The high resolution mass spectra of α,β-unsaturated and α-chloromercuri-α,β-unsaturated steroidal ketones

The high resolution mass spectra (500 eV) of some α,β-unsaturated steroidal ketones have been studied and compared with the spectra of the corresponding α-chloromercuri ketones. In the latter, the carbon-mercury bond frequently remains intact at the expense of the fission of two carbon-carbon bonds. The abundance of mercury-containing ions allows the use of the mercury atom fingerprint in confirming ring B fragmentation of the steroid nucleus at C(6)–C(7) and C(9)–C(10) for 5α-androst-1-ene-3,17-dione, 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione and their 2-chloromercuri derivatives; and at C(7)–C(8) and C(9)–C(10) for 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione, 1,4,6-androstarien-17 β-ol-3-one and their 2-chloromercuri derivatives. 2-Chloromercuri-1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione and 2-chloromercuri-1,4,6-androstatrien-17 β-ol-3-one also give an abundant ion as the result of ring C fragmentation at C(8)–C(14) and C(11)–C(12), the chloromercuri group being replaced by a hydrogen atom. This ring C cleavage gives the only recognizable distinctive fragmentation ion for 1,4,6-pregnatriene-3,20-dione and 2-chloromercuri-1,4,6-pregnatriene-3,20-dione. For most of the mercurated steroids, the low resolution mass spectra (70 eV) are reported. In these spectra, the fragmentation patterns are similar to those obtained using the higher ionization energy employed for the high resolution spectra.     

Synthesis of α,β-unsaturated oxathiolanes

The formation of α,β-unsaturated oxathiolanes 2 from α,β-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives was achieved selectively and in high yields using the heterogeneous catalyst APSG·HCl.     

On the mechanism of isomerization reactions in the esters of some simple α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids

It is shown from a detailed examination of first field free region metastable peak shapes that the molecular ion of the methyl ester of acrylic acid rearranges into 2- and 3-butenoic acid ions prior to metastable fragmentations involving the losses of H₂O, CH₃˙ and CO. The key intermediate ion in this ester-acid isomerization is shown to be the enol form of ionized γ-butyrolactone. The C-5 homologues methylmethacrylate and ethylacrylate display a similar mechanism for H₂O loss, but the loss of CH₃˙ shows additional mechanistic complexities. It was shown from the metastable peak shapes of ¹³C and deuterium labelled compounds that the larger part of the methyl loss does not occur from acid type ions, but directly from methyl substituted enol ions of γ-butyrolactone. The mechanistic proposals also account for the presence of a pronounced loss of CH₃˙ from the isomeric ester methylcrotonate and the absence of H₂O loss in both methylcrotonate and the methyl ester of 3-butenoic acid.     

Regioselective synthesis of 3-hydroxyisoxazoles and 5-isoxazolones from β-amino α,β-unsaturated esters

The regioselective synthesis of 3-hydroxyisoxazoles and 5-isoxazolones is accomplished by the reaction of β-amino α,β-unsaturated esters with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of appropriate bases. The total yield of isoxazole derivatives is sensitively influenced on the β-substituent group of the esters.     

Mass spectra of some acyclic α,β-unsaturated aldehydes,ketones and esters

The mass spectra of a series of aliphatic acyclic α,β-unsturated aldehydes, ketones and ester have been examined. The spectra do not show evidence for McLafferty rearrangements, alkoxyl migration or for fragmentations which are dependent upon the s-trans or s-cis conformations of the compounds. There is some evidence for cis-trans isomerism about the double bond.     

Direct conversion of β,γ-unsaturated esters into lactones induced by TMS-I

β,γ-unsaturated esters readily prepared by photodeconjugation are converted in one step into butanolides by treatment with TMS-I. The reaction has been extended to the access to -alkylidene lactones.     

The clemmensen reduction of α,β-unsaturated ketones

The deoxygenation of the α,β-unsaturated ketones (1) and (5) under the Clemmensen condition yielded the olefins (2) and (6) along with their respective dimers (3+4) and (8+9). The α , β-unsaturated ketone (13) under similar treatment yielded the olefin (14) in satisfactory yield but the dimer could not be characterized. The deoxygenation of the α,β-unsaturated ketones (10) and (16) under similar con- ditions afforded the olefins (12) and (15) respectively in satisfactory yield along with the rearranged olefins (11) and (17) respectively. Epox-idation of the olefin (17) followed by heating with p-toluenesulfonic acid yielded the ketone (18).     

Reactions of α,β-unsaturated ketones with cyanoacetamide

3-Aryl-1-phenyl-2-propen-1-ones Ia-f and aroylphenylacetylenes Va-d reacted under reflux for 3 hours with cyanoacetamide in the presence of sodium ethoxide to give the corresponding 4-aryl-3-cyano-6-phenyl-2-(1H)pyridones VI. However, when ketones Ia-e were refluxed with cyanoacetamide for one hour in the presence of sodium ethoxide or piperidine, they gave the corresponding 4-aryl-3-cyano-3,4-dihydro-6-phenyl-2-(1H)pyridones IIIa-e, which upon heating with selenium gave the corresponding 2-pyridones VI. The structures of the products are based on chemical and spectroscopic evidence.     

Synthesis of α,β-unsaturated aryl esters via Heck reaction of unsymmetrical aryl tellurides

A variety of α,β-unsaturated aryl esters were prepared by the direct reaction of unsymmetrical aryltellurides and ethyl acrylate, catalyzed by PdCl₂ via a Heck cross-coupling reaction.     

Diastereoselective SmI2-mediated cyclisation of δ-oxo-α,β-unsaturated esters to cyclopropanols

In the presence of samarium diiodide and a proton source, δ-oxo-γ,γ-disubstituted-α,β-unsaturated esters readily cyclise with complete diastereocontrol to give anti-cyclopropanol products.     

A novel synthesis of α,β-unsaturated phosphonates

A stereoselective synthesis of α,β-unsaturated phosphonates based on the reaction of S-(β-oxoalkyl)-dithiophosphates and Se-(β-oxoalkyl)selenophosphates with sodium dialkyl phosphites is described.     

Condensation of 3-methylbenzoxazolinone with α,β-unsaturated acids

The reaction between 3-methylbenzoxazolinone and some unsaturated acids in PPA leads to mixtures of compounds, depending on the acid: 6-crotonyl- (or cinnamoyl)-3-methylbenzoxazolinones, 2,3-dihydro-2,5-(or 2,7)dioxo-3-methylcyclopenta[f]benzoxazoles and 6-(3-oxo-indanyl)-3-methylbenzoxazolinones. The structure of the products was established by ¹³C and ¹H nmr spectroscopy and (or) by independent synthesis. Possible mechanisms of the reaction are discussed; when competition is possible as in the last step of the cyclization, the benzene ring shows a higher reactivity than the aromatic nucleus of the benzoxazolinone; the contrary is observed when the benzene ring is p-chloro-substituted.     

An improved synthesis of pyrroles from N-p-toluenesulfonylglycine esters and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones

N-p-Toluenesulfonylglycine esters 2 condensed with α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds 1 in the presence of the non-nucleophilic base DBU to give hydroxypyrrolidines 3 . Dehydration with phosphorus oxychloride-pyridine, followed by DBU mediated elimination of p-toluenesulfinic acid, gave a series of synthetically useful pyrrole-2-carboxylates 5 .     

Addition of trimethylsilylmethylmagnesium chloride to α, β-unsaturated carbonyls

Reactions of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with Me₃SiCH₂MgCl, prepared from chloromethyltrimethylsilane [1], were examined. Unlike its lithium counterpart (Me₃SiCH₂Li), which adds to α,β-unsaturatedketones in the 1,2-sense, the Grignard reagent afforts γ silanes via a 1,4-addition sequence. This tendency is accentuated by the addition of Cu₂Br₂. Addition of the Grignard reagent to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes gives the simple 1,2-addition products.     

Reaction of singlet oxygen with α,β-unsaturated aldimines

The reaction of singlet oxygen with N-1-(2-alkenylidene)-t- butylamines ( and ) gives the unsaturated hemiperacetal derivatives ( and 4) of the hydroperoxy aldimines ( and ). Several α, β-unsaturated aldimines which are held in the s-trans conformation failed to react with singlet oxygen.