Stability alkyl nitronates

Conventional alkylating agents (alkyl halides, sulfates, etc.) are rather rarely used in the synthesis of alkyl nitronates. This is associated with relatively low reactivity of these compounds which, combined with low thermal stability of nitronates (for more details, see Section 3.3.1.1), does not allow one to isolate target products in the individual state. 

Both C-alkylation products and the corresponding O-alkyl nitronates were detected in the reaction mixture prepared by the reactions of above mentioned salt with primary alkyl halides (Scheme 3.9, Eq. 1). However, isoxazolidines (1) are the main identified products of the reactions with secondary or tertiary alkyl halides. The possible pathway of their formation is shown in Scheme 3.9. Here, the key event is generation of the corresponding olefins from alkyl halides. These olefins can be trapped with O-nitronates that are simultaneously formed in [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions. Presumably, these olefins are generated through deprotonation of stabilized cationic intermediates (see Scheme 3.9). 

Stability of Acyclic Alkyl and Acyl Nitronates A weak point of acyclic alkyl nitronates is their thermal instability because these compounds can be involved in two electrocyclic reactions presented in Scheme 3.72. 

Table 3.5 gives the most typical examples of acyclic nitronic esters, which have unusually high thermal stability. These data contradict the known data on fast thermal decomposition of alkyl nitronates derived from the simplest nitroalkanes (237) and relatively low thermal stability of nitronate (73a). On the basis of the available data, the following empirical mle can be derived an extension of the conjugation chain of the nitronate fragment increases stability of nitronates. 

I.2. Stability of Silyl- and Boryl Nitronates SENAs cannot decompose through pathways characteristic of alkyl nitronates (see Scheme 3.72). 

Stability of Cyclic Nitronates For steric reasons, fragmentation of five-and six-membered cyclic nitronates cannot follow pathways presented in Scheme 3.72. Hence, stability of these compounds can be substantially higher than that of alkyl nitronates. These compounds generally exist in the crystalline state and can be purified by recrystallization or liquid chromatography. Selected melting points of nitronates are given in Table 3.8. 

I. Acyclic Alkyl Nitronates The reactions of this type of nitronates with nucleophiles and electrophiles have not been systematically studied. It is most likely that this is associated with the low thermal stability of acyclic alkyl nitronates (see Section 3.3.1.1). 

Alkyl Nitronates In spite of the low stability of acyclic alkyl nitronates, these compounds were rather extensively studied in [3 + 2]-addition reactions with various alkenes (9, 18, 28, 49, 300, 301, 306, 307, 338b-354) (Chart 3.11). 

Here two facts can be mentioned. For example, cycloaddition of nitronate (Me02C)CH=N(0)0SiMe3 to ethylene was observed (203), whereas its O -methyl analog does not react with ethylene. It is hardly probable that this fact is due to the high reactivity of the silyl nitronate. More likely, the negative result for alkyl nitronate is attributed to low stability of this derivative. 

The wide variety of methods for the preparation of alkyl nitronates, gives rise to a broader diversity of structures compared to silyl nitronates. Alkyl nitronates can be grouped into two subclasses, acyclic and cyclic. Both subclasses participate in dipolar cycloadditions with similar reactivity, however, minor differences are manifest in their stability and stereoselectivity. Additionally, the ability to prepare cyclic nitronates allows access to a wide variety of novel, multicyclic ring stractures. 

This reaction also can be made to proceed with tertiary benzyl nitro compounds lacking the p-nitro substituent. The nitro substituent at the benzyl position provides sufficient stabilization to permit the electron transfer to proceed, generating the radical anion. This species decomposes to a tertiary benzyl radical by loss of nitrite ion. Substituted nitrocumyl systems can alkylate nitronate anions in HMPA sol-... 

Nitroalkanes show a related relationship between kinetic acidity and thermodynamic acidity. Additional alkyl substituents on nitromethane retard the rate of proton removal although the equilibrium is more favorable for the more highly substituted derivatives. The alkyl groups have a strong stabilizing effect on the nitronate ion, but unfavorable steric effects are dominant at the transition state for proton removal. As a result, kinetic and thermodynamic acidity show opposite responses to alkyl substitution. 

A second and related consequence in aliphatic nitro compounds is the acidification of the directly bonded CH unit through the attendant stabilization of the derived conjugate bases (5,6). As with all delocalized anions, reprotonation gives rise to tautomers, the original C-nitro compound (I) and the oci-nitro or isonitro form (II), Eq. 2.1. The aci-nitro tautomers are typically present in very minor concentrations, with equilibrium constants (A eq) between 10 and 10 (7). Alkylation of the delocalized anion leads to both a-substituted nitro compounds and the regioisomeric nitronic esters (nitronates). Nitronates were described as early as 1894 (8), however, the first isolated nitronic ester was obtained several years later upon the addition of diazomethane to phenylazonitromethane (1), Eq. 2.2 (9). 

When stabilized (and consequently less reactive) anions are employed as the nucleophile, more reactive electrophiles are needed for successful carbon-carbon bond formation. Nitronate anions, which are highly resonance stabilized, fail to react widi simple alkyl hahde electrophiles. On the other hand, /3-dicarbonyl compounds react effectively with primary and some secondary alkyl bromides and iodides to give monoalkylated products. 

Treatment of C-aryl oxaziridines (e.g., 109) with dilute acid causes C—O bond fission to the corresponding nitrone 108. However, similar treatment of C-alkyl oxaziridines (e.g., 112) leads to the 1,4-dicarbonyl compound (e.g., 113) by N—O bond fission.The mode of ring opening is influenced by the stabilization of the positive charge resulting from initial protonation on oxygen. 

Reductions. Nitrones and N-oxides are deoxygenated by (BnNEtjljMoS. Acyl azides give amides. Alkyl azides undergo a homocoupling reaction to form imines, whereas stabilized azides, such as acyl, sulfonyl, and aryl azides, undergo reductive elimination of... 

Nitronates, particularly silyl nitronates, are often superior to nitrile oxides in their 13DC with olefins in terms of their ease of generation from nitroalkanes, stability, and the observed selectivity during cycloaddition. Cycloaddition of alkyl or silyl nitronates with olefins generates N-alkoxy- or N-silyloxy-substituted isoxazolidines which then undergo spontaneous or acid catalyzed elimination of alcohol (or silanol) to produce isoxazolines (see Scheme 1, Sect. 2). 

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