Palladium‐Catalyzed 2‐Phenylethenylation of Codeine: 8‐[(1E)‐2‐Phenylethenyl]codeinone Dimethyl Ketal as the Unexpected ‘Masked’ Diene for the Preparation of 19‐Substituted Diels–Alder Adducts of Thebaine

In a search for starting materials for the preparation of 7,8‐fused morphine alkaloid derivatives, 8‐[(1E‐2‐phenylethenyl]codeinone dimethyl ketal ( 4 ) and 8‐[(1E‐2‐phenylethenyl]codeine ( 5 ) were prepared. These dienes were used as substrates in the Diels–Alder reactions. Compound 5 formed the ‘normal’ adduct 12 with N‐phenylmaleimide, while compound 4 behaved in reactions with dienophiles as the ‘masked’ diene 11 , a 8‐[(1E)‐2‐phenylethenyl]‐substituted thebaine, yielding the corresponding 19‐substituted 6,14‐endo‐etheno‐6,7,8,14‐tetrahydrothebaines. Specifically, reaction of 4 with methyl vinyl ketone gave rise to 19‐[(1E)‐phenylethenyl]thevinone ( 14 ) whose structure was elucidated by an X‐ray diffraction analysis. The thebaine derivative 11 was also prepared from 4 .     

A density functional study on a biomimetic non-heme iron catalyst: insights into alkane hydroxylation by a formally HO-FeV=O oxidant

The reactivity of [HO-(tpa)Fe(V)=O] (TPA=tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine), derived from O-O bond heterolysis of its [H(2)O-(tpa)Fe(III)-OOH] precursor, was explored by means of hybrid density functional theory. The mechanism for alkane hydroxylation by the high-valent iron-oxo species invoked as an intermediate in Fe(tpa)/H(2)O(2) catalysis was investigated. Hydroxylation of methane and propane by HO-Fe(V)=O was studied by following the rebound mechanism associated with the heme center of cytochrome P450, and it is demonstrated that this species is capable of stereospecific alkane hydroxylation. The mechanism proposed for alkane hydroxylation by HO-Fe(V)=O accounts for the experimentally observed incorporation of solvent water into the products. An investigation of the possible hydroxylation of acetonitrile (i.e., the solvent used in the experiments) shows that the activation energy for hydrogen-atom abstraction by HO-Fe(V)=O is rather high and, in fact, rather similar to that of methane, despite the similarity of the H-CH(2)CN bond strength to that of the secondary C-H bond in propane. This result indicates that the kinetics of hydrogen-atom abstraction are strongly affected by the cyano group and rationalizes the lack of experimental evidence for solvent hydroxylation in competition with that of substrates such as cyclohexane.     

A Novel Environmentally Benign Method for the Selective Oxidation of Alcohols to Aldehydes and Ketones

In the presence of [Ru(terpyridine)(2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylate)], aliphatic and benzylic alcohols are oxidized to the corresponding aldehydes or ketones with high selectivity by using hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant. There is no need for the addition of co‐catalysts or organic solvents. By applying an optimized reaction protocol, high catalyst productivity (turnover number>10 000) and activity (turnover frequency up to 14 800 h^?1) has been achieved.     

Synthesis of N-heterocyclic carbene precursors bearing biphenyl units and their use in ruthenium-catalyzed ring-opening metathesis polymerization

A range of new imidazolium and imidazolinium chlorides bearing biphenyl units on their nitrogen atoms was synthesized. They differed by the electron-withdrawing or -donating nature and the steric bulk of the substituents on their aromatic rings. These various N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors were combined with the [RuCl₂(p-cymene)]₂ dimer and potassium tert-butoxide to generate the corresponding ruthenium-arene complexes [RuCl₂(p-cymene)(NHC)] in situ. The catalytic activity of these species was investigated in the photoinduced ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of cyclooctene. The results obtained confirmed the necessity of blocking the ortho-positions of the phenyl rings in the vicinity of the metal center in order to attain high catalytic efficiencies. They also showed that changing the steric and electronic properties of the substituents on the remote phenyl rings of the biphenyl units had no significant influence on the outcome of the polymerization.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed one-pot hydroformylation of alkenes using carbon dioxide as a reactant

A new hydroformylation of alkenes using carbon dioxide as a reactant is shown to take place in the presence of ruthenium cluster complexes and halide salts. Similar or even better yields of alcohols were formed as compared to the conventional hydroformylation with CO under the same reaction conditions. The reaction proceeded in three steps: CO₂ is first converted to CO; then it is used as a reagent for hydroformylation to give aldehyde; subsequently, it is hydrogenated to alcohol. ESI-mass spectrometric analyses of the reaction solutions indicated formation of four kinds of ruthenium anionic complexes including tetra-, tri-, and mononuclear species. On the basis of experimental findings, possible roles of these complexes are discussed.     

Synthesis of phthalide derivatives using nickel-catalyzed cyclization of o-haloesters with aldehydes

The reaction of o-bromobenzoate (1 b) with benzaldehyde (2 a) in the presence of [NiBr(2)(dppe)] (dppe=1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) and zinc powder in THF (24 hours, reflux temperature), afforded 3-phenyl-3H-isobenzofuran-1-one (3 a) in an 86 % yield. Similarly, o-iodobenzoate reacts with 2 a to give 3 a, but in a lower yield (50 %). A series of substituted aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes (2 b, 4-MeC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 c, 4-MeOC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 d, 3-MeOC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 e, 2-MeOC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 f, 4-CNC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 g, 4-(Me)(3)CC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 h, 4-C(6)H(5)C(6)H(4)CHO; 2 i, 4-ClC(6)H(4)CHO; 2 j, 4-CF(3)C(6)H(4)CHO; 2 k, CH(3)(CH(2))(5)CHO; 2 l, CH(3)(CH(2))(2)CHO) also underwent cyclization with o-bromobenzoate (1 b) producing the corresponding phthalide derivatives in moderate to excellent yields and with high chemoselectivity. Like 1 b, methyl 2-bromo-4,5-dimethoxybenzoate (1 c) reacts with tolualdehyde (2 b) to give the corresponding substituted phthalide 3 m in a 71 % yield. The methodology can be further applied to the synthesis of six-membered lactones. The reaction of methyl 2-(2-bromophenyl)acetate (1 d) with benzaldehyde under similar reaction conditions afforded six-membered lactone 3 o in a 68 % yield. A possible catalytic mechanism for this cyclization is also proposed.     

New sulfur-coordinating chiral ligands for the Tsuji—Trost reaction

The use of sulfur-coordinating chiral ligands in the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric Tsuji—Trost reaction is reviewed.     

Phase-transfer catalytic activity of soluble polystyrenes containing crown ether moieties and hydroxyl groups adjacent to the macrorings

Soluble polystyrenes with crown ether structures and hydroxyl groups adjacent to the macrorings were prepared by the reaction of epoxide-containing polystyrenes with monoaza-15-crown-5 or monoaza-18-crown-6. Rate of formation of the polymer-bound alkali cation-crown alkoxide ion pair from the soluble polystyrenes and aqueous NaOH or KOH depended on the loading of crown ether and hydroxyl units and on the size of the macroring. The elimination of HCl from less reactive 2-chloroethylbenzene with aqueous NaOH or KOH in the presence of the soluble polystyrene catalysts under two-phase conditions was limited mainly by the intrinsic reaction rate. The elimination of HBr from more reactive 2-bromoethylbenzene in the presence of the less (11%) ring-substituted polymer catalyst with 18-crown unit was limited by the alkoxide formation rate. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Rhodium-catalyzed CH activation/cyclization of enaminones with sulfoxonium ylides toward polysubstituted naphthalenes

A rhodium-catalyzed ortho-CH functionalization and annulation between enaminones and sulfoxonium ylides was developed, affording a series of multi-substituted naphthalenes in good to moderate yields with excellent functional group compatibility. The procedure featured with enaminone acting as both a directing and cyclization bifunctional group, and the application of sulfoxonium ylide in CH functionalization.     

Synthesis and catalytic activity of a fluorous-tagged TEMPO radical

A fluorous-tagged TEMPO radical has been prepared and its catalytic activity in the chemoselective oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds has been investigated. The new fluorous radical proved to be an efficient, selective and easily recoverable catalyst, which can be conveniently used in standard organic solvents and then isolated and recycled by fluorous liquid-liquid extraction.