Alkylation-reduction reaction

White-rot fungus has been used as a biocatalyst for reduction and alkylation. The reaction of aromatic -keto nitriles with the white-rot fungus Curvularia lunata CECT 2130 in the presence of alcohols afforded alkylation-reduction reaction [291]. Alcohols such as ethanol, propanol, butanol, and isobutanol could be used (Figure 8.39d). 

All lation. The combination of olefins with paraffins to form higher isoparaffins is termed alkylation (qv). Alkylate is a desirable blendstock because it has a relatively high octane number and serves to dilute the total aromatics content. Reduction of the olefins ia gasoline blendstocks by alkylation also reduces tail pipe emissions. In refinery practice, butylenes are routinely alkylated by reaction with isobutane to produce isobutane—octane (26). In some plants, propylene and/or pentylenes (amylenes) are also alkylated (27). 

Compounds of the formulas Re(CR]), ReO(CH3)4, Li2[Re2(CH3)g] [60975-25-9], Re02(CH3)3 [56090-011-8], and Re03CH3 [70197-13-6] have been prepared. The first two compounds were obtained from reaction of rhenium hahdes or oxyhahdes and methyllithium the last three were formed from the species by oxidation or reduction reactions. The use of these hydride and alkyl complexes as catalysts is under investigation. 

The reaction of an alkyl halide with lithium is an oxidation-reduction reaction. Group I metals are powerful reducing agents. 

Thiols, the sulfur analogs of alcohols, are usually prepared by Sjv 2 reaction of an alkyl halide with thiourea. Mild oxidation of a thiol yields a disulfide, and mild reduction of a disulfide gives back the thiol. Sulfides, the sulfur analogs of ethers, are prepared by an Sk2 reaction between a thiolate anion and a primary or secondary alkyl halide. Sulfides are much more nucleophilic than ethers and can be oxidized to sulfoxides and to sulfones. Sulfides can also be alkylated by reaction with a primary alkyl halide to yield sulfonium ions. 

Phenyl-l-benzothiepin-3,5(2//,4//)-dione (8) (see Section 2.1.3.1.) is the precursor of 3,5-di-oxy-substituted 1-benzothiepins. The enolizable diketone can be transformed by acylation, alkylation, substitution or reduction reactions. 

Some sugar residues in bacterial polysaccharides are etherified with lactic acid. The biosynthesis of these involves C)-alkylation, by reaction with enol-pyruvate phosphate, to an enol ether (34) of pyruvic acid, followed by reduction to the (R) or (5) form of the lactic acid ether (35). The enol ether may also react in a different manner, giving a cyclic acetal (36) of pyruvic acid. 

Bis(aryl)cobalt(II) compounds have been prepared by reaction of R MgX (where R = C6H6 Cl n = 2-4) with Co(PR3)2Cl2.203 They undergo both thermally and oxidatively induced decomposition, with the corresponding biphenyl a product. The reactions of alkyl-cobalt complexes have been reviewed recently, and include thermolysis, photolysis, oxidation, and reduction reactions.25 Homolysis of the Co—C bond is a feature of reactions. 

Because reductive cleavage of aliphatic nitro compounds with Bu3SnH proceeds via alkyl radicals, nitro compounds are also used as precursors to alkyl radicals. Reactions using nitro compounds may have some advantages over other ones, since aliphatic nitro compounds are available from various sources. For example, the sequence of the Michael additions of nitro compounds provides an excellent method for the construction of quaternary carbon compounds (Eq. 7.79).126 Newkome has used this strategy for the construction of dendritic polymers (Eq. 7.80).127... 

Allyl halides, reduction reactions, 31 Aluminum chloride reagent/catalyst alkyl halide reduction, 30-31 secondary alkyl alcohol reduction, 14-15... 

In a second type of side reaction, the carbanion formed can be alkylated by reaction with the sulphonium ion to yield unexpected products [59], This reaction sequence is followed for the reduction of ethoxysulphonium salts 10. Cleavage of the sulphur-oxygen bond, which is the weakest bond in the species, leads to an alkoxyl radical. This is reduced further to the alkoxide, which attacks an ethoxysulphonium ion to form diethyl ether [60],... 

Sultines can be versatile synthetic intermediates for example, they undergo ring-opening reactions, alkylation, reductive desulfurization , and oxidation at sulfur to give sultones. 

The 2-methylenecyclopentanone initially formed presumably rearranges into 2-methyl-2-cyclopentenone under the reaction conditions. The final step of the mechanism, elimination of the cobalt carbonyl group, is not well understood but the same kind of elimination and reduction reactions occur with known 3-ketocobalt complexes. As mentioned above, crotonaldehyde, acrolein (27), and glyddaldehyde (38) react rapidly with cobalt hydrocarbonvl under similar conditions to give reduction products, rather than forming stable alkyl- or acyl-cobalt tetracarbonyl derivatives. 

The first reaction provides a route for the reduction of alkyl halides since the carbo-cation (isopropyl, in Rl) may be prepared from action of AICI3 on the corresponding alkyl halide. Reactions of the type Rl are also important in the process, catalytic cracking, in the manufacture of gasoline. They have also been studied in mass spectro-metric experiments [235]. Reaction R2 is one route to the preparation of carbocations under stable ion conditions. Reaction R3 is employed in the laboratory synthesis of the tropylium cation. Reaction R4, the (crossed) Cannizzaro reaction, is unusual in that it takes place under strongly basic conditions. The oxy dianion is an intermediate in the reaction of concentrated hydroxide with the aldehyde, R HO. None of R1, R2, or R3 may have hydrogen atoms a to the carbonyl groups. Formaldehyde (R1 = H) is readily... 

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