Alkylating reagents, addition

Alkylaminodifluorophosphines, 13 389 Alkyl astatides, 31 53-55 physicochemical properties, 31 54 Alkylating reagents, addition to iminoboranes, 31 157... 

Simple alkyl and aryl cr-bonded complexes are conveniently prepared by reaction of an alkylating reagent with a halocobalt(II) precursor. All-alkyl systems are rare, but the penta-methylcobaltate(II) anion is known.197 More typically, the coordination sphere of the metal contains additional co-ligands, particularly with P, S, or N donors. Some examples that reflect the style of reactions extant appear below. 

Since the late seventies efforts were directed toward the development of well-defined catalysts that would be active without addition of additives or further modification. A wide variety of tungsten and molybdenum alkylidene complexes have been prepared. Many of them show some activity, but only few are good catalysts. The synthesis is often not straightforward and a range of synthetic procedures varying solvents, alkylating reagents, anions, and alkylidene moieties have to be tried before a desired compound will be obtained. 

The previous sections have dealt primarily with reactions in which the new carbon-carbon bond is formed by an SN2 reaction between the nucleophilic carbanions and the alkylating reagent. Another important method for alkylation of carbon involves the addition of a nucleophilic carbon species to an electrophilic multiple bond. The electrophilic reaction partner is typically an a,/i-unsaturated ketone, aldehyde, or ester, but other electron-withdrawing substituents such as nitro, cyano, or sulfonyl also activate carbon-carbon double and triple bonds to nucleophilic attack. The reaction is called conjugate addition or the Michael reaction. Other kinds of nucleophiles such as amines, alkoxides, and sulfide anions also react similarly, but we will focus on the carbon-carbon bondforming reactions. 

Typically, stoichiometric amounts of a Lewis acid such as AICI3 are required and produce stoichiometric amounts of salts and mineral acids (HX) as side products. Furthermore, undesired side reactions such as multiple alkylations and a low functional group tolerance are observed. With the need for more environmentally and economically benign processes, the development of Friedel-Crafts-type reactions using catalytic amounts of a Lewis acid catalyst is desirable. In addition, the substitution of benzyl halides for other environmentally friendly alkylating reagents constitutes an attractive goal. In particular, benzyl alcohols are suitable... 

The first systematic investigations of the catalytic Friedel-Crafts-type reaction with alcohols and olefines were performed by Yamamoto and colleagues. After reporting the development of a Pd-catalyzed method for the allylation of different naphthol derivatives [24], the authors used Mo(CO)g for the Friedel-Crafts-type alkylation of electron-rich arenes with allyl acetates [25], The same molybdenum catalyst was additionally used for a Friedel-Crafts-type alkylation of arenes using 1-phenylethanol and styrene as alkylating reagents [26], However, Mo(CO)g is toxic and must be handled under strictly inert conditions. Thus, more stable Lewis acids were necessary. 

In addition to 1-phenylethanol and benzyl alcohol, cinnamyl alcohol has also been utilized as alkylating reagent. In contrast to the Bi(OTf)3-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylation of benzyl alcohols, in which the corresponding acetate was shown to be more reactive than the free benzyl alcohol (Scheme 8), in this case the alkylation with cinnamyl alcohol or the corresponding acetate provided almost similar results. With 5 mol% BifOTfh. the desired allylated 2,4-pentanediones were isolated in good yields (Scheme 15). 

Steroid side chain.1 The key step in a method for stereocontrolled addition of the side chain to 17-kelo steroids is hydroboration of a 17(20)-(Z)-ethylidene steroid (I), which proceeds selectively to give 2, with the desired natural configuration at C,- and C2ft. The product reacts with most alkylating reagents in rather low yield, possibly because of stcric factors however alkylation with the anion of chloroacetonitrile (potassium 2,6-di-r-butyl-4-methylphenoxide) in T1IF gives the nitrile 3 in 60 70% yield. One added attraction of this route is that 9-BBN reacts preferentially with a 17(20)-double bond in the presence of a 5(6 )-double bond. 

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