Umpolung in allylic phosphonates. Regioselective reaction of acetoxy allylic phosphonates with nucleophiles catalyzed by palladium(0) complex

Vinylic phosphonates with functional groups can be synthesized regioselectively by the reaction of acetoxy allylic phosphonates with soft carbon nucleophiles in the presence of bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide (BSA) under palladium(0) catalysis with moderate to good yields.     

Room-temperature carbonization of poly(diiododiacetylene) by reaction with Lewis bases

Poly(diiododiacetylene) (PIDA) is a conjugated polymer containing an all-carbon backbone and only iodine atom substituents. Adding a Lewis base to the blue PIDA suspension at room temperature leads first to rapid disappearance of the absorption peaks attributed to PIDA, followed more slowly by release of free iodine. The resulting solid material gives a Raman scattering spectrum consistent with graphitic carbon, and it has a much higher conductivity than PIDA itself. Further investigation has led to the discovery of a previously unreported transformation, the reaction of a Lewis base such as pyrrolidine with a trans-diiodoalkene to form the corresponding alkyne. The generality of this iodine elimination further suggests that reaction of PIDA with Lewis bases dehalogenates the polymer, presenting a new method to prepare carbon nanomaterials at room temperature under very mild conditions.     

Regioselectivity of the acidolysis of 2-(chloromethyl)oxirane with aromatic acids in the presence of organic bases

Regioselectivity of the reaction of 2-(chloromethyl)oxirane with aromatic acids in the presence of tertiary amines and tetraalkylammonium halides has been studied. Opening of the oxirane ring follows simultaneously S_N2 and borderline S_N2 mechanisms. The regioselectivity of the acidolysis of substituted oxiranes is determined by acid-base properties of the reactants and catalysts and steric factor. The regioselectivity increases as the contribution of the S_N2 mechanism increases.     

Regioselective radical cyclization initiated by the reaction of allylic hydroperoxides with iron(II) sulfate

Treatment of 1-methyl-2-methylene-1-cyclohexyl hydroperoxide with a mixture of FeSO₄/CuCl₂ yielded 1-(1-chlorocyclohexyl)ethanone as the major product consistent with 6-endo-trig cyclization of the intermediate 5-acetylhex-5-enyl radical. This strategy was extended to the ring enlargement of a series of 1-isopropenylcycloalkyl hydroperoxides. Regioselective 7- or 8-endo-trig cyclization reactions could be achieved by treatment of the corresponding cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl hydroperoxides with either a mixture of FeSO₄/CuCl₂ or with FeSO₄ only. The influence of substituents on the efficiency of the 8-endo-trig cyclization process was also explored.     

Reactions of Lewis bases with tetrakisdiphenylamide uranium(IV)

The coordinatively unsaturated uranium(IV) complex U[N(C₆H₅)₂]₄ has been prepared via the stoichiometric reaction of diphenylamine with [(Me₃Si)₂N]₂ H₂. U[N(C₆H₅)₂]₄ coordinates Lewis bases such as Et₂O, THF, pyridine or (EtO)₃PO, based on electronic absorption spectroscopy and ¹H NMR studies. Exchange between U[N(C₆H₅)₂]₄ and U[N(C₆H₅)₂]₄(L), where L is THF or pyridine, is rapid on the NMR time-scale between 307 and 323 K. Measurement of equilibrium constants for L = THF provides ΔH and ΔS values of −60 kJ mol⁻¹ and −1.8 × 10² J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹, respectively. U[N(C₆H₅)₂]₄ coordinates and binds (EtO)₃PO much more tightly (K_eq = & > 10⁴ M⁻¹) than THF or pyridine with the exchange rate between U[N(C₆H₅)₂]₄ and U[N(C₆H₅)₂]₄[OP(OEt)₃] being close to the NMR time-scale.     

The preparation of 5-indolyl-Mannich bases: an expedient source of 5-(chloromethyl)indoles

Regioisomeric analogues of gramine, 5-(dialkylaminomethyl)indole-2-carboxylates were prepared by the Fischer indolization of 4-(dialkylaminomethyl)phenylhydrazones easily obtained from diazotized 4-(dialkylaminomethyl)anilines by the Japp-Klingemann reaction. These formal Mannich bases are valuable synthetic intermediates affording 5-(chloromethyl)indoles on reaction with acetyl chloride at rt within a few minutes in quantitative yields.     

Regioselective Hydration of Alkynes by Iron(III) Lewis/Brønsted Catalysis

The triflimide iron(III) salt [Fe(NTf₂)₃] promotes the direct hydration of terminal and internal alkynes with very good Markovnikov regioselectivities and high yields. The enhanced carbophilic Lewis acidity of the Fe^III cation mediated by the weakly‐coordinating triflimide anion is crucial for the catalytic activity. The iron(III) metal salt can be recycled in the form of the OPPh₃/[Fe(NTf₂)₃] system with similar activity and selectivity. However, spectroscopic and kinetic studies show that [Fe(NTf₂)₃] hydrolyzes under the reaction conditions and that catalytically less active Brønsted species are formed, which points to a Lewis/Brønsted co‐catalysis. This triflimide‐based catalytic system is regioselective for the hydration of internal aryl‐alkynes and opens the door to a new synthetic route to alkyl ketophenones. As a proof of concept, the synthesis of two antipsychotics Haloperidol and Melperone, with general butyrophenone‐like structure, is shown.     

Complexation of tris(pentafluorophenyl)silanes with neutral Lewis bases

A detailed analysis of monodentate and bidentate complexation of tris(pentafluorophenyl)silyl (TPFS) derivatives with neutral Lewis bases was performed. The NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis (11 structures) were the key methods to characterize tetra- or pentacoordinate silicon compounds, whereas the peculiarities of crystal packing were analyzed by means of DFT calculations. The interaction of TPFS-X (X = F, Cl, OTf) with strong Lewis bases (HMPA, N-methylpyrrolidinone) may afford three different species: neutral pentacoordinate TPFS(X)-L, cationic tetracoordinate TPFS-L⁺ X⁻, and cationic pentacoordinate TPFS-(L)⁺₂X⁻, representatives of each type were characterized by X-ray diffraction. A variety of complexes with bidentate complexation, featuring the trigonal bipyramidal geometry with apical C₆F₅-group was prepared and structurally characterized. The extent of Si-C_apical bond elongation depends on the donating ability of the coordinating ligand, with the longest Si-C bond of 1.981(1) Å observed for six-membered complex of TPFS-ether of N-(2-hydroxybenzoyl)pyrrolidine.     

The reaction of tetra(allyl)uranium with Lewis bases

The reaction of the thermally unstable U(π-C₃H₅)₄ with an excess of 2,2′-bipyridine leads to incorporation of three 2,2′-bipyridine ligands in the thermally more stable product in which transfer of two of the four allyl groups to one or two of the 2,2′-bipyridine ligands has occurred. The product has been characterized analytically, spectroscopically, magnetically, and by detailed studies of hydrolysis products.     

Regioselective and enantiospecific rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reactions using copper(I) enolates: synthesis of (-)-sugiresinol dimethyl ether

The transition metal-catalyzed allylic alkylation represents a fundamentally important cross-coupling reaction for the construction of ternary carbon stereogenic centers. We have developed a regioselective and enantiospecific rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of acyclic unsymmetrical allylic alcohol derivatives using copper(I) enolates to prepare beta-substituted ketones. This protocol represents a convenient asymmetric Claisen rearrangement surrogate in which alpha-substituted enolates permit the introduction of an additional stereogenic center. The synthetic utility of this transformation was highlighted in the construction of a trans-1,2-disubstituted cyclohexene and the total synthesis of (-)-sugiresinol dimethyl ether. Finally, we anticipate that copper(I) enolates may prove useful nucleophiles in related metal-catalyzed reactions.     

Synthesis of pyrazine acetals by the biased reaction of symmetric 2,5-bis(chloromethyl) or 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(chloromethyl) substituents on pyrazine ring with sodium alkoxides

2,5-Bis(chloromethyl)pyrazine reacted with sodium alkoxide to give unexpected 2-dialkoxymethyl-5-methylpyrazine along with normal substitution product, 2,5-bis(alkoxymethyl)pyrazine. The reaction of 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(chloromethyl)pyrazine with sodium alkoxide afforded similar results to yield 2,6-bis(dialkoxymethyl)-3,5-dimethylpyrazine along with other alkoxymethylpyrazines. The ratio of products depended on the solvent and alkoxide used. A general discussion of the mechanism of such a pyrazine acetal synthesis in the basic conditions is given.     

Regioselective alkenylation of imidazoles by nickel/Lewis acid catalysis

Nickel/Lewis acid binary catalysis is found effective to direct regioselective alkenylation of imidazoles through C-H bond activation and stereoselective insertion of alkynes. Use of P(t-Bu)₃ as a ligand allows exclusive regioselective C(2)-alkenylation, while PCyp₃ is found effective for C(5)-alkenylation of C(2)-substituted imidazoles. The reaction demonstrates a broad scope of imidazoles and internal alkynes to give trisubstituted ethenes highly regio- and stereoselectively in modest to good yields.     

Synthesis and transformations of acyloxy(chloromethyl)phosphonates and acyloxy(chloromethyl)phosphinates

The reactions ofO-phenyl chloromethylphosphonochloridate and bis(chloromethyl)phosphinous chloride with sodium acetate afford the corresponding acyloxyphosphonates and acyloxyphosphinates, which are readily transformed due to disproportionation into pyrophosphonates and pyrophosphinates. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp 2383–2385, November, 1998.