Diazomethane, reaction with acid chlorides

Nierenstein reaction is the reaction of an acid chloride 1 with diazomethane at room temperature to yield a a-chloroketone 2. It differs from the Arndt-Eistert reaction in that the latter specifically forms diazoketone, which is used to form the higher homolog of the substrate acid chloride. 

B-Homosteroids have also been prepared by acid-catalyzed reaction of diazomethane with a,/5-unsaturated ketones. 3/ -Hydroxycholest-5-en-7-one acetate (57) reacts with diazomethane in the presence of concentrated fluoroboric acid, boron trifluoride etherate or aluminum chloride to give 3yS-hydroxy-B-homo-cholest-5-en-7a-one acetate (67). The 7a-keto group is reported to be chemically less reactive than an 11-keto group. 

Because of the high polarity of the C=N double bonds, cyanuric chloride (120, R= Cl) is comparable with a carboxylic acid chloride. This explains its smooth reaction with diazomethane to yield dichloro-(diazomcthyl)-l,3,5-triazine (121, R = The analogous com-... 

Benzothiepins synthesized by a double Knoevenagel condensation (see Section 2.1.1.2.) contain free carboxylic acid groups if the reaction product is isolated under acidic conditions. Rcesterification can be performed by two methods via formation of the acid chloride and subsequent alcoholysis, or by reaction with diazomethane, e.g. the conversion of 3-benzo-thiepin-2,4-diearboxylic acid (5, R = C02H) with thionyl chloride and methanol gives the dimethyl ester 5 (R = C02Me) in 47% yield, while the diazomethane pathway provides 60% of the dimethyl ester.65 Use of excess diazomethane leads to cycloadducts (see Section 2.2.4.). 

The equivalence of sulfur and oxygen in this ring system carries over to NSAIDs as well. Preparation of the sulfur analogue of isoxepac (6-4) starts with the alkylation of thiophenol (27-1) with benzyl chloride (26-1). Cyclization of the intermediate thioether (27-2) then affords the homothioxanthone (27-3). The carboxyl side chain is then extended by means of the Amdt-Eistert homologation reaction. The acid is thus hrst converted to its acid chloride by means of thionyl chloride. Reaction with excess diazomethane leads to the diazoketone (27-4). Treatment of that intermediate with silver benzoate and triethylamine leads the ketone to rearrange to an acetic acid. There is thus obtained tiopinac (27-5) [28]. 

Diazoketones such as 307 can be formed from acid chlorides by reaction with diazomethane. Subsequent treatment with aqueous Ag20 leads to the Wolff rearrangement and formation of a carboxylic acid of one carbon more than the starting acid chloride. This sequence is known as the Arndt-Eistert synthesis.252 a synthetic example using this is taken from Weinreb s studies toward the synthesis of cylindrospermopsin,253 iu which 315 was treated with (1) oxalyl chloride, (2) CH2N2 and (3) Ag20, MeOH to give a mixture of products 22% of 316 and 39% of 317. 

Esters can be prepared by acid-catalyzed esterification or by reaction of the acid chloride with the alcohol. In small-scale syntheses, it is often more convenient to prepare the ester by reaction of the carboxylic acid with the appropriate diazo compound. Diazomethane is routinely used for making methyl esters, but more highly substituted esters can be prepared if the corresponding diazo compound is available. Benzhydryl esters, for example, are readily prepared from carboxylic acids by reaction with diphenyldiazomethane ... 

It is interesting that the conditions used by Robinson and coworkers were different from the ones described by Nierenstein, and they involved the addition of acid chloride to excess diazomethane rather than stoichiometric in the reverse order, with the reaction mixture cooled with ice and the ethereal solution of acid chloride being added to diazomethane rather than the reverse Thus, unlike Nierenstein, Robinson and co-workers had added the acid chloride to the diazomethane solution whereby the tendency for the nonformation of the chloroketone might be dominant. 

One vital observation made by Nierenstein was that there was a considerable reluctance of acyl bromides to form the corresponding bromomethyl ketones. Acid bromides on reaction with diazomethane were also found to form substituted 1,4-dioxanes or specifically 3,6-dibromo-3,6-diphenyl-1,4-dioxane 8, resulting from the dimerization of adducts. The dimerization according to him could be attributed to the poor mobility of the bromide compared to the chloride group. 

Reaction of the acid chloride with a cold solution of excess of diazomethane to yield a diazo ketone ... 

An ethereal solution of diazomethane free from alcohol may be prepared as follows such a solution is required, for example, in the Amdt-Eistert reaction with acid chlorides (compare Section VI,17). In a 100 ml. longnecked distilling flask provided with a dropping funnel and an efficient downward condenser, place a solution of 6 g. of potassium hydroxide in... 

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