Acyl triflates

It is known that certain Friedel-Crafts acylations of reactive aromatics may proceed with a small amount of catalyst or even, to some extent, with no catalyst at all.41 Effective catalysts are Fe, FeCl3, ZnCl2, iodine, and hydroiodic acid. However, satisfactory yields are usually obtained with activated and polynuclear aromatics, and heterocycles. The mixed anhydrides acyl triflates are also powerful acylating agents without catalyst.34... 

New Soluble Catalysts. Trifluoromethansulfonic acid (triflic acid, TfOH)42 and acyl triflates, that is mixed anhydrides of carboxylic acids and triflic acid,43 44 were first reported to be effective for Friedel-Crafts acylation in 1972. Significantly lower yields (<30%) were obtained with other Brpnsted acids. High activities were also observed for perfluorobutanesulfonic acid.37... 

Alkynes are readily acylated with acid chlorides under Friedel-Crafts conditions to form, in most cases, fram-p-chlorovinyl ketones through the corresponding vinyl cation intermediate [Eq. (8.16)]. The first study in 1935 reported low yields.11 Later in acylations with acyl triflates, p-keto vinyl triflates were obtained in satisfactory yields.123 When aroyl derivatives are used, the intermediate can undergo cyclization to form indenones. Chlorovinyl ketones formed from terminal alkynes may also react further losing hydrogen chloride to yield conjugated acetylenic ketones 11,13... 

The Claisen-type condensation reaction of cyclic vinylogous carboxylic acid triflates with lithium enolates and their analogues has provided acyclic alkynes bearing a 1,3-diketone-type moiety.19 The reaction mechanism has been proposed to proceed via a 1,2-addition of the enolate to the vinylogous acyl triflate, followed by fragmentation of the aldolate intermediate (Scheme 2). 

Benzoylation. This acyl triflate is particularly useful for benzoylation of hindered secondary hydroxyl groups and, in combination with pyridine, tertiary hydroxyl groups. Acetals and ketals, if present, are converted into carbonyl groups. Epoxides also react, generally to give a mixture of products. 

Reaction of phenol derivatives with acyl chlorides in acidic conditions may result in O-acylation or C-acylation, either directly or via a Fries rearrangement. Studies of acylations in acetonitrile using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (trifllc acid) have shown that O-acylation is favoured at a low acid concentration, while a high acid concentration favours C-acylation. It has also been shown that A-hydroxysuccinimidyl and phenyl esters of benzoic acids are activated by triflic acid and can be used to acylate electron-rich arenes such as ferrocene or pyrene the reactive acylating intermediate is likely to be an acyl triflate or its protonated form. In a polyphosphoric acid medium, the rearrangement of 1,5- 1,8- and 9,10-diacetylanthracenes leads to the formation of the ring-closed product (56). DFT calculations support the conclusion that the reaction involves the intermediacy of 1,9-diacetylanthracene formed under kinetic rather than under thermodynamic control. ... 

Chiral 2-oxazolidones are useful recyclable auxiliaries for carboxylic acids in highly enantioselective aldol type reactions via the boron enolates derived from N-propionyl-2-oxazolidones (D.A. Evans, 1981). Two reagents exhibiting opposite enantioselectivity ate prepared from (S)-valinol and from (lS,2R)-norephedrine by cyclization with COClj or diethyl carbonate and subsequent lithiation and acylation with propionyl chloride at — 78°C. En-olization with dibutylboryl triflate forms the (Z)-enolates (>99% Z) which react with aldehydes at low temperature. The pure (2S,3R) and (2R,3S) acids or methyl esters are isolated in a 70% yield after mild solvolysis. 

The carbonylation of aryl iodides in the presence of terminal alkynes affords the acyl alkynes 565. Bidentate ligands such as dppf give good results. When PhjP is used, phenylacetylene is converted into diphenylacetylene as a main product[4l5]. Triflates react similarly to give the alkynyl ketones 566[4I6], In... 

Indoles with carbocyclic halogen or triflate substituents are potential starting materials for vinylation, arylation and acylation via palladium-catalysed pro-cesses[l]. Indolylstannanes. indolylzinc halides and indolylboronic acids are also potential reactants. The principal type of substitution which is excluded from such coupling reactions is alkylation, since saturated alkyl groups tend to give elimination products in Pd-catalysed processes. 

CoupDng of ongarxjtin reagents (and Pd catalyst) with aryl or vinyl haiidas or triflates, acyl chlorides or allyl acetates. 

Although the Lewis acids used as co-reagents in Friedel-Crafts acylations are often referred to as catalysts, they are, in fact, consumed in the reaction, with the generation of strong acids. There has been considerable interest in finding materials which could function as true catalysts. Considerable success has been achieved using lanthanide triflates. ... 

These reactions are presumed to occur through aroyl triflate intermediates which dissociate to aiyl acylium ions. Lithium perchlorate and scandium triflate also promote acylation. ... 

An interesting class ot covalent Inflates are vin l and ar>/ or heteroaryl Inflates Vinyl inflates are used for the direct solvolytic generation of vinyl cations and for the generation of unsaturated carbenes via the a-elimination process [66] A triflate ester of 2-hydroxypyridine can be used as a catalyst for the acylation of aromatic compounds with carboxylic acids [109] (equation 55)... 

Triflates of aluminum, gallium and boron, which are readily available by the reaction of the corresponding chlorides with triflic acid, are effective Fnedel-Crafis catalysis for alkylation and acylation of aromatic compounds [119, 120] Thus alkylation of toluene with various alkyl halides m the presence of these catalysts proceeds rapidly at room temperature 111 methylene chloride or ni-tromethane Favorable properties of the triflates in comparison with the correspond mg fluorides or chlorides are considerably decreased volatility and higher catalytic activity [120]... 

Fukuzawa et al. [99] found analogous scandium(III)triflate/ Pr-PyBOx complex as efficient catalyst for the asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene or acyclic dienes and acyl-l,3-oxazohdin-2-ones with up to 90% ee. They latter described the same reaction in super critical CO2 in the presence of MSdA [ 100] that proceeded more rapidly than in CH2CI2 leading to the expected product with analogous selectivity. 

In order to overcome these problems, attention was focused on the use of heterogeneous catalysis. We have found that functionalized solid materials, e.g., ionic liquids or tin triflates immobilized into mesoporous materials, can be used in N-acylation reactions as environmentally friendly replacements for traditional homogeneous acids which are useful but environmentally unacceptable catalysts [17, 18]. They had comparable activity to homogeneous reagents but can offer greater stability, safer and easier handling and can be... 

Silica sol-gel inunobihzed La(OTf)3 (Scheme 48.2B) previously used in the acylation of a series of alcohols and activated aromatic compounds using acetic anhydride as acylating agent, showed a poor activity compared with other various sihca sol-gel inunobihzed triflate derivatives (tert-butyl-dimethylsilyl-trifluoromethane-sulfonate (BDMST), or trifhc acid (HOTf)). Acylation at the aromatic ring occurred over the BDMST and HOTf catalysts, while the La(OTl)3 catalysts only led to O-acetylated products [22]. Such behavior is characteristic... 

These oxazolidinones can be acylated and converted to the lithium, boron, tin, or titanium enolates by the same methods applicable to ketones and esters. For example, when they are converted to boron enolates using di-n-butylboron triflate and triethyl-amine, the enolates are the Z-stereoisomers.125... 

Lanthanide triflates have similar catalytic effects. Yb(03SCF3)3 and Lu(03SCF3)3, for example, were used in selective acylation of 10-deacetylbaccatin III, an important intermediate for preparation of the antitumor agent paclitaxel.111... 

Bismuth(III) triflate is also a powerful acylation catalyst that catalyzes reactions with acetic anhydride and other less reactive anhydrides such as benzoic and pivalic anhydrides.113 Good results are achieved with tertiary and hindered secondary alcohols, as well as with alcohols containing acid- and base-sensitive functional groups. 

Trimethylsilyl triflate is also a powerful catalyst for acylation by anhydrides. Reactions of alcohols with a modest excess (1.5 equival) of anhydride proceed in inert solvents at 0°C. Even tertiary alcohols react rapidly.114 The active acylation reagent is presumably generated by O-silylation of the anhydride. 

Imidazolides can also be activated by N-alkylation with methyl triflate.116 Imidazolides react with alcohols on heating to give esters and react at room temperature with amines to give amides. Imidazolides are particularly appropriate for acylation of acid-sensitive materials. 

Friedel-Crafts acylation generally involves reaction of an acyl halide and Lewis acid such as A1C13, SbF5, or BF3. Bismuth(III) triflate is also a very active acylation catalyst.46 Acid anhydrides can also be used in some cases. For example, a combination... 

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