Alkylation Chapter with sodium hydride

We decided to investigate one final substrate that contained our desired side chain for the intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition as well as a small and removable cyano group. Our synthesis is outlined in Scheme 11. Phenol 53 was alkylated with chloroacetonitrile, then condensed to form 2-cyano benzo-furan 54. Subsequent quatemarization to 56 was accomplished with sodium hydride and a bromocrotcMiate (55) electrophile. Following phenol ether deprotection and reduction of the benzylic ketone with sodium borohydride, we were in a position to evaluate the dearomatization step. Unfortunately, all attempts to access the quinone epoxide 58 under classic or modified Adler-Becker reaction conditions failed. With these results, we closed the book on the second chapter in our vinigrol saga and went back to the drawing board. 

Nitrile-Stabilized anions are so nucleophilic that they will react with alkyl halides rather well even when a crowded quaternary centre (a carbon bearing no H atoms) is being formed. In this example the strong base, sodium hydride, was used to deprotonate the branched nitrile completely and benzyl chloride was the electrophile. The greater reactivity of ben-zyUc electrophiles compensates for the poorer leaving group. In DMF, the anion is particularly reactive because it is not solvated (as you saw in Chapter 12, p. 255, DMF solvates only the Na cation). 

Alkyl halide, sodium hydride in DMSO 2.5.1 General, substances insoluble in common organic solvents, polysaccharides, lipopolysaccharides, peptides, sterically hindered functions, amides, amino acids Esters, and as stated for procedure 2.4 peptides containing sulfur-amino acids, histidine and arginine 132] O-Acyl groups are replaced with O-alkyl groups. For N-isopropyl amino acids, isopropyl ester formation, (see Chapter 2)... 

---