Dimethyl sulfate, alkylation

Cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate, 67 Methylation (see also Alkylation) Dimethyl sulfate, 239 Trimethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate, 327 Methylenation of carbonyl groups... 

We have already seen the solution to this problem in Chapter 43. If we use symmetrical hydrazine, we can deal with the selectivity problem by alkylation. Dimethyl sulfate turns out to be the best... 

Many other groups may be present in the alcohol or phenol during alkylation. Dimethyl sulfate and chlorohydrins give chloro ethers. Halo ethers are also prepared by the action of this reagent on halogenated phenols, e.g., w-bromoanisole (91%)- Phenolic aldehydes are converted in excellent yields to alkoxy aldehydes with dimethyl sulfate or alkyl p-toluenesulfonates. The conversion of a phenolic ketone to an alkoxy ketone is illustrated by the preparation of p-methoxypropiophenone (88%). Phenolic acids, esters, and cyanides, and nitrophenols respond favorably to this method for methylation. The sodium salt of mandelic acid, C H, CHOHCOOH, is methylated with dimethyl sulfate to furnish, after acidification, a-methoxyphenylacetic acid (42%). ... 

S-Alkylation. Dimethyl sulfate added dropwise to N-methylthiazoli-dine-2-thione, and the resulting melt heated 2 hrs. at 110-120° with benz-hydrazide N-methylthiazolid-2-... 

U-Alkylation. Dimethyl sulfate is a powerful alkylating agent and has been used for the methylation of almost every imaginable nucleophile over the years. The variety of oxygen nucleophiles include carboxylic acids, alcohols, phenols, lactams, oximes, pyridine A-oxides, hydroxylamines, hydroxamic acids, and hydroperoxides. ... 

Alkylation of bis(4-methyl-2-thiazolyl)urea (257) with dimethyl sulfate gives product 258 dimethylated on the ring nitrogens (Scheme 154) (488). Alkylation of l-alkyl-3-(2-thiazolyl)urea from its derived anion formed by NaH gives 259 (Scheme 155). 

The reactivity of sulfathiazoles has been reviewed (65). Methylation in alkaline solution with dimethyl sulfate gives only the ring methylated derivative (85). Mixtures of products are obtained with diazomethane as alkylating agent (see p. 37). Other alkyl halides in aqueous alkali lead also to ring-alkylated products (85. 251, 650. 669-671). 

Some esters of inorganic acids such as dimethyl sulfate are used as reagents m syn thetic organic chemistry Certain naturally occurring alkyl phosphates play an important role m biological processes... 

QuaterniZation. Quaternary ammonium compounds are formed by alkylation of alkyl, alkyl dimethyl, dialkyl, and dialkylmethyl fatty amines with methyl chloride, dimethyl sulfate, or benzyl chloride (1,3,7,12,29). 

Etherification. The reaction of alkyl haUdes with sugar polyols in the presence of aqueous alkaline reagents generally results in partial etherification. Thus, a tetraaHyl ether is formed on reaction of D-mannitol with aHyl bromide in the presence of 20% sodium hydroxide at 75°C (124). Treatment of this partial ether with metallic sodium to form an alcoholate, followed by reaction with additional aHyl bromide, leads to hexaaHyl D-mannitol (125). Complete methylation of D-mannitol occurs, however, by the action of dimethyl sulfate and sodium hydroxide (126). A mixture of tetra- and pentabutyloxymethyl ethers of D-mannitol results from the action of butyl chloromethyl ether (127). Completely substituted trimethylsilyl derivatives of polyols, distillable in vacuo, are prepared by interaction with trim ethyl chi oro s il an e in the presence of pyridine (128). Hexavinylmannitol is obtained from D-mannitol and acetylene at 25.31 MPa (250 atm) and 160°C (129). 

All lation. In alkylation, the dialkyl sulfates react much faster than do the alkyl haHdes, because the monoalkyl sulfate anion (ROSO ) is more effective as a leaving group than a haHde ion. The high rate is most apparent with small primary alkyl groups, eg, methyl and ethyl. Some leaving groups, such as the fluorinated sulfonate anion, eg, the triflate anion, CF SO, react even faster in ester form (4). Against phenoxide anion, the reaction rate is methyl triflate [333-27-7] dimethyl sulfate methyl toluenesulfonate [23373-38-8] (5). Dialkyl sulfates, as compared to alkyl chlorides, lack chloride ions in their products chloride corrodes and requires the use of a gas instead of a Hquid. The lower sulfates are much less expensive than lower bromides or iodides, and they also alkylate quickly. 

The nitrogen of aHphatic and aromatic amines is alkylated rapidly by alkyl sulfates yielding the usual mixtures. Most tertiary amines and nitrogen heterocycles are converted to quaternary ammonium salts, unless the nitrogen is of very low basicity, eg, ia tn phenylamine. The position of dimethyl sulfate-produced methylation of several heterocycles with more than one heteroatom has been examined (22). Acyl cyanamides can be methylated (23). Metal cyanates are converted to methyl isocyanate or ethyl isocyanate ia high yields by heating the mixtures (24,25). 

Carbon is alkylated ia the form of enolates or as carbanions. The enolates are ambident ia activity and can react at an oxygen or a carbon. For example, refluxing equimolar amounts of dimethyl sulfate and ethyl acetoacetate with potassium carbonate gives a 36% yield of the 0-methylation product, ie, ethyl 3-methoxy-2-butenoate, and 30% of the C-methylation product, ie, ethyl 2-methyl-3-oxobutanoate (26). Generally, only one alkyl group of the sulfate reacts with beta-diketones, beta-ketoesters, or malonates (27). Factors affecting the 0 C alkylation ratio have been extensively studied (28). Reaction ia the presence of soHd Al O results mosdy ia C-alkylation of ethyl acetoacetate (29). 

Carbanions ia the form of phenyllithium, sodium naphthalene complex, sodium acetyHde, or aromatic Grignard reagents react with alkyl sulfates to give a C-alkyl product (30—33). Grignard reagents require two moles of dimethyl sulfate for complete reaction. 

Sulfates having alkyl groups from methyl to pentyl have been examined. With methyl as an example, the hydrolysis rate of dimethyl sulfate iacreases with the concentration of the sulfate. Typical rates ia neutral water are first order and are 1.66 x lO " at 25°C and 6.14 x lO " at 35°C (46,47). Rates with alkaH or acid depend on conditions (42,48). Rates for the monomethyl sulfate [512-42-5] are much slower, and are nearly second order ia base. Values of the rate constant ia dilute solution are 6.5 X 10 L/(mol-s) at 100°C and 4.64 X 10 L/(mol-s) at 138°C (44). At 138°C, first-order solvolysis is ca 2% of the total. Hydrolysis of the monoester is markedly promoted by increasing acid strength and it is first order. The rate at 80°C is 3.65 x lO " ... 

SuIfona.tlon, Sulfonation is a common reaction with dialkyl sulfates, either by slow decomposition on heating with the release of SO or by attack at the sulfur end of the O—S bond (63). Reaction products are usually the dimethyl ether, methanol, sulfonic acid, and methyl sulfonates, corresponding to both routes. Reactive aromatics are commonly those with higher reactivity to electrophilic substitution at temperatures > 100° C. Tn phenylamine, diphenylmethylamine, anisole, and diphenyl ether exhibit ring sulfonation at 150—160°C, 140°C, 155—160°C, and 180—190°C, respectively, but diphenyl ketone and benzyl methyl ether do not react up to 190°C. Diphenyl amine methylates and then sulfonates. Catalysis of sulfonation of anthraquinone by dimethyl sulfate occurs with thaHium(III) oxide or mercury(II) oxide at 170°C. Alkyl interchange also gives sulfation. 

Trimethyl isocyanurate [827-16-7] can be synthesized in 60% yield by the reaction of CA with dimethyl sulfate in alkaline medium (13) or with diazomethane (63) and in essentially quantitative yield by thermal rearrangement of trimethyl cyanurate [877-89-4]. Isomerization of alkyl cyanurates to the corresponding isocyanurates is frequendy observed (11,64). 

O- Alkylation is comparable to A/-alkylation, but since the sodium salts are water-soluble it is most convenient to treat the phenol or naphthol in aqueous caustic solution with dimethyl sulfate or diethyl sulfate. These are comparatively expensive reagents, and therefore, alkoxy groups are introduced at a prior stage by a nucleophilic displacement reaction whenever possible. 

IV-Methylated pyridazinones can be obtained from 3,6-dialkoxypyridazines by treatment with alkyl halides or dialkyl sulfates. Methyl iodide and dimethyl sulfate are most frequently used. According to the proposed mechanism, an intermediate quaternary pyridazinium salt is formed, followed by elimination of a group R from the alkoxy group. At higher temperature, l,2-dimethylpyridazine-3,6(l//,2//)-dione is formed with dimethyl sulfate. 

When large groups, such as phenyl, bromo, ethoxycarbonyl or nitro are attached at position 3, the principal products are l-alkylcinnolin-4(l/f)-ones. Cyanoethylation and acetylation of cinnolin-4(l/f)-one takes place exclusively at N-1. Phthalazin-l(2/f)-ones give 2-substituted derivatives on alkylation and acylation. Alkylation of 4-hydroxyphthala2in-l(2/f)-one with an equimolar amount of primary halide in the presence of a base leads to 2-alkyl-4-hydroxyphthalazin-l(2/f)-one and further alkylation results in the formation of 4-alkoxy-2-alkylphthalazinone. Methylation of 4-hydroxy-2-methyl-phthalazinone with dimethyl sulfate in aqueous alkali gives a mixture of 4-methoxy-2-methylphthalazin-l(2/f)-one and 2,3-dimethylphthalazine-l,4(2//,3//)-dione, whereas methylation of 4-methoxyphthalazin-l(2/f)-one under similar conditions affords only 4-methoxy-2-methylphthalazinone. 

Alkylation of pyrazinones and quinoxalinones may be carried out under a variety of conditions and it is usually observed that while O-alkylation may occur under conditions of kinetic control, to yield the corresponding alkoxypyrazines or alkoxyquinoxalines, under thermodynamic control the A-alkylated products are formed. Alkylation using trialkyl-oxonium fluoroborate results in exclusive O-alkylation, and silylation under a variety of conditions (75MI21400) yields specifically the O-silylated products. Alkylation with methyl iodide or dimethyl sulfate invariably leads to A-methylation. 

N-Unsubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles are methylated mainly in the 1-position with methyl iodide and silver or thallium salts, but mainly in the 2-position by diazomethane. There is also some steric control. For example, 4-phenyl-l,2,3-triazole with dimethyl sulfate gives the 2-methyl-4-phenyl (38%) and l-methyl-4-phenyl isomers (62%), but none of the more hindered 1-methyl-5-phenyltriazole (74AHC(16)33). JV-Unsubstituted 1,2,4-triazoles are generally alkylated at N-1. 

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