A-Metalation nitriles

TABLE 9. Preparation of cyclopropanes 111 from a,/ -unsaturated sulfones 109 and a-metallated nitriles 11071... 

Similarly, the nucleophilic substitution at sulfur in [(—)-menthyl] (A)-4-methylbenzenesul-finate by prostereogenic a-metalated nitriles yields the corresponding a-cyano sulfoxides 3 as diastereomeric mixtures. On oxidation these are converted to the corresponding sulfones with a stereogenic center at the a-carbon atom only73. 

A full account has been given of the preparation of cyclopropylmethanols or cyclobutanols from y-epoxysulphones (Scheme 1). This useful method can also be applied to the synthesis of cyclopentanols from 5-epoxysulphones. The same idea has been used by Gaoni in a simple synthesis of bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes (6). a,j8-Unsaturated sulphones (7) undergo Michael attack by a-metallated nitriles leading to the cyclopropanes (8) as yet the method is limited to cases where R = Phor SR ... 

In 1987, Toray Industries, Inc., announced the development of a new process for making aromatic nitriles which reportedly halved the production cost, reduced waste treatment requirements, and reduced production time by more than two-thirds, compared with the vapor-phase process used by most producers. The process iavolves the reaction of ben2oic acid (or substituted ben2oic acid) with urea at 220—240°C ia the presence of a metallic catalyst (78). 

Nitrile Intermediates. Most quaternary ammonium compounds are produced from fatty nitriles (qv), which are ia turn made from a natural fat or oil-derived fatty acid and ammonia (qv) (Fig. 2) (see Fats AND FATTY oils) (225). The nitriles are then reduced to the amines. A variety of reduciag agents maybe used (226). Catalytic hydrogenation over a metal catalyst is the method most often used on a commercial scale (227). Formation of secondary and tertiary amine side-products can be hindered by the addition of acetic anhydride (228) or excess ammonia (229). In some cases secondary amines are the desired products. 

Zinc-tartrate complexes were applied for reactions of both nitrones and nitrile oxides with allyl alcohol and for both reaction types selectivities of more than 90% ee were obtained. Whereas the reactions of nitrones required a stoichiometric amount of the catalyst the nitrile oxide reactions could be performed in the presence of 20 mol% of the catalyst. This is the only example on a metal-catalyzed asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxides. It should however be no-... 

They doubtless owe their stability to the bulk of the aryl thiolate ligand they have tbp structures with equatorial nitrile that can be displaced by CO to give rare carbonyls of a metal in the +4 oxidation state. 

The other way of reducing nitriles to aldehydes involves using a metal hydride reducing agent to add 1 mol of hydrogen and hydrolysis, in situ, of the resulting imine (which is undoubtedly coordinated to the metal). This has been carried out with LiAlH4, LiAlH(OEt)3, LiAlH(NR2)3, and DIBAL-H. The metal hydride method is useful for aliphatic and aromatic nitriles. 

Since the hydrogenation is a metal-catalyzed reaction, it is appropriate to use an oxide support to enhance the dispersion. However, the support, like the metal, needs to be chosen with the desired selectivity in mind. The early view [5] that the selectivity in nitrile hydrogenation is determined largely by the behaviour of the partially-hydrogenated intermediate, the imine R-CH = NH, which can either accept two further hydrogens to form the primary amine or can react with an already-formed amine to start a sequence which... 

An ethereal solution of some 100 g of the crude nitrile was allowed to spontaneously evaporate and crystallise. The crystalline slurry so produced exploded violently without warning. Previously such material had been found not to be shock-sensitive to hammer blows, but dry recrystallised material was very shock-sensitive. Traces of free hydrogen azide could have been present, and a metal spatula had been used to stir the slurry, so metal azides could have been formed. See Other CYANO COMPOUNDS, ORGANIC AZIDES... 

Reversible inhibition caused by materials that can function as ligand. Many compounds will bind to a metal this might be the solvent or impurities in the substrate or the solvent. It can also be a functional group in the substrate or the product, such as a nitrile. Too many ligands bound to the metal complex may lead to inhibition of one of the steps in the catalytic cycle. Likely candidates are formation of the substrate-catalyst complex or the oxidative addition of hydrogen. Removal of the contaminant will usually restore the catalytic activity. 

The selective oxidation and, more generally, the activation of the C-H bond in alkanes is a topic of continuous interest. Most methods are based on the use of strong electrophiles, but photocatalytic methods offer an interesting alternative in view of the mild conditions, which may increase selectivity. These include electron or hydrogen transfer to excited organic sensitizers, such as aryl nitriles or ketones, to metal complexes or POMs. The use of a solid photocatalyst, such as the suspension of a metal oxide, is an attractive possibility in view of the simplified work up. Oxidation of the... 

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