An Efficient Selective Oxidation of Alcohols with Zinc Zirconium Phosphate under Solvent‐free Conditions

Zinc zirconium phosphate (ZPZn) nanoparticles have been used as an efficient catalyst for the selective oxidation of a wide range of alcohols to their corresponding ketones or aldehydes using H₂O₂ as an oxidizing agent without any organic solvent, phase transfer catalyst, or additive. The steric factors associated with the substrates had a significant influence on the reaction conditions. The results showed that this method can be applied for chemoselective oxidation of benzyl alcohols in the presence of aliphatic alcohols. The catalyst used in the current study was characterized by ICP‐OES, XRD, N₂ adsorption‐desorption, NH₃‐TPD, Py‐FTIR, SEM, and TEM. These analyses revealed that the interlayer distance in the catalyst increased from 7.5 to 8.7 Å when Zn²⁺ was intercalated between the layers, whereas the crystallinity of the material was reduced. This nanocatalyst could also be recovered and reused at least seven times without any discernible decrease in its catalytic activity. This new method for the oxidation of alcohols has several key advantages, including mild and environmentally friendly reaction conditions, excellent yields and a facile work‐up.     

Novel and Efficient One Pot Condensation Reactions between Ketones and Aromatic Alcohols in the Presence of CrO3 Producing α,β‐Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds

We report a new, effective and simple method for preparing α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds by reacting ketones and aromatic alcohols at 56°C in the presence of CrO₃ (CrO₃ acts as an oxidant and also a catalyst) for around 10 h. The condensation reactions occurred effectively among a wide combination of ketones and alcohols. The procedure is simple and the yields can be high up to 98%. And a probable mechanism is proposed.     

Na-promoted aerobic oxidation of alcohols to ketones

Aerobic oxidation of a number of diaryl and arylalkyl carbinols to ketones was promoted by Na in THF at room temperature with up to 99% yield. This new oxidation method is also selective with good efficiency for the oxidation of benzylic secondary alcohols but not for a primary alcohol or nonbenzylic secondary alcohols. Under nitrogen, a catalytic amount of Ni or transition metal halides such as CoCl₃, FeCl₃, and NiCl₃ in combination with Na was also found to conduct a dehydrogenation of a secondary alcohol to the corresponding ketone in high yield at room temperature.     

Electron‐deficient vanadium(IV) tetraphenylporphyrin: A new,highly efficient and reusable catalyst for chemoselective trimethylsilylation of alcohols and phenols with hexamethyldisilazane

In the present work, the application of electron‐deficient tetraphenylporphyrinatovanadium(IV) trifluoromethanesulfonate, [V^IV(TPP)(OTf)₂], in the trimethylsilylation of alcohols and phenols with hexamethydisilazane (HMDS) is reported. This new V(IV) catalyst was used as an efficient catalyst for silylation of not only primary alcohols but also sterically hindered secondary and tertiary alcohols with HMDS. Trimethylsilylation of phenols with HMDS was also performed to afford the desired Trimethylsilyl ethers (TMS) ethers. The chemoselectivity of this method was also investigated. This catalyst can be reused several times without loss of its activity. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fast selective oxidation of alcohols under solvent-free conditions

A combination of acetic anhydride, H₂SO₄-nano silica, wet-SiO₂ (60 %), and K₂Cr₂O₇ as a new oxidizing system for the selective oxidation of different types of alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones at room temperature under solvent-free conditions is introduced. Mild reaction conditions, high yields of the products, short reaction time, no further oxidation to the corresponding carboxylic acid, and easy work-up make this new system a useful method for oxidizing alcohols.     

Highly efficient tetrahydropyranylation of alcohols and phenols catalyzed by a new and reusable high-valent vanadium(IV) porphyrin

In the present work, the catalytic activity of high-valent tetraphenylporphyrinatovanadium(IV) trifluoromethanesulfonate, [V^IV(TPP)(OTf)₂], in the tetrahydropyranylation of alcohols and phenols with 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran (DHP) is reported. This new electron-deficient V(IV) compound was used as a highly efficient catalyst for pyranylation of primary (aliphatic and benzylic), sterically-hindered secondary and tertiary alcohols with DHP. Tetrahydropyranylation of phenols with DHP was also performed to afford the desired THP-ethers. The chemoselectivity of this method was also investigated. The results indicated that primary alcohols are more reactive in the presence of secondary and tertiary alcohols and phenols. This catalyst was reused several times without loss of its activity.     

Fukuyama-Mitsunobu alkylation in amine synthesis on solid phase revisited: N-alkylation with secondary alcohols and synthesis of curtatoxins

The Fukuyama-Mitsunobu amination strategy has emerged as an efficient means of N-alkylation of peptides and sulfonamides, as well as a method for synthesis of polyamines on solid phase. Here, an array of reagent combinations for solid-phase alkylation with secondary alcohols was examined in various solvents. The classical reagents DEAD-PPh₃ as well as DEAD-PEt₃ proved applicable for a single alkylation step. Sharply dropping yields in successive alkylation steps were identified as the most serious limitation of the use of Fukuyama-Mitsunobu reaction in SPS of polyamines using primary and in particular secondary alcohols.     

Practical and Chemoselective Reduction of Acyl Chloride to Alcohol by Borohydride in Aqueous Dichloromethane

A simple methodology for the reduction of acid chlorides to their corresponding alcohols has been developed. Various carboxylic acids were converted to alcohols in excellent yields using NaBH₄-K₂CO₃ in a mixed solvent system of dichloromethane and water (1:1) in the presence of a phase-transfer catalyst at low temperature. The importance of the work is its simplicity, selectivity, excellent yield, and very short reaction time. This new reduction condition has proved to be an excellent chemoselective method for a range of acid chlorides in the presence of various functional groups.     

Fluoride-induced nucleophilic (phenylthio)difluoromethylation of carbonyl compounds with [difluoro(phenylthio)methyl]trimethylsilane (TMS-CF2SPh)

A fluoride-induced nucleophilic (phenylthio)difluoromethylation method using TMS-CF₂SPh has been achieved. This new methodology efficiently transfers “PhSCF₂” group into both enolizable and non-enolizable aldehydes and ketones to give corresponding (phenylthio)difluoromethylated alcohols in good to excellent yields. Diphenyldisulfide can also be (phenylthio)difluoromethylated into PhSCF₂SPh in high yield. The reaction with methyl benzoate, however, gives only low yield of (phenylthio)difluoromethyl phenyl ketone. The above-obtained PhSCF₂-containing alcohols can be further transformed into difluoromethyl alcohols using an oxidation-desulfonylation procedure. This new type of nucleophilic (phenylthio)difluoromethylation methodology may have other potential applications in the medicinal and agrochemical fields.     

Synthesis and characterization of a novel nano-Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>-copoly[(styrene/acrylic acid)/grafted ethylene oxide and its application as a magnetic and recyclable phase-transfer catalyst in the preparation of β-azido alcohols and β-nitro alcohols

A facile method was developed for the synthesis of β-azido alcohols and β-nitro alcohols in the presence of a novel nano-Fe₃O₄-copoly[(styrene/acrylic acid)/grafted ethylene oxide (nano-Fe₃O₄-PS-Co-[PAA-g-PEG]) as a phase-transfer catalyst in water. The catalyst was characterized with IR, SEM, and TGA. This procedure offers several advantages, including excellent regioselectivity, high yields, short reaction times, a recyclable catalyst, easy separation of the catalyst through an external magnet, and easy workup.     

Cu(II) Schiff base complex supported on Fe3O4 nanoparticles as an efficient nanocatalyst for the selective aerobic oxidation of alcohols

Herein, we have prepared a new Cu(II) Schiff base complex supported onto the surface of modified Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles as highly stable, heterogeneous and magnetically recyclable nanocatalyst for the selective aerobic oxidation of different alcohols. The structure, morphology, chemical composition and magnetic property of the nanocatalyst and its precursors were characterized using FT‐IR, TGA, AAS, ICP‐AES, XRD, SEM, EDS, VSM and N₂ adsorption–desorption analyses. Characterization results exhibited the uniform spherical morphology for nanocatalyst and its precursors. A promising eco‐friendly method with short reaction time and high conversion and selectivity for oxidation of various primary and secondary alcohols under O₂ atmosphere condition was achieved. The synthesized nanocatalyst could be recovered easily by applying an external magnetic field and reused for least eight subsequent reaction cycles with only negligible deterioration in catalytic performance.     

Electrochemistry Broadens the Scope of Flavin Photocatalysis: Photoelectrocatalytic Oxidation of Unactivated Alcohols

Riboflavin‐derived photocatalysts have been extensively studied in the context of alcohol oxidation. However, to date, the scope of this catalytic methodology has been limited to benzyl alcohols. In this work, mechanistic understanding of flavin‐catalyzed oxidation reactions, in either the absence or presence of thiourea as a cocatalyst, was obtained. The mechanistic insights enabled development of an electrochemically driven photochemical oxidation of primary and secondary aliphatic alcohols using a pair of flavin and dialkylthiourea catalysts. Electrochemistry makes it possible to avoid using O₂ and an oxidant and generating H₂O₂ as a byproduct, both of which oxidatively degrade thiourea under the reaction conditions. This modification unlocks a new mechanistic pathway in which the oxidation of unactivated alcohols is achieved by thiyl radical mediated hydrogen‐atom abstraction.     

Efficient Difluoromethylation of Alcohols Using TMSCF2Br as a Unique and Practical Difluorocarbene Reagent under Mild Conditions

A general method for the efficient difluoromethylation of alcohols using commercially available TMSCF₂Br (TMS=trimethylsilyl) as a unique and practical difluorocarbene source is developed. This method allows primary, secondary, and even tertiary alkyl difluoromethyl ethers to be synthesized under weakly basic or acidic conditions. The reaction mainly proceeds through the direct interaction between a neutral alcohol and difluorocarbene, which is different from the difluoromethylation of phenols. Moreover, alcohols containing other moieties that are also reactive toward difluorocarbene can be transformed divergently by using TMSCF₂Br. This research not only solves the synthetic problem of difluorocarbene‐mediated difluoromethylation of alcohols, it also provides new insights into the different reaction mechanisms of alcohol difluoromethylation and phenol difluoromethylation with difluorocarbene species.     

Production of Mixed Alcohols from Bio-syngas over Mo-based Catalyst

A series of Mo-based catalysts prepared by sol-gel method using citric acid as complexant were successfully applied in the high effcient production of mixed alcohols from bio-syngas, derived from the biomass gasification. The Cu₁Co₁Fe₁Mo₁Zn_0.5-6%K catalyst exhibited a higher activity on the space-time yield of mixed alcohols, compared with the other Mo-based catalysts. The carbon conversion significantly increases with rising temperature below 340 oC, but the alcohol selectivity has an opposite trend. The maximum mixed alcohols yield derived from biomass gasification is 494.8 g/(kg_catal·h) with the C2⁺ (C2-C6 higher alcohols) alcohols of 80.4% under the tested conditions. The alcohol distributions are con-sistent with the Schulz-Flory plots, except methanol. In the alcohols products, the C2⁺ alcohols (higher alcohols) dominate with a weight ratio of 70%-85%. The Mo-based cata-lysts have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and N2 adsorption/desorption. The clean bio-fules of mixed alcohols derived from bio-syngas with higher octane values could be used as transportation fuels or petrol additives.     

Asymmetric synthesis of new chiral long chain alcohols

Sixteen new chiral alcohols with alkyl (C₁₁–C₁₉) and aryl, substituted aryl, hetero aryl and biaryl groups 2a–2t were synthesized by three different asymmetric reduction methods from their corresponding ketones 1a–1t. Chiral NaBH₄ (method A), chiral BH₃ (method B) and chiral AIP (method C) were used as asymmetric reduction catalysts. Chiral NaBH₄ was modified by four different ligands 3a–3d, chiral BH₃ and chiral AIP by four different ligands 4a–4d. Ligand 4c was synthesized for the first time in this work. Chiral NaBH₄ generated chiral alcohols of (R)-configuration and chiral BH₃ and chiral AIP of (S)-configuration with high enantiomeric excesses, were analysed by chiral HPLC. In order to determine the ee values by chiral HPLC, sixteen corresponding racemic alcohols, synthesized by reducing their corresponding ketones via NaBH₄, were used for chiral resolution on a Daicel OD HPLC column. The sixteen starting ketones were synthesized in this study by Friedel–Craft acylation. The new chiral alcohols were characterized by IR, NMR, (¹H and ¹³C), MS, elemental analyses and specific rotation. The reduction methods A, B and C were applied to these ketones for the first time in this study and were compared with each other. The relationship between the structure of the ketone and the yield and the enantiomeric excess was discussed.     

Highly efficient protection of alcohols as trityl ethers under solvent-free conditions,and recovery catalyzed by reusable nanoporous MCM-41-SO3H

An efficient method was developed for the protection of alcohols as trityl ethers using triphenylmethanol in the presence of nanoporous MCM-41-SO₃H as a heterogeneous catalyst under solvent-free ball-milling at room temperature. Low catalyst loading, high efficiency, reusability are among the advantages of this new solvent-free and environmentally friendly method. The deprotection of the produced trityl ethers was also efficiently achieved using the same catalyst in wet acetonitrile.     

A selective and convenient ruthenium mediated method for the synthesis of mixed acetals and orthoesters

Addition of alcohols and phenols to O-allyl compounds (allyl ethers and acrolein acetals), catalyzed by [RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃], was examined. Intramolecular addition of an OH group, leading to the formation of cyclic acetals and orthoesters, was also investigated. As a result, a new, selective and convenient method for the synthesis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical (mixed) acetals and orthoesters was developed.     

Photoredox Catalytic α‐Alkoxypentafluorosulfanylation of α‐Methyl‐ and α‐Phenylstyrene Using SF6

SF₆ was applied as pentafluorosulfanylation reagent to prepare ethers with a vicinal SF₅ substituent through a one‐step method involving photoredox catalysis. This method shows a broad substrate scope with respect to applicable alcohols for the conversion of α‐methyl and α‐phenyl styrenes. The products bear a new structural motif with two functional groups installed in one step. The alkoxy group allows elimination and azidation as further transformations into valuable pentafluorosulfanylated compounds. These results confirm that non‐toxic SF₆ is a useful SF₅ transfer reagent if properly activated by photoredox catalysis, and toxic reagents are completely avoided. In combination with light as an energy source, a high level of sustainability is achieved. Through this method, the proposed potential of the SF₅ substituent in medicinal chemistry, agrochemistry, and materials chemistry may be exploited in the future.     

Solution and surface properties of amphiphilic drug – nonelectrolyte systems

The surface tension values of amphiphilic drugs amitriptyline hydrochloride (AMT, an antidepressant) and promethazine hydrochloride (PMT, a phenothiazine) solutions in the presence of different fixed concentrations of alcohols (ethanol to octanol) and sugars were measured by the ring detachment method. The results indicated that long-chain alcohols form mixed micelles with both the drugs (as critical micelle concentration, cmc, decreases in their presence). Short-chain alcohols remain in aqueous phase and almost constant cmc values were obtained. Sugars, by increasing the hydrophobic interactions, decrease the drug cmcs. Maximum surface excess concentration at the air/solution interface (Γ_max) decreases for long-chain alcohols and sugars, but remains constant for short-chain alcohols. The minimum area per drug molecule (A _min) follows the opposite trend.     

Iron-catalyzed boration of allylic alcohols with H3BO3 as an additive

A method for the synthesis of allylboronates by iron-catalyzed boration of allylic alcohols with H₃BO₃ as an additive is developed. The introduction of H₃BO₃ promotes the cleavage of C?O bond in allylic alcohols obviously. Functional groups, such as fluoro, chloro, bromo, alkyl, and alkoxy, are tolerated well. Thus, various allylboronates are obtained in acceptable yield.