Alcohols with metal halides

Several common synthetic strategies for the formation of transition metal-heteroatom bonds can be used for the preparation of early transition metal alkoxides, as shown in Equation 4.57. These methods include (1) metathesis between metal halides and alkali metal salts of the corresponding alcohols (2) direct reaction of the alcohols with metal halides in the presence of a base and (3) protonolysis of metal alkyls, amides, or alkoxides with more acidic alcohols. 

In chemistry related to the reactions of alkali metal alkoxides with late metal halide complexes, late metal alkoxides have been formed by the reaction of alcohols with metal halides in the presence of a base. This process has been used to form arylpalladium alkoxides during the coupling of aryl halides with alcohols discussed in Chapter 19 (cross-coupling). In addition, Milstein used an intramolecular version of this process to prepare the metallaoxetane in Equation 4.68. ... 

It is in many ways unfortunate that the study of cationic polymerization has, from its very start, been so intimately linked with the very complicated and ill-understood chemistry of the metal halides. This connection is largely fortuitous and there is the promise of much progress in this field when these two problems can be attacked independently. On the one hand, we need to know much more about the complex acids and esters which are formed when water, alcohols, carboxylic acids, and alkyl halides react with metal halides on the other hand, a study of olefin polymerizations catalysed by simple acids such as HBr [14], HC104 [25], and H2S04 [26] should be rewarding, because they would presumably be unobscured by the complications and uncertainties accompanying the formation of the initiating species when this involves a metal halide. 

The lactams 2-pyrrolidinone and lV-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone may be used to increase the solubility of carbohydrates in alcoholic reaction media. However, they cannot be used in the preparation of metal halide adducts, because of their tendency to associate, perhaps by complexing, with metal halide adducts.1 Amides are known to form complexes with metal halides. For example, sodium iodide combines with N, N-dimethylformamide to give Nal 3 N,N-dimethylformamide. Acetamide can form NaBr 2 acetamide and NaI-2 acetamide. 7... 

An in-depth study of the industrially important hydrolysis of titanium alkoxides has been carried out by Bradley.234,235 A number of intermediate complexes were isolated and characterized. The alcohol exchange reaction has been discussed previously. The addition of hydrohalous acids to alkoxides is clearly related to the reverse reaction, the addition of alcohols to metal halides. In general, the products of these two reactions will be the same (equation 59). Hence, complete substitution will occur to give metal halides that are known to form only alcoholates with alcohols (equations 60 and 61),31,236... 

Rapid intramolecular addition of the alcohol function to a supposed intermediate vinylidene complex occurs in reactions of HC=C(CH2) OH with metal halide complexes (45) the cyclic carbene complexes (17) are isolated instead ... 

C-l Reactivity of 2,3-epoxy alcohols via oxirane opening with metal halides applications and synthesis of naturally occurring 2,3-octanediol,... 

Emphasis on the employment of transition metal catalysts to achieve useful synthetic transformations is illustrated by three procedures in this volume. The reaction of allylic alcohols with aryl halides in the presence of a palladium derived catalyst can be used to prepare various /3-arylaldehydes. This is illustrated by the preparation of 2-METHYL-... 

Thus, the transition metal catalyzed arylation reactions of amines and alcohols would constitute powerful tools for synthetic chemists. We have been developing practical procedures for the palladium-catalyzed arylation of amines and alcohols with aryl halides or sulfonates. During the course of our investigations [9] as well as those of John Hartwig and co-workers [10] the substrate scope of these transformations has been incrementally expanded. With each cycle of this catalyst improvement process, advances in mechanistic understanding and ligand design have also been made. 

Alcoholates (alkoxides), which were already mentioned in the discussion on the reactions of alcohols with metals, behave as strong bases and are good nucleophiles. In the middle of nineteenth century Alexander William Williamson succeeded in preparing ethers in the reactions of alkoxides with primary alkyl halides. Later it was demonsttated that these reactions follow the Sn2 mechanism. 

Both reactants m the Williamson ether synthesis usually originate m alcohol pre cursors Sodium and potassium alkoxides are prepared by reaction of an alcohol with the appropriate metal and alkyl halides are most commonly made from alcohols by reaction with a hydrogen halide (Section 4 7) thionyl chloride (Section 4 13) or phosphorus tri bromide (Section 4 13) Alternatively alkyl p toluenesulfonates may be used m place of alkyl halides alkyl p toluenesulfonates are also prepared from alcohols as their imme diate precursors (Section 8 14)... 

From Metal Halides. The reaction of metal chlorides with alcohols can give metal chloride alkoxides (67—69), eg... 

Alcohols react with metal hydrides, MH, and with hydrogen halides, HX, but in very different ways. Proton transfer is involved in both reactions, but different molecules act as the proton donor and acceptor. 

A useful variation of the Williamson synthesis involves silver oxide, Ag20, as a mild base rather than NaH. Under these conditions, the free alcohol reacts directly with alkyl halide, so there is no need to preform the metal alkoxide intermediate. Sugars react particularly well glucose, for example, reacts with excess iodomethane in the presence of Ag20 to generate a pentaether in 85% yield. 

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