Allylic and Benzylic Oxidation

Allylic and benzylic oxidation. PCC in refluxing CH2C12 can oxidize allylic2 and benzylic23 methylene groups to keto groups in satisfactory yield. 

Sheldon and coworkers have developed chromium-substituted molecular sieves (CrAPO-5) as recyclable solid catalysts for several selective oxidations, among them also the allylic" and benzylic ° " ° " ° oxidations using TBHP or O2 as the terminal oxidants (equation 63), which yielded the corresponding benzylic ketones in moderate yield (conv. 13-70%) and moderate to good selectivity (41%, 65-97%). The benzylic alcohols were formed as side products. Allylic oxidation also proceeded with good conversions, while selectivities were lower and both possible products, the allylic ketone (31-77% selectivity) and the allylic alcohol (0-47% selectivity), were formed. Chromium sUicalite showed activity for selective benzylic oxidation in the presence of TBHP as well as giving mainly the allylic ketone (2-cyclohexen-l-one with 74% selectivity) and the allylic alcohol as minor product (2-cyclohexen-l-ol with 26% selectivity) -. ... 

Abstract The purpose of this chapter is to present a survey of the organometallic chemistry and catalysis of rhodium and iridium related to the oxidation of organic substrates that has been developed over the last 5 years, placing special emphasis on reactions or processes involving environmentally friendly oxidants. Iridium-based catalysts appear to be promising candidates for the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes/ketones as products or as intermediates for heterocyclic compounds or domino reactions. Rhodium complexes seem to be more appropriate for the oxygenation of alkenes. In addition to catalytic allylic and benzylic oxidation of alkenes, recent advances in vinylic oxygenations have been focused on stoichiometric reactions. This review offers an overview of these reactions... 

Alkyl groups attached to aromatic rings are oxidized more readily than the ring in alkaline media. Complete oxidation to benzoic adds usually occurs with nonspecific oxidants such as KMn04, but activated tertiary carbon atoms can be oxidized to the corresponding alcohols (R. Stewart, 1965 D. Arndt, 1975). With mercury(II) acetate, allylic and benzylic oxidations are also possible. It is most widely used in the mild dehydrogenation of tertiary amines to give, enamines or heteroarenes (M. Shamma, 1970 H. Arzoumanian, 1971 A. Friedrich, 1975). 

Further to its ability to perform allylic and benzylic oxidations,149 /-butylpcroxy-iodane (6) effects radical oxidation of 4-alkylphenols to give 2,5-cyclohexadien-l-ones under mild conditions in good yields.150 o,o-Coupling dimers as side products and inhibition of the reaction by added galvinoxyl radical scavenger support a radical oxidation mechanism. 

Metal-substituted Molecular Sieves as Catalysts for Allylic and Benzylic Oxidations... 

As noted in the introduction there is a paucity of effective and widely applicable methods for benzylic and allylic oxidation with heterogeneous catalysts. Palladium catalysts have been investigated the most extensively but studies of scope in organic synthesis have generally focused on homogeneous palladium catalysts. In short, the development of active and selective heterogeneous catalysts for allylic and benzylic oxidations in the liquid phase remains an important challenge in fine chemicals synthesis. 

Oxidation with ultrasonically activated manganese dioxide Oxo compds from alcohols Allylic and benzylic oxidation... 

The observed types of reactions include alkene epoxidation, allylic and benzylic oxidation, and alkane hydroxylation. The ligands on the cobalt atom control the chemoselectivity of oxidation. 

Tertiary butylhydroperoxide (TBHP) is a popular oxidizing agent used with certain catalysts. Because of its size, TBHP is most effective with catalysts containing large pores however, it can also be used with small-pore catalysts. Using first-row transition metals, Cr and V, impregnated into pillared clays, TBHP converts alcohols to ketones, epoxidizes alkenes, and oxidizes allylic and benzylic positions to ketones.83-87... 

Generally, primary aliphatic alcohols are oxidized to their respective aldehydes, secondary aliphatic and aromatic alcohols to the corresponding ketones, and allyl and benzyl alcohols to their carboxylic acid or carboxylate ions. For instance, 2-propanol, acetaldehyde, and methyl-benzoate ions are oxidized quantitatively to acetone, acetate, and terephtalate ion respectively, while toluene is converted into benzoate ion with an 86% yield. Controlling the number of coulombs passed through the solution allows oxidation in good yield of benzyl alcohol to its aldehyde. For diols,502 some excellent selectivity has been reached by changing the experimental conditions such as pH, number of coulombs, and temperature. 

For example, direct treatment of red phosphorus with potassium hydroxide in a mixture of dioxane and water with a phase-transfer catalyst (benzyltriethylammonium chloride) allows direct reaction with primary haloalkanes to form the trialkylphosphine oxide in moderate (60-65%) yield.1415 Allylic and benzylic halides are similarly reported to generate the corresponding tertiary phosphine oxides. When the reaction is performed with a,(o-dihalides, cyclic products are generated only with four- and five-carbon chains the third site... 

Thione-S-oxides react regiospecifically with allyl and benzylsilanes in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride to produce allyl and benzyl sulphoxides [8], cf. the analogous fluoride initiated reaction of thio-ketones and dithiocarboxylic esters with silanes [9, 10]. The yields of sulphoxides... 

Ferrate salts have been used under phase-transfer catalytic conditions for the oxidation of alcohols. Selective oxidation of allylic and benzylic alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes occurs under mild conditions [4],... 

A number of compounds react rapidly with DDQ at room temperature. They include allylic and benzylic alcohols, which can thus be selectively oxidized, and enols and phenols, which undergo coupling reactions or dehydrogenation, depending on their structure. Rapid reaction with DDQ is also often observed in compounds containing activated tertiary hydrogen atoms. The workup described here can be used in all these cases. 

The enzyme is the principal participant in N-demethylation reactions where the substrate is a tertiary amine. The list of substrates includes erythromycin, ethylmor-phine, lidocaine, diltiazem, tamoxifen, toremifene, verapamil, cocaine, amiodarone, alfentanil and terfenadine. Carbon atoms in the allylic and benzylic positions, such as those present in quinidine, steroids and cyclosporin A, are also particularly prone to oxidation by CYP3A4, a range of substrates is illustrated in Figure 7.10. 

Asymmetric allylic oxidation and benzylic oxidation (Kharasch-PSosnovsky reaction) are important synthetic strategies for constructing chiral C—O bonds via C—H bond activation.In the mid-1990s, the asymmetric Kharasch-Sosnovsky reaction was first studied by using chiral C2-symmetric bis(oxazoline)s. " Later various chiral ligands, based mainly on oxazoline derivatives and proline derivatives, were used in such asymmetric oxidation. Although many efforts have been made to improve the enantioselective Kharasch-Sosnovsky oxidation reaction, most cases suffered from low to moderate enantioselectivities or low reactivities. 

Allylic and benzylic alcohols were oxidized to aldehydes or ketones with BnPhsPHSOs in refluxing CHsCN. The yield increased in the presence of bismuth chloride in a catalytic amount. Selective oxidation of various alcohols under solvent free conditions was also reported Interestingly, benzyl alcohols were oxidized selectively to benzaldehydes in very high yield (95-100%) when reacted with BnPhsPHSOs (1.2 eq.) and AICI3 (1 eq.) in the presence of an equimolar amount of 2-phenethyl alcohol, diphenyl carbinol or methyl phenyl sulfide (equation 72). 

---