Alkynes 3-methyl-3-hydroxy-2-butanone

Out first example is 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-3-octanone. 3-Octanone can be purchased, but it would be difficult to differentiate the two activated methylene groups in alkylation and oxidation reactions. Usual syntheses of acyloins are based upon addition of terminal alkynes to ketones (disconnection 1 see p. 52). For syntheses of unsymmetrical 1,2-difunctional compounds it is often advisable to look also for reactive starting materials, which do already contain the right substitution pattern. In the present case it turns out that 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-butanone is an inexpensive commercial product. This molecule dictates disconnection 3. Another practical synthesis starts with acetone cyanohydrin and pentylmagnesium bromide (disconnection 2). Many 1,2-difunctional compounds are accessible via oxidation of C—C multiple bonds. In this case the target molecule may be obtained by simple permanganate oxidation of 2-methyl-2-octene, which may be synthesized by Wittig reaction (disconnection 1). 

In the experiment that follows, the hydration of a terminal alkyne is illustrated by the conversion of 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol (3) to 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-butanone (4), as shown in Equation 11.13. The presence of a hydroxyl group in 3 has little effect on the chemical properties of the carbontriple bond. Rather, the main effect of the polar hydroxyl group is on the physical properties of the molecule, with the boiling point of 3 being considerably higher than those of other acetylenic hydrocarbons having the same molecular weight. 

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