Acid promoted generation, organic

Many chemical reactions involve a catalyst. A very general definition of a catalyst is a substance that makes a reaction path available with a lower energy of activation. Strictly speaking, a catalyst is not consumed by the reaction, but organic chemists frequently speak of acid-catalyzed or base-catalyzed mechanisms that do lead to overall consumption of the acid or base. Better phrases under these circumstances would be acid promoted or base promoted. Catalysts can also be described as electrophilic or nucleophilic, depending on the catalyst s electronic nature. Catalysis by Lewis acids and Lewis bases can be classified as electrophilic and nucleophilic, respectively. In free-radical reactions, the initiator often plays a key role. An initiator is a substance that can easily generate radical intermediates. Radical reactions often occur by chain mechanisms, and the role of the initiator is to provide the free radicals that start the chain reaction. In this section we discuss some fundamental examples of catalysis with emphasis on proton transfer (Brpnsted acid/base) and Lewis acid catalysis. 

The silver-promoted fluorination of aryltrialkoxysilanes is an attractive approach to the preparation of aryl fluorides (Scheme 7.54) [91]. One of the key aspects of this reaction was the addition of a base to trap any acidic species generated from the fluorination reaction. After screening a series of mineral and organic bases, BaO was found to be the most effective. The chemistry exhibited broad substrate scope, and a range of esters, halogens, ketones, and amides were successfully fluorinated in moderate to excellent yield. The authors noted that the silver salt can be isolated by a simple filtration at the end of the reaction and recycled. 

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are a family of cytosolic metalloenzymes that specifically remove (reviewed by Omar etal., 1992). SOD distribution within the body is ubiquitous, being found in erythrocytes as well as most organs and cell types. Three distinct mammalian SOD forms exist CuZnSOD, MnSOD and extracellular SOD (EC-SOD). Their amino-acid sequences differ as well as the transition metals at their active sites. Rheumatoid synovial fluid contains low levels of SOD activity and hence little protection from ROM generated by infiltrating PMNs (Blake etcU., 1981). Furthermore, leucocytes from patients with RA are deficient in MnSOD, which might promote the extracellular leakage of O2 (Pasquier et al., 1984). 

Carbonvlation of Benzyl Halides. Several organometallic reactions involving anionic species in an aqueous-organic two-phase reaction system have been effectively promoted by phase transfer catalysts(34). These include reactions of cobalt and iron complexes. A favorite model reaction is the carbonylation of benzyl halides using the cobalt tetracarbonyl anion catalyst. Numerous examples have appeared in the literature(35) on the preparation of phenylacetic acid using aqueous sodium hydroxide as the base and trialkylammonium salts (Equation 1). These reactions occur at low pressures of carbon monoxide and mild reaction temperatures. Early work on the carbonylation of alkyl halides required the use of sodium amalgam to generate the cobalt tetracarbonyl anion from the cobalt dimer(36). 

Alkylcyclohexanes, cycloheptane, and cyclooctane were also transformed into the esters of the corresponding tertiary cyclohexanecarboxylic acids in the presence of the superelectrophile CBr4—2AlBr3 in good yields.314 315 Such organic superacids generated from polyhalomethanes with aluminum halides are capable of promoting the selective and effective carboxylation of linear alkanes (propane, butane) and adamantane as well.316... 

Some papers have appeared that deal with the use of electrodes whose surfaces are modified with materials suitable for the catalytic reduction of halogenated organic compounds. Kerr and coworkers [408] employed a platinum electrode coated with poly-/7-nitrostyrene for the catalytic reduction of l,2-dibromo-l,2-diphenylethane. Catalytic reduction of 1,2-dibromo-l,2-diphenylethane, 1,2-dibromophenylethane, and 1,2-dibromopropane has been achieved with an electrode coated with covalently immobilized cobalt(II) or copper(II) tetraphenylporphyrin [409]. Carbon electrodes modified with /nc50-tetra(/7-aminophenyl)porphyrinatoiron(III) can be used for the catalytic reduction of benzyl bromide, triphenylmethyl bromide, and hexachloroethane when the surface-bound porphyrin is in the Fe(T) state [410]. Metal phthalocyanine-containing films on pyrolytic graphite have been utilized for the catalytic reduction of P anj -1,2-dibromocyclohexane and trichloroacetic acid [411], and copper and nickel phthalocyanines adsorbed onto carbon promote the catalytic reduction of 1,2-dibromobutane, n-<7/ 5-l,2-dibromocyclohexane, and trichloroacetic acid in bicontinuous microemulsions [412]. When carbon electrodes coated with anodically polymerized films of nickel(Il) salen are cathodically polarized to generate nickel(I) sites, it is possible to carry out the catalytic reduction of iodoethane and 2-iodopropane [29] and the reductive intramolecular cyclizations of 1,3-dibromopropane and of 1,4-dibromo- and 1,4-diiodobutane [413]. A volume edited by Murray [414] contains a valuable set of review chapters by experts in the field of chemically modified electrodes. 

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