An efficient and selective tosylation of alcohols with p-toluenesulfonic acid

Silica chloride has been found to be an efficient catalyst for facile tosylation of alcohols directly with p-toluenesulfonic acid in methylene chloride under reflux. The process is associated with selective tosylation of secondary alcohols over primary alcohols.     

Probing the specificity of the S1′, leaving group,site of subtilisin Bacillus lentus using an enzyme-catalyzed transesterification reaction

Subtilisin Bacillus lentus catalyzes transesterifications between N-acetyl-L-phenylalanine vinyl ester and a wide range of alcohols. Reaction yields are high when primary alcohols are used, and quantitative with methanol. With chiral alcohols, the reaction is enantioselective, and the stereoselectivity is reversed on going from open chain secondary alcohols to β-branched primary alcohols. A model is proposed to account for this change in absolute configuration preference.     

Stereoselective synthesis of optically active cyclopenta[c]pyrans and cyclopenta[c]furans by the intramolecular Pauson–Khand reaction

An intramolecular Pauson–Khand reaction of enynes derived from homoallyl, homopropargyl, and allyl alcohols is described. 2-Heteroaryl-substituted homoallyl, homopropargyl, and allyl alcohols are easily and efficiently resolved through enzymatic resolution in high ee (91–99%) and with a known stereochemistry. Each enantiomerically enriched enyne derived from homoallyl and homopropargyl alcohols affords the conformationally most stable diastereomeric cyclopenta[c]pyran ring system as the sole product, whereas enantiomerically enriched enynes derived from allyl alcohols give a diastereomeric cis:trans mixture of the cyclopenta[c]furan ring system.     

Rapid identification of enantioselective ketone reductions using targeted microbial libraries

A collection of about 300 microbes was surveyed for the ability to generate chiral secondary alcohols by enantioselective reduction of a series of alkyl aryl ketones. Microbial cultures demonstrating utility in reducing model ketones were arrayed in multi-well plates and used to rapidly identify specific organisms capable of producing chiral alcohols used as intermediates in the synthesis of several drug candidates. Approximately 60 cultures were shown to selectively reduce various ketones providing both the R and S enantiomers of the corresponding alcohols in 92-99% ee with yields up to 95% at 1-4 g/L. An alternative approach to chiral alcohols based on selective microbial oxidation of racemic alcohols is also reported. This study provides a useful reference for generating chiral alcohols by selective microbial bioconversion.     

CuCl catalyzed selective oxidation of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids with tert-butyl hydroperoxide at room temperature

Direct oxidation of primary alcohols to the corresponding carboxylic acids is performed highly efficiently at room temperature with anhydrous tert-butyl hydroperoxide in the presence of a catalytic amount of easily available CuCl under ligand free conditions in acetonitrile. Benzylic alcohols are more reactive than aliphatic alcohols, and these benzylic alcohols are selectively oxidized to the corresponding acids in the presence of aliphatic alcohols such as 1-octanol and 1-decanol.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of (S)-4-aminoquinazoline alcohols

A simple synthetic method for the preparation of enantiomerically pure (S)-4-aminoquinazoline alcohols from (S)-quinazolinone alcohols by key steps including chlorination, nucleophilic ipso substitution, and deacetylation is presented. Mutagenic and antimutagenic properties of the (S)-4-aminoquinazoline alcohols were investigated by using Salmonella typhimurium TA1535, and Escherichia coli WP2uvrA tester strains at 0.01, 0.1, and 1 μg/plate concentrations. (S)-4-aminoquinazoline alcohols were found to be genotoxically safe at the tested concentrations. Among the tested (S)-4-aminoquinazoline alcohols, the best antimutagenic activity was obtained with a methyl derivative at 0.1 μg/plate dose.     

Selective aerobic oxidation of allylic and benzylic alcohols catalyzed by N-hydroxyindole and copper(I) chloride

In the presence of copper(I) chloride, tert-butyl 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylate acted as a catalyst for the chemoselective aerobic oxidation of allylic and benzylic alcohols. A variety of primary and secondary allylic and benzylic alcohols were oxidized into the corresponding α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in good yields without affecting non-allylic alcohols.     

Organometallic substrates of enzymes: Lipase catalysed transesterifications in organic solvents via O-stannyl ethers

Lipases from pig pacreas and from Chromobacterium viscosum (but not from Candida cylindracea) catalyze transesterification reactions between ethyl esters of carboxylic acids and tributylstannyl ethers of primary and secondary alcohols. At concentrations 1 M or higher in anhydrous hydrocarbons, use of these nucleophilic derivatives of alcohols gives reaction rates ca. three times higher than those for the corresponding alcohols.     

A novel reaction of allylic alcohols with hexafluoropropene-diethylamine adduct (PPDA) to form 2-fluoro-2-trifluoromethyl-4-alkenamide

Treatment of allylic alcohols with hexafluoropropene-diethylamine adduct (PPDA) afforded N,N-diethyl-2-fluoro-2-trifluoromethyl-4-alkenamides which were formed by the Claisen rearrangement of intermediary 2-alkenyl-1-diethylamino-2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propenyl ethers. Although (E)-allylic alcohols gave two diastereomeric products in about 1:1 ratio, (Z)-allylic alcohols gave the corresponding product as a single diastereomer.     

One-pot synthesis of N-alkyl purine and pyrimidine derivatives from alcohols using TsIm: a rapid entry into carboacyclic nucleoside synthesis

A convenient and efficient one-pot N-alkylation of nucleobases from alcohols using N-(p-toluenesulfonyl)imidazole (TsIm) is described. In this method, treatment of alcohols with a mixture of purine or pyrimidine nucleobase, TsIm, K₂CO₃, and triethylamine in refluxing DMF regioselectively furnishes the corresponding N-alkyl nucleobases in good yields. This methodology is highly efficient for various structurally diverse primary alcohols.     

Quantitative Bestimmung primärer aliphatischer Alkohole (C6-C10) mit Hilfe einer pyridinnukleotidunabhängigen Alkoholdehydrogenase ausPseudomonas putida

A new enzymatic method for microdetermination of longer chain alcohols has been established withNAD(P)-independent alcohol dehydrogenase from an alkane-oxidizing strain ofPseudomonas putida. The alcohols were estimated spectrophotometrically by measuring the formazan formation from the corresponding tetrazolium salt. Amounts of longer chain alcohols up to 3 nmol could be assayed by reading the endpoint of the reaction, even in presence of a 1000-fold exess of ethanol.     

Ru(PPh3)(OH)-salen complex: a designer catalyst for chemoselective aerobic oxidation of primary alcohols

Based on the analysis of the mechanism of aerobic oxidation of alcohols using Ru(NO)-salen catalyst, we designed a new complex, Ru(PPh₃)(OH)-salen 3, which was proved to be an excellent catalyst for chemoselective aerobic oxidation of primary alcohols to the aldehydes in the presence of secondary alcohols under ambient and non-irradiated conditions. Complex 3 was also successfully applied to the oxidation of 1-phenyl-1,n-diols to the lactols or the n-hydroxy aldehyde. It is of note that selective oxidation of primary alcohols was achieved even in the presence of activated secondary alcohols.     

Application of chiral bidentate NMR solvents for assignment of the absolute configuration of alcohols: scope and limitation

The ¹³C NMR behaviors of several cyclic and biaryl secondary alcohols as well as acyclic tertiary alcohols have been studied in the chiral bidentate NMR solvent BMBA-p-Me (1). An empirical rule has been advanced to correlate the absolute configuration of each type of alcohols with the ¹³C chemical shift behaviors in (R,R)- and (S,S)-BMBA-p-Me.     

Synthesis of 1,2- and 1,4-amino alcohols from 1,3-dienes via oxazines. Rearrangements of 1,4-amino alcohol derivatives to oxazolines

Conjugated dienes were converted to 1,2-oxazines by reaction with an acyl nitroso dienophile. The oxazines were reduced to 1,4-N-acetylamino alcohols, which were rearranged to the corresponding oxazolines upon treatment with methanesulfonyl chloride or anhydride. The oxazolines yielded 1,2-N-acetylamino alcohols upon hydrolysis. Thus either 1,4- or 1,2-N-acetylamino alcohols are available from 1,3-dienes via this methodology. Experimental and spectral data are provided for all new compounds.     

Reactivity of β-amino alcohols against dialkyl oxalate: synthesis and mechanism study in the formation of substituted oxalamide and/or morpholine-2,3-dione derivatives

The reactivity of various β-amino alcohols with dialkyl oxalates, in several reaction conditions, has been investigated. Linear disubstituted oxalamides were obtained with primary β-amino alcohols and linear tetrasubstituted oxalamides, or a mixture of linear tetrasubstituted oxalamides and cyclic morpholine-2,3-diones were obtained with N-substituted β-amino alcohols. A DFT study of the possible mechanism has been made. The theoretical results indicate that these reactions are not kinetically controlled, there is an equilibrium between all species and therefore follow a thermodynamic control. The different behavior between the primary β-amino alcohols and N-methyl β-amino alcohols is due to the greater stability of linear disubstituted oxalamides with respect to linear tetrasubstituted oxalamides. The energy of tetrasubstituted oxalamides is closer to the energy of the corresponding morpholine-2,3-diones.     

Kinetics of the reactions of tert-butanol with C2-C5 alcohols on sulfo cation exchangers

The kinetics of etherification of tert-butanol with aliphatic alcohols on gel KU-2×8 and macroporous KU-23 sulfo cation exchangers was studied. The first order of reaction with respect to tert-butanol and the -CSO₃H groups of a catalyst was established. The activation energy of the process observed on KU-2×8 was 60–95 kJ/mol. It was shown that the etherification of tert-butanol on KU-2×8 occurred in a surface layer. The reactivity of primary alcohols introduced into the reaction with tert-butanol increased with their molecular weights (C₂–C₅). The rate of reaction with secondary alcohols was lower than that with primary alcohols.     

Synthesis of enantiopure azetidines: a route to new β-amino alcohols

β-Amino alcohols possessing an E vinylsilane moiety were cyclized in the presence of N-bromosuccinimide to afford diastereoisomerically pure polyfunctional azetidines. These azetidines were then transformed into enantiopure β-amino alcohols with a Z vinylic bromide moiety.     

Cobalt(II) catalyzed tosylation of alcohols with p-toluenesulfonic acid

Cobalt(II) chloride hexahydrate (CoCl₂·6H₂O) has been found to catalyze the tosylation of both aliphatic and aromatic alcohols with p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TsOH) in high yields in 1,2-dichloroethane under reflux (ca. 80 °C). In the case of aliphatic alcohols, secondary alcohols undergo tosylation chemoselectively in the presence of primary hydroxy groups.     

Reduction microbiologique d'aldehydes α, β-ethyleniques par Beauveria sulfurescens

αβ-unsaturated aldehydes are reduced by Beauveriasulfurescens, giving a mixture of the corresponding ethylenic and saturated alcohols. Optically active saturated alcohols have the (S)-configuration.     

A short synthesis of α-allenic alcohols from α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with dichloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide

The reaction of the α-sulfinyl carbanion of dichloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide with α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds gave 1-chlorocyclopropyl p-tolyl sulfoxides having a carbonyl group in good to high yields. The carbonyl groups in the products were reduced or treated with alkylmetals to give alcohols. Finally, the alcohols were treated with Grignard reagent to give α-allenic alcohols via the rearrangement of the cyclopropylmagnesium carbenoid intermediates, which were generated by the sulfoxide-magnesium exchange reaction, in good to high yields. This procedure provides a new method for a short synthesis of various α-allenic alcohols in two or three steps from relatively easily available α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds.