Aldehydes aromatic, direct synthesis

A direct synthesis of the aromatic aldehydes by means of the Friedel-Crafts reaction could not be brought about until recently, because of the instability of formyl chloride, which, if formed, decomposes immediately into carbon monoxide and hydrochloric add ... 

Phthalans (1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran) can be obtained by the reduction of phthalides. A direct synthesis of the phthalans can be achieved by lithiation of aromatic benzyl alcohols followed by treatment with an aldehyde or a ketone. This is illustrated below... 

The direct synthesis of a, unsaturated nitriles occurs in high yields at 40 to 50 °C from aldehydes and acetonitrile or benzyl cyanide in the presence of catalytic amounts of lb or 9b [125]. These reactions take place in both polar protic and non-polar aprotic solvents. Pro-azaphosphatrane 9b, which is a stronger base than lb, effidently catalyzes the condensation/dehydration of aromatic aldehydes and tertiary aliphatic aldehydes. The use of 9b in these reactions gave rise to products with imusuahy high E/Z ratios. With either lb or 9b, ahphatic aldehydes gave aldol products, and secondary aldehydes led to novel Michael addition products which are described in the next section. Ketones do not condense wiA either benzyl cyanide or acetonitrile under our conditions. 

Additional examples of synthetic application of periodic acid as an oxidant include the oxidative iodination of aromatic compounds [1336-1341], iodohydrin formation by treatment of alkenes with periodic acid and sodium bisulfate [1342], oxidative cleavage of protecting groups (e.g., cyclic acetals, oxathioacetals and dithioacetals) [1315, 1343], conversion of ketone and aldehyde oximes into the corresponding carbonyl compounds [1344], oxidative cleavage of tetrahydrofuran-substituted alcohols to -y-lactones in the presence of catalytic PCC [1345] and direct synthesis of nitriles from alcohols or aldehydes using HsIOe/KI in aqueous ammonia [1346],... 

Many other aromatic compounds have been prepared in two-component reactions mediated by L-Pro as Lewis base. Hence, benzimidazoles were obtained from a range of o-phenylenediamines and aldehydes in moderate to excellent yields.The reaction of aldimines with succinaldehyde or l,4-ketoaldehydes ° by means of L-Pro catalysis is a robust method for the direct synthesis of formylpyrroles and a sustainable alternative procedure to the Paal-Knorr reaction (Scheme 2.14). 

Detailed experimental conditions have been reported for the direct synthesis of 2-alkenenitriles from acetonitrile and carbonyl compounds. Whereas the reaction is successful with aromatic aldehydes and diaryl ketones, dialkyl ketones yield mixtures of double-bond isomers, and aliphatic aldehydes do not condense satisfactorily. Similarly, 2-alkenenitriles are also the products of the reaction between the trimethylsilylacetonitrile anion and carbonyl compounds. ... 

Malt S, Biswas S, Jana U (2010) lron(lII)-catalyzed four-component coupling reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, amines, aldehydes, and nitroalkanes a simple and direct synthesis of functionalized pyrroles. J Org Chem 75 1674—1683. doi 10.1021/jo902661y Makosza M, Jagusztyn-Grochowska M, Ludwikow M, Jawdosiuk M (1974) Reactions of organic anions— L reactions of phenylacetonitrile derivatives with aromatic nitrocompounds in basic media. Tetrahedron 30(20) 3723-3735. doi 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)90658-l Mamedov VA, Levin YA (1996) Unexpected reaction of o-phenylenediamine with... 

The Gattermann-Koch synthesis is suitable for the preparation of simple aromatic aldehydes from ben2ene and its substituted derivatives, as well as from polycychc aromatics. The para isomers are produced preferentially. Aromatics with meta-directing substituents cannot be formylated (108). 

In 1959, Crawford and Little reported superior yields of 3 in reactions of aromatic aldehydes by using isolated, crystalline 2-phenyloxazol-5-one (2, Ri = Ph) compared to direct reaction with hippuric acid (1, Ri = Ph). An early report by Boekelheide and Schramm on the use of ketones in the Erlenmeyer azlactone synthesis includes treatment... 

The direct conversion of nitroalkenes into ketones is especially useful for the preparation of arylacetones. They are readily prepared by the condensation of aromatic aldehydes with nitroethane and by the subsequent Nef reaction. "Typical examples are presented in Eq. 6.22 and Eq. 6.23 the product of Eq. 6.23 is used for total synthesis of perylenequinone, calphosdn D, which is a potent inhibitor of protein kmase C. "... 

Another example of a microwave-assisted 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition using azomethine ylides and a dipolarophile was the intramolecular reaction reported for the synthesis of hexahydrochromeno[4,3-fo]pyrrolidine 105 [70]. It was the first example of a solvent-free microwave-assisted intramoleciflar 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides, obtained from aromatic aldehyde 102 and IM-substituted glycinate 103 (Scheme 36). The dipole was generated in situ (independently from the presence of a base like TEA) and reacted directly with the dipolarophile present within the same molecifle. The intramolecu-... 

Diols (pinacols) can be synthesized by reduction of aldehydes and ketones with active metals such as sodium, magnesium, or aluminum. Aromatic ketones give better yields than aliphatic ones. The use of a Mg—Mgl2 mixture has been called the Gomberg-Bachmann pinacol synthesis. As with a number of other reactions involving sodium, there is a direct electron transfer here, converting the ketone or aldehyde to a ketyl, which dimerizes. 

Nitroalkenes prepared from aromatic aldehydes are especially useful for natural product synthesis. For example, the products are directly converted into ketones via the Nef reaction (Section 6.1) or indoles (Section 10.2) via the reduction to phenylethylamines (Section 6.3.2). The application of these transformations are discussed later here, some examples are presented to emphasize their utility. Schemes 3.3 and 3.4 present a synthesis of 5,6-dihydroxyindole66 and asperidophytine indole alkaloid,67 respectively. 

I.2. Oxidation of Amines Oxidation of primary amines is often viewed as a particularly convenient way to prepare hydroxylamines. However, their direct oxidation usually leads to complex mixtures containing nitroso and nitro compounds and oximes. However, oxidation to nitrones can be performed after their conversion into secondary amines or imines. Sometimes, oxidation of secondary amines rather than direct imine oxidation seems to provide a more useful and convenient way of producing nitrones. In many cases, imines are first reduced to secondary amines which are then treated with oxidants (26). This approach is used as a basis for a one-pot synthesis of asymmetrical acyclic nitrones starting from aromatic aldehydes (Scheme 2.5) (27a) and 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline-2-oxides (27b). 

Our own group is also involved in the development of domino multicomponent reactions for the synthesis of heterocycles of both pharmacologic and synthetic interest [156]. In particular, we recently reported a totally regioselective and metal-free Michael addition-initiated three-component substrate directed route to polysubstituted pyridines from 1,3-dicarbonyls. Thus, the direct condensation of 1,3-diketones, (3-ketoesters, or p-ketoamides with a,p-unsaturated aldehydes or ketones with a synthetic equivalent of ammonia, under heterogeneous catalysis by 4 A molecular sieves, provided the desired heterocycles after in situ oxidation (Scheme 56) [157]. A mechanistic study demonstrated that the first step of the sequence was a molecular sieves-promoted Michael addition between the 1,3-dicarbonyl and the cx,p-unsaturated carbonyl compound. The corresponding 1,5-dicarbonyl adduct then reacts with the ammonia source leading to a DHP derivative, which is spontaneously converted to the aromatized product. 

The only formic acid derivative that allows the direct formylation of aromatics is formyl fluoride1617 since others (halides and the anhydride) that could be used in Friedel-Crafts-type acylations are quite unstable. Other related methods, however, are available to transform aromatic hydrocarbons to the corresponding aldehydes. The most frequently used such formylations are the Gattermann-Koch reaction16 17 and the Gattermann synthesis.10 16 17... 

The methoxy derivatives may be treated directly o-methoxyphenyl-acetone, heated with hydrobroniic acid in acetic acid, gives 2-methyl-benzofuran.326 o-Methoxylated phenylacetones are readily prepared by glycidic synthesis from o-methoxylated aromatic aldehydes the intermediate glycidic ester (127) can be directly converted by pyridine hydrochloride into a 2-alkylbenzofuran in 40-80% yield.105... 

The condensation of an aldehyde, benzyl carbamate, and triphenyl phosphite, first described by Oleksyszyn et al., 25,26 affords a direct route to a-aminoalkylphosphonates 4 that are conveniently protected for subsequent reactions (Scheme 4). Since dealkylation of the quaternary phosphonium intermediate 3 is not possible in this case, formation of the pen-tavalent product 4 presumably involves activation of the solvent and formation of phenyl acetate. This method is useful for the synthesis of aliphatic and aromatic amino acid analogues. However, monomers with more elaborate side chains are often incompatible with the reaction conditions. The free amine can be liberated by treatment with HBr/AcOH or by hydrogenolysis after removal of the phenyl esters. The phosphonate moiety can be manipulated by ready exchange of the phenyl esters in alkaline MeOH and activation as described in Section 10.10.2.1.1. Related condensations with other trivalent phosphite derivatives have been reported. 27-30 ... 

The Stacker reaction has been employed on an industrial scale for the synthesis of racemic a-amino acids, and asymmetric variants are known. However, most of the reported catalytic asymmetric Stacker-type reactions are indirect and utilize preformed imines, usually prepared from aromatic aldehydes [24]. A review highlights the most important developments in this area [25]. Kobayashi and coworkers [26] discovered an efficient and highly enantioselective direct catalytic asymmetric Stacker reaction of aldehydes, amines, and hydrogen cyanide using a chiral zirconium catalyst prepared from 2 equivalents of Zr(Ot-Bu)4, 2 equivalents of (R)-6,6 -dibromo-1, l -bi-2-naphthol, (R)-6-Br-BINOL], 1 equivalent of (R)-3,3 -dibromo-l,l -bi-2-naphthol, [(R)-3-Br-BINOL, and 3 equivalents of N-methylimida-zole (Scheme 9.17). This protocol is effective for aromatic aldehydes as well as branched and unbranched aliphatic aldehydes. 

Thus, Ghosez et al. were successful in showing that A,iV-dimethyl hydrazones prepared from a,/3-unsaturated aldehydes react smoothly in normal electron demand Diels-Alder reactions with electron-deficient dienophiles [218, 219]. Most of the more recent applications of such 1-aza-l,3-butadienes are directed towards the synthesis of biologically active aromatic alkaloids and azaanthra-quinones [220-224] a current example is the preparation of eupomatidine alkaloids recently published by Kubo and his coworkers. The tricyclic adduct 3-19 resulting from cycloaddition of naphthoquinone 3-17 and hydrazone 3-18 was easily transformed to eupomatidine-2 3-20 (Fig. 3-6) [225]. 

The scope of catalytic hydrogenations continues to be extended to more difficult reductions. For example, a notoriously difficult reduction in organic synthesis is the direct conversion of carboxylic acids to the corresponding aldehydes. It is usually performed indirectly via conversion to the corresponding acid chloride and Rosenmund reduction of the latter over Pd/BaS04 [65]. Rhone-Poulenc [30] and Mitsubishi [66] have developed methods for the direct hydrogenation of aromatic, aliphatic and unsaturated carboxylic acids to the corresponding aldehydes, over a Ru/Sn alloy and zirconia or chromia catalysts, respectively, in the vapor phase (Fig. 1.18). 

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