicated that the substrates bearing aromatic ring in β position were adsorbed on the opposite face of the CC group compared to acids having aliphatic group in β position.     

Reagent peak-free liquid chromatography–fluorescence analysis of carboxylic acids using a fluorous scavenging–derivatization method

We developed a fluorous scavenging–derivatization method for reagent peak-free liquid chromatography (LC)–fluorescence analysis of carboxylic acids. In this method, carboxylic acids were fluorescently derivatized with 1-pyrenemethylamine in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide and 1-hydroxy-1H-benzotriazole. Residual excess unreacted reagent was tagged with 2-(perfluorooctyl)ethyl isocyanate and could be selectively removed by microfluorous solid-phase extraction before LC analysis. With use of this method, eight fluorescent derivatives of linear aliphatic carboxylic acids (C₁–C₈) can be separated within 30 min by reversed-phase LC with gradient elution. In the chromatogram obtained, the fluorous-tagged unreacted reagent peak is greatly decreased after microfluorous solid-phase extraction and does not interfere with the quantification of each acid. With use of microfluorous solid-phase extraction with 80% (v/v) aqueous methanol elution, over 99.9% of the unreacted fluorescent reagent was removed. The detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio of 3) for the carboxylic acids examined are 2.3–8.0 fmol per 10-μL injection. We also applied this method successfully to the analysis of highly polar carboxylic acids such as α-keto acids and tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites.     

Identification and determination of carboxylic acids in food samples using 2-(2-(anthracen-10-yl)-1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazol-1-yl)ethyl 4-methylbenzenesulfonate (APIETS) as labeling reagent by HPLC with FLD and APCI/MS

A new labeling reagent for carboxylic acids, 2-(2-(anthracen-10-yl)-1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazol-1-yl)ethyl 4-methylbenzenesulfonate (APIETS) has been designed and synthesized. It was used to label eight fatty acids (lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid) and four hydroxy pentacyclic triterpene acids (oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid and maslinic acid), successfully. APIETS could easily and quickly label carboxylic acids in the presence of K₂CO₃ catalyst at 85 °C for 35 min in N,N-dimethylformamide solvent. The carboxylic acids derivatives were separated on a C₈ reversed-phase column with gradient elution and fluorescence detection at λ_ex/λ_em = 315/435 nm. Identification of these derivatives was carried out by online mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in positive ion mode. The detection limits obtained were 13.37-30.26 fmol (signal-to-noise ratio of 3). The proposed method has been applied to the quantification of carboxylic acids in sultana raisin (Thompson seedless), hawthorn flake (Crataegus pinnatifida Bge.), Lycium barbarum seed oil and Microula sikkimensis seed oil with recoveries over 95.3%. It has been demonstrated that APIETS is a prominent labeling reagent for determining carboxylic acids with high performance liquid chromatography.