Alkyl, amines phosphonium iodides

The reaction of higher alkyl chlorides with tin metal at 235°C is not practical because of the thermal decomposition which occurs before the products can be removed from the reaction zone. The reaction temperature necessary for the formation of dimethyl tin dichloride can be lowered considerably by the use of certain catalysts. Quaternary ammonium and phosphonium iodides allow the reaction to proceed in good yield at 150—160°C (109). An improvement in the process involves the use of amine—stannic chloride complexes or mixtures of stannic chloride and a quaternary ammonium or phosphonium compound (110). Use of these catalysts is claimed to yield dimethyl tin dichloride containing less than 0.1 wt % trimethyl tin chloride. Catalyzed direct reactions under pressure are used commercially to manufacture dimethyl tin dichloride. 

The Mitsunobu reaction is usually only suitable for the alkylation of negatively charged nucleophiles rather than for the alkylation of amines, and only a few examples of such reactions (mainly intramolecular N-alkylations or N-benzylations) have been reported (Entry 15, Table 10.2). Halides, however, are very efficiently alkylated under Mitsunobu conditions, and it has been found that the treatment of resin-bound ammonium iodides with benzylic alcohols, a phosphine, and an azodicarboxylate leads to clean benzylation of the amine (Entry 9, Table 10.3). Unfortunately, alkylations with aliphatic alcohols do not proceed under these conditions. The latter can, however, also be used to alkylate resin-bound aliphatic amines when (cyanomethyl)-phosphonium iodides [R3P-CH2CN+][r] are used as coupling reagents [62]. These reagents convert aliphatic alcohols into alkyl iodides, which then alkylate the amine (Entry 10, Table 10.3). 

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