Allyl bromide ether formation with

Unlike the acid-catalyzed ether cleavage reaction discussed in the previous section, which is general to all ethers, the Claisen rearrangement is specific to allyl aryl ethers, Ar—O—CH2CH = CH2. Treatment of a phenoxide ion with 3-bromopropene (allyl bromide) results in a Williamson ether synthesis and formation of an allyl aryl ether. Heating the allyl aryl ether to 200 to 250 °C then effects Claisen rearrangement, leading to an o-allylphenol. The net result is alkylation of the phenol in an ortho position. 

In 1975, van der Baan and Bickelhaupt reported the synthesis of imide 37 from pyridone 34 as an approach to the hetisine alkaloids, using an intramolecular alkylation as the key step (Scheme 1.3) [23]. Beginning with pyridone 34, alkylation with sodium hydride/allyl bromide followed by a thermal [3,3] Claisen rearrangement gave alkene 35. Next, formation of the bromohydrin with A -bi omosuccinimide and subsequent protection of the resulting alcohol as the tetrahydropyranyl (THP) ether produced bromide 36, which was then cyclized in an intramolecular fashion to give tricylic 37. 

Spirolactone moieties are important components of some biologically active steroids that possess antitumor activity. A prelude to formation of the spiro unit is the introduction of an allyl side chain into a steroidal ketone. This reaction can be accomplished in good yield by the Barbier reaction of allyl bromide, ketone, and iodine-activated magnesium in ether. With 5a-cholestan-3-one, 51 and 48% of the epimeric allyl alcohols are isolated. With 3(i-(tetrahydropyran-2-yloxy)-5a-androstan-17-one, 98% of the allyl alcohol is isolated [39]. 

The nucleophilicity of sulfur and its ability to stabilize a-carbanions provide sulfur compounds with unique opportunities for sigmatropic processes consecutive rearrangements are no exception. The formation of salt (140) via Sn2 alkylation of ( )-2-butenyl bromide (139) followed by deprotonation leads to the intermediate allyl vinyl ether (141) which, under the conditions of the deprotonation, undergoes a thio-Claisen rearrangement to afford thioamide (143 Scheme 10). Thermolysis of (143) at elevated temperature affords the Cope product (142) in addition to some of its deconjugated isomer. Several unique characteristics of the thio-Claisen sequence should be noted first, the heteroatom-allyl bond is made in the alkylation step, this connection teing not notrtudly practised in the parent Claisen reaction ... 

An in situ method reported by Torii and coworkers for preparing a reactive allyllead reagent is attractive from the standpoint of convenience since it avoids the need to isolate the organometallic reagent. The reagent, which is formed by treatment of allyl bromide with aluminum foil (1.0 equiv.) and a catalytic amount of lead(II) bromide (0.03-0.1 equiv.) in ether, adds to a-aryl- and branched a-alkyl-aldim-ines in the presence of BF3-Et20 (entries 20-26, Table 2). Details of the structure of the reactive allyllead species and its mechanism of formation are not clear. The reaction does not extend to enolizable ke-timines. 

Whatever the exact mechanism of the conjugate-addition reaction, it seems clear that enolate anions are formed as intermediates and they can be trapped as the silyl enol ether or alkylated with various electrophiles. For example, addition of lithium methylvinyl cuprate (a mixed-cuprate reagent) to cyclopentenone generates the intermediate enolate 166, that can be alkylated with allyl bromide to give the product 167 (1.161). The trans product often predominates, although the transxis ratio depends on the nature of the substrate, the alkyl groups and the conditions and it is possible to obtain the cis isomer as the major product. Examples of intramolecular trapping of the enolate are known, as illustrated in the formation of the ds-decalone 168, an intermediate in the synthesis of the sesquiterpene valerane (1.162). 

Phase transfer catalyzed reactions in which ylides are formed from allylic and ben-zylic phosphonium ions on cross-linked polystyrenes in heterogeneous mixtures, such as aqueous NaOH and dichloromethane or solid potassium carbonate and THF, are particularly easy to perform. Ketones fail to react under phase transfer catalysis conditions. A phase transfer catalyst is not needed with soluble phosphonium ion polymers. The cations of the successful catalysts, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and tetra-n-butylammonium iodide, are excluded from the cross-linked phosphonium ion polymers by electrostatic repulsion. Their catalytic action must involve transfer of hydroxide ion to the polymer surface rather than transport of the anionic base into the polymer. Dicyclohexyl-18-crown-6 ether was used as the catalyst for ylide formation with solid potassium carbonate in refluxing THF. Potassium carbonate is insoluble in THF. Earlier work on other solid-solid-liquid phase transfer catalyzed reactions indicated that a trace of water in the THF is necessary (40). so the active base for ylide formation is likely hydrated, even though no water is included deliberately in the reaction mixture. 

The formation of D-glucaric acid by platinum-catalysed oxidation of D-gluconic acid has been noted in the previous section. Mono- and per-allyl ether derivatives of xylaric and galactaric acids have been prepared by treating the aldaric acid with allyl alcohol in the presence of an appropriate acid catalyst. Diallyl 3-0-allyl-2,4-0-methylenexylarate was obtained in good yield when 2,4-0-methylenexylaric acid reacted with allyl bromide in the presence of alkali. The reaction of 2,3,4-tri-O-acetylxylaryl dichloride with diazomethane has been mentioned in Chapter 7. 

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