Alkylation of carboxylic acid salts

Alkylation of Carboxylic Acid Salts Acyloxy-de-halogenation... 

Alcoholysis of trihalides 0-6 Hydrolysis of ortho esters 0-20 Alcoholysis of acyl halides 0-21 Alcoholysis of anhydrides 0-22 Esterification of carboxylic acids 0-23 Transesterification 0-24 Alkylation of carboxylic acid salts 0-25 Cleavage of ethers with anhydrides 0-26 Alkylation of carboxylic acids with diazo compounds... 

The O-alkylation of carboxylates is a useful alternative to the acid-catalyzed esterification of carboxylic acids with alcohols. Carboxylates are weak, hard nucleophiles which are alkylated quickly by carbocations and by highly reactive, carbocation-like electrophiles (e.g. trityl or some benzhydryl halides). Suitable procedures include treatment of carboxylic acids with alcohols under the conditions of the Mitsunobu reaction [122], or with diazoalkanes. With soft electrophiles, such as alkyl iodides, alkylation of carboxylic acid salts proceeds more slowly, but in polar aprotic solvents, such as DMF, or with non-coordinating cations acceptable rates can still be achieved. Alkylating agents with a high tendency to O-alkylate carboxylates include a-halo ketones [42], dimethyl sulfate [100,123], and benzyl halides (Scheme 6.31). 

C. Attack by OCOR at an Alkyl Carbon 10-17 Alkylation of Carboxylic Acid Salts Acyloxy-de-halogenation... 

Conjugated dienes give 1,4 addition. This reaction has also been performed with salts of carboxylic acids in what amounts to a method of alkylation of carboxylic acids (see also 10-96). ... 

Fig. 7. Triazenes as versatile polymer-supported diazoalkane analogues (resins 10) were obtained from polymeric diazonium salts (resins 9) and releasing carbenium ions upon acidic activation. The reaction can be employed for the alkylation of carboxylic acids with a reaction half life of ca. 5 min.

This method is based on the generation of the tetraalkylammonium salt of pyrrolidorle, which acts as a base. The method is compatible with a large variety of carboxylic acids and alkylating agents. The method is effective for the preparation of macrolides. 

Alkyl chlorosulfates and alkali salts of carboxylic acid D ... 

Flufenamic acid (162) is a reasonably well-established NSAID (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug). Alkylation of its potassiuni salt with the hydroxyethyl ethyl ether of ethylenechlo-rohydrin affords the latendated derivative etofenamate (163) [41]. Antiinflammatory activity is apparently retained when both rings in the fenamate series carry carboxyl groups. Thus, condensation of dichlorobenzoic acid 164 with anthranilic acid (165) by means of nucleophilic aromatic... 

Note. For potassium water glass the sodium salts of the alkyl ether carboxylic acids were used. TPPP, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate PS, potassium water glass. 

As noted in the preceding section, one of the most general methods of synthesis of esters is by reaction of alcohols with an acyl chloride or other activated carboxylic acid derivative. Section 3.2.5 dealt with two other important methods, namely, reactions with diazoalkanes and reactions of carboxylate salts with alkyl halides or sulfonate esters. There is also the acid-catalyzed reaction of carboxylic acids with alcohols, which is called the Fischer esterification. 

Alternatively, esterification of carboxylic acid can be carried out in aqueous media by reacting carboxylic acid salts with alkyl halides through nucleophilic substitutions (Eq. 9.10).20 The reaction rate of alkyl halides with alkali metal salts of carboxylic acids to give esters increases with the increasing concentration of catalyst, halide, and solvent polarity and is reduced by water. Various thymyl ethers and esters can be synthesized by the reactions of thymol with alkyl halides and acid chlorides, respectively, in aqueous medium under microwave irradiation (Eq. 9.11).21 Such an esterification reaction of poly(methacrylic acid) can be performed readily with alkyl halides using DBU in aqueous solutions, although the rate of the reaction decreases with increasing water content.22... 

Sandmeyer s synthesis of aromatic nitriles is far more elegant than the removal of water from the ammonium salts of carboxylic acids, which latter reaction is also applicable to benzene derivatives. In particular, the former synthesis permits of the preparation of carboxylic acids via the nitriles, and so provides a complete substitute for Kolbe s synthesis (alkyl halide and potassium cyanide), which is inapplicable to aromatic compounds. The simplest example is the conversion of aniline into benzoic add. The converse transformation is Hofmann s degradation (benzamide aniline, see p. 152). 

Selection of appropriate hydroxamic esters and carboxylic acid salts has enabled synthesis of a wide range of A-acyloxy-Af-alkoxyamides in which and can be alkyl or aryl but, to date, only aUcoxyl or arylalkoxyl groups have been present at R". ... 

A procedure for enantioselective synthesis of carboxylic acids is based on sequential alkylation of the oxazoline 8 via its lithium salt. Chelation by the methoxy group leads preferentially to the transition state in which the lithium is located as shown. The lithium acts as a Lewis acid in directing the approach of the alkyl halide. This is reinforced by a steric effect from the phenyl substituent. As a result, alkylation occurs predominantly from the lower face of the anion. The sequence in which the groups R and R are introduced... 

The preparation of a-anions of esters or salts of carboxylic acids and their subsequent alkylation is a standard procedure in synthesis today. It is simple, it gives high yields and because of innumerable examples its stereochemical course can normally be predicted with confidence. Acceptance of this methodology has been so rapid and the method has become such a matter of course, that its origin has been almost forgotten. 

P. L. Creger, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 89. 2500 (1967). Earlier alkylations of dimetal salts of carboxylic acids have been described disodium salts of carboxylic acids c.g. H. Normant, B. Angelo, Bull. Soc. Chun. Fr. 1962, 810. 

We have previously seen (0-96) that dianions of carboxylic acids can be alkylated in the a position. These ions can also be acylated on treatment with a carboxylic ester1705 to give salts of p-keto acids. As in 0-96, the carboxylic acid can be of the form RCH2COOH or RR"CHCOOH. Since p-keto acids are so easily converted to ketones (2-40), this is also a method for the preparation of ketones R COCHiR and R COCHRR", where R can be primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl, or aryl. If the ester is ethyl formate, an a-formyl carboxylate salt (R = H) is formed, which on acidification spontaneously de-carboxylates into an aldehyde.1706 This is a method, therefore, for achieving the conversion RCH2COOH — RCH2CHO, and as such is an alternative to the reduction methods discussed in 0-83. When the carboxylic acid is of the form RR CHCOOH. better yields are obtained by acylating with acyl halides rather than esters.1707... 

Polymeric phosphonium salt-bound carboxylate, benzenesulphinate and phenoxide anions have been used in nucleophilic substitution reactions for the synthesis of carboxylic acid esters, sulphones and C/O alkylation of phenols from alkyl halides. The polymeric reagent seems to increase the nucleophilicity of the anions376 and the yields are higher than those for corresponding polymer phase-transfer catalysis (reaction 273). 

Bromine reacts with the silver salts of carboxylic acids to give an alkyl bromide containing one less carbon atom than the acid (24). 

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