Triazenes: a versatile tool in organic synthesis

Triazenes (RN=N-NR'R") are a class of compounds that hold much promise in preparative chemistry as they are reactive groups which are both stable and adaptable to numerous synthetic transformations. Useful to scientists in pharmacology, total synthesis, polymer technology, and the construction of novel ring systems, to name a few areas, triazenes also have a tendency to surprise chemists with new reactions and increasing applicability. This review highlights some of the recent advances and diversity possible with these types of systems.     

Chloramine-T (N-chloro-p-toluenesulfonamide sodium salt), a versatile reagent in organic synthesis and analytical chemistry: An up to date review

Chloramine-T (CAT), the sodium salt of N-chloro-p-toluenesulfonamide, is a low-cost mild oxidizing agent with a wide range of uses. Most importantly, it can be used in acidic, neutral, and basic conditions. As a result, it’s been widely used in chemistry, particularly in organic synthesis and analytical chemistry. Chloramine-T acts as a source of halonium cation and nitrogen anion and thus acts as base and nucleophile. It reacts with a wide range of functional groups and carries different molecular transformations. This paper thoroughly summarises and highlights the synthetic and analytical effectiveness of CAT. This study focuses on current developments as well as some older techniques in which CAT has been employed as an oxidizing agent. This review article stretches a comprehensive profile of the CAT reagent in organic synthesis and analytical chemistry, which will be very useful for further research exploration in this field.     

The Vilsmeier reagent: a useful and versatile reagent for the synthesis of 2-azetidinones

(Chloromethylene)dimethylammonium chloride (Vilsmeier reagent), prepared easily from N,N-dimethylformamide and oxalyl chloride or thionyl chloride, works as a versatile acid activator reagent for the direct [2+2] ketene-imine cycloaddition of substituted acetic acid and imines in one-pot synthesis under mild conditions. Monocyclic, spirocyclic and 3-electron-withdrawing group β-lactams were synthesized by this method and optimization of conditions were performed.     

Diethyl chlorophosphite: a versatile reagent

Diethyl chlorophosphite (DECP) was previously described as a reducing agent for nitro compounds to the corresponding amines (Fischer, B.; Sheihet, L. J. Org. Chem. 1998, 63, 393). Here, the utility of this reagent was extended to chemical conversions of other oxygenated functional groups. In this paper we report on the scope of the reaction of DECP with N-oxides, epoxides, sulfones, sulfoxides, hydroxylamines, ketoximes, and aldoximes. The chemoselectivity of DECP is described, and conditions for a stepwise multiple conversion of functional groups on the same molecule with this reagent are provided.     

Polymer-supported thioanisole: a versatile platform for organic synthesis reagents

A new cross-linked polystyrene-supported thioanisole reagent is reported. This reagent incorporates the flexible JandaJel™ cross-linker and can be treated with methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate to form the corresponding sulfonium salt. This salt can in turn be deprotonated to form a polymer-supported sulfur ylide that is able to react with aldehydes and ketones to form epoxides. The thioanisole reagent can also be oxidized to form an insoluble sulfoxide reagent that is useful in Swern oxidation reactions. In these reactions, the polymer-supported thioanisole-based reagents can be recovered, regenerated and reused.     

D-奎尼酸: 一个多用途的手性合成子

综述了D-奎尼酸在各种环状和链状生物活性化合物合成中的应用。奎尼酸分子中特有的顺式γ-羟基羧酸的结构单元提供了区别分子中各种羟基,以及进行其它区域选择性和立体选择性控制的方便途径。奎尼酸的结构特征以及其价廉、易得的优点,使之成为一个有用的而且重要的手性合成子。     

Ethyl dibromofluoroacetate: a versatile reagent for the synthesis of fluorinated molecules

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1-Bromo-1-lithioethene: a practical reagent in organic synthesis

[reaction: see text] A reliable preparative scale synthesis of 1-bromo-1-lithioethene is reported. This reagent undergoes clean 1,2-addition with a range of aldehydes and ketones at -110 degrees C to afford the corresponding 2-bromo-1-alken-3-ols in moderate to excellent yield. Trapping with other electrophiles (acylsilanes, chlorosilanes, tributyltin chloride, iodine) cleanly provides practically useful yields of various 1-substituted 1-bromoethene products. Unexpectedly high diastereoselectivities were observed during the addition of 1-bromo-1-lithioethene to alpha-siloxy aldehydes (typically 10:1, Felkin-Ahn control) and protected ketopyranose and ketofuranose sugars (> or = 10:1, addition from the less-hindered face). The title organolithium reagent possesses relatively low basicity at low temperature, and is compatible with a variety of common protecting groups. We believe that these unusual properties of 1-bromo-1-lithioethene may originate from the specific crystalline structure of the reagent in which lithium is coordinatively saturated and thus unavailable for chelation.     

Alkynyltrifluoroborates as versatile tools in organic synthesis: a new route to spiroketals

[reaction: see text] A simple and efficient two-step approach to spiroketals is described. Key steps include the preparation of functionalized hydroxyl alpha-alkynones by ring-opening reactions of lactones with lithium alkynyltrifluoroborates followed by a palladium-catalyzed hydrogenation/spirocyclization of the prespiroketal intermediate.     

One-pot synthesis of 1,3,4-thiadiazoles using Vilsmeier reagent as a versatile cyclodehydration agent

A simple and efficient synthetic method for the one-pot synthesis of 1,3,4-thiadiazoles utilizing Vilsmeier reagent was developed. In this method carboxylic acids and hydrazine were converted to 1,3,4-thiadiazoles in the presence of Vilsmeier reagent and Lawesson's reagent. The influence of the thionation reagent, solvent, temperature and time, in this reaction was discussed. The developed methodology for 1,3,4-thiadiazole synthesis has the advantage of simplicity, ambient reaction conditions, easy purification and good to excellent yield of products.     

Di-tert-butyl dicarbonate: a versatile carboxylating reagent

Carbon nucleophiles generated by a non-nucleophilic base (LDA) were effectively trapped with di-tert-butyl dicarbonate (Boc-anhydride) to provide the corresponding tert-butyl aryl acetates, di-tert-butyl aryl malonates, unsymmetrical aryl malonates and tert-butyl benzoates in high yields. This reaction represents another useful way to prepare a variety of tert-butyl carboxylates and highlights the synthetic utility of di-tert-butyl dicarbonate as a versatile carboxylating reagent.     

Lawesson试剂在有机合成中的新应用

本文评述了近十年来Lawesson试剂(LR)在有机合成尤其在杂环化合物合成中的新应用。     

Iodine as a versatile reagent for the Prins-cyclization: an expeditious synthesis of 4-iodotetrahydropyran derivatives

Iodine is found to be an efficient reagent for the coupling of homoallylic alcohols with aldehydes under mild conditions to produce 4-iodotetrahydropyran derivatives in excellent yields in a short reaction time with high selectivity. The use of iodine makes this procedure simple, convenient and cost-effective.     

利用多功能、多用途的可再生甲酸实现化学品的绿色与可持续合成

近年来,随着化石资源日趋短缺以及由此带来的人类生存环境日益恶化,生物质等可再生资源的高效、可持续利用已成为各国科学家研究与关注的焦点。甲酸,生物精炼中的主要副产物之一,具备廉价易得、无毒、能量密度高以及可再生可降解等特性,将其应用于新能源利用与化学转化,不仅有助于甲酸应用领域的进一步拓展,还有助于解决面向未来的生物精炼技术中的一些共性瓶颈问题。本文简要回顾了甲酸利用的研究历史,总结了甲酸作为高效、多用途试剂与原料在化学品合成及生物质催化转化等方面的最新研究进展,并对利用甲酸活化来实现高效化学转化的基本原理及催化体系进行了对比分析,指出今后研究重点应着眼于努力提高甲酸的利用效率,同时实现高选择性合成两方面,并在此基础上进一步拓展其应用领域。在化学品合成方面,甲酸作为一种环境友好可再生的多功能试剂可应用于多种官能团的选择转化过程。作为一种高含氢量的氢转移试剂或还原剂,甲酸相较传统氢气具有操作简便可控、条件温和、具有良好化学选择性等优点,广泛应用于醛酮、硝基、亚胺、腈、炔烃、烯烃等的选择还原以制取相应的醇、胺、烯烃和烷烃类化合物,以及醇类和环氧化物的氢解和官能团去保护等过程。鉴于甲酸亦可用作C1原料,作为多用途的关键基础试剂甲酸还可应用于包括喹啉衍生物的还原甲酰化、胺类化合物甲酰化和甲基化,烯烃羰化以及炔烃还原水合等多级串联反应,是实现精细复杂有机分子高效简约绿色合成的重要途径。该类过程的挑战在于寻求对甲酸及特定官能团的可控活化兼具高选择性和高活性的多功能催化剂。此外,近期有研究表明以甲酸为C1原料还可通过催化歧化反应直接高选择性合成甲醇等大宗化学品。在生物质催化转化方面,甲酸的多功能特性为实现绿色、安全、高原子经济性生物精炼过程提供了潜在可能。生物质资源是储量最大、最具潜力的可持续替代资源,但将其转化为可利用的资源形式仍然面临挑战。甲酸的酸性质及良好溶剂特性可应用于生物质原料预处理过程,实现木质纤维素组分分离和纤维素提取,相较传统无机酸预处理体系具有沸点低、易分离、不引入无机离子、对下游反应兼容性强等优点;而作为高效氢源,甲酸也被广泛研究应用于生物质平台化合物选择催化转化制高附加值化学品、木质素降解制芳烃化合物和生物油加氢脱氧精制处理等过程,相较依赖H2的传统氢化过程具有转化效率高、反应条件温和,简便安全并可有效减少相关生物精炼过程中化石资源的物耗与能耗等优势。最新研究表明,通过在温和条件下甲酸水溶液中解聚氧化木质素,可得到重量比大于60%的低分子量芳烃溶液,这一创新性发现为从木质素中直接提取高值芳香化学物等化学品带来了新的机遇。综上所述,生物基甲酸在绿色有机合成和生物质转化等方面表现出巨大潜力,而其多功能性和多用途性对于实现原料的高效利用及目标产物的高选择性至关重要。该领域目前已取得了一定成果并得到了快速发展,然而距实际产业应用还有相当距离,需要进一步探索。今后的研究重点应着眼于以下几个方面：(1)如何针对特定反应优选合适的催化活性金属及反应体系;(2)如何在其他原料和试剂存在条件下高效、可控地活化甲酸;(3)如何从分子层面理解复杂反应的反应机制;(4)如何在相关过程中稳定相应催化剂。展望未来,基于现代社会对环境、经济和可持续发展的需求,甲酸化学将得到产业界与学术界越来越多的关注和研究。     

The structure of polymer-supported triphenylphosphine ditriflate: a potentially useful reagent in organic synthesis

The structure of a polymer-supported version of the Hendrickson "POP" reagent, prepared by the reaction of polymer-supported triphenylphosphine oxide 1 with triflic anhydride, is established as an equilibrium mixture of polymer-supported triphenylphosphine ditriflate 3 (delta 79.4 ppm) and polymer-supported phosphonium anhydride 4 (delta 73.3 ppm). The (31)P NMR chemical shift reported previously for 3 is shown to be incorrect.     

Epoxy ketones as versatile building blocks in organic synthesis

The major advances made in the functionalisation of racemic and optically active epoxy ketones where one or several stereogenic centres are either preserved or modified are reviewed. Some relevant applications to the synthesis of natural products and biologically active compounds are also described.     

A new insight into Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reaction is an important synthetic route to convert CO and H(2) to fuels and chemicals in industry. To date, its reaction mechanism remains uncertain. With extensive density functional theory studies on FT reactions on Ru, we compare quantitatively several C/C coupling mechanisms that are likely to be involved. We found that a well-regarded CH(2) + CH(2)R (R = H or alkyl) mechanism possesses high reaction barriers, and a stepwise C + CR mechanism has been identified that may be relevant to FT synthesis.