Aromatic compounds from aryl ethers

In Figure 13.2, the intensity of the ion at m/z 170 represents a molecular ion of an aromatic compound. The characteristic losses from the molecular ion (M - 1, M - 28, and M - 29) suggest an aromatic aldehyde, phenol, or aryl ether. The molecular formula of Ci2H 0O is suggested by the molecular ion at m/z 170, which can be either a biphenyl ether or a phenylphenol. The simplest test to confirm the structure is to prepare a TMS derivative, even though m/z 11 strongly indicates the diaryl ether. 

The Effect of Phenol. Three types of phenol compounds have been identified in the fractions derived from the product of the phenol ati on reaction (.1,2) alkyl phenols and alkyl-aryl ethers, both formed by combining phenol with alkyl side chains cleaved from the coal molecule, and compounds made up of aromatic fragments attached to phenol by a methylene bridge, formed by... 

Duloxetine hydrochloride is an example of an aryl ether that is particularly unstable to hydrolysis under acidic conditions (84). The acid instability led to the development of an enteric-coated formulation to protect the compound from the acidic environment of the stomach. The reason for the susceptibility to hydrolysis is the stability of the cationic intermediate (Fig. 70), which is stabilized by delocalization into the aromatic thiophene ring. See Chapter 2 for additional discussion of the chemistry of this compound. 

Friedel-Crafts alkylation has been used in an important synthesis of aryl C-glycosides, which are potent anti-tumor agents, from glycosyl fluorides (equation 99)65 661. The reaction takes place rapidly in dichloromethane, at room temperature using a novel zirconium complex and silver perchlorate combination catalyst. A similar alkylation has been performed by replacing the aromatic compound with either a silyl enol ether or an allylic compound using silver triflate as the catalyst662,663. 

Transfer of selectivity from the lower to the upper rim is the most useful method for the selective synthesis of partially functionalized calixarenes at the upper rim. Indeed, one can exploit the different reactivity of aryl ethers compared to phenols to introduce, regioselectively, additional functional groups at the upper rim of partially alkylated calixarenes. Moreover, if l,3-dialkoxy-/ -r rt-butylcalix[4]arenes are submitted to the reverse Friedel-Crafts reaction, the tert-hwiyX groups are detached only from the para position of the phenolic nuclei, obtaining compounds where only two diametral aromatic rings are available for further functionalization. 

Phenols, which in foods act as aromatic substances, are either primary food components of some essential oils or are produced as secondary substances in food processing. The primary components are phenols structurally related to the corresponding alkyl aryl ethers (see Section 8.2.3.1.2). Secondarily formed phenols are produced mainly from phenolic acids and lignin during thermal processes and by the action of microorganisms. Particularly important compounds are derived from phenol, guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol) and syringol (2,6-dimethoxyphenol) (8-119). 

Addition of tributylstannyl-lithium to crotonaldehyde and protection of the resulting alcohol with chloromethyl methyl ether gives the stannane (192), which reacts with both alkyl and aryl aldehydes RCHO to form specifically the t/rr o-hydroxy-enol ethers (193). These latter compounds have been used to prepare tra/i5-4,5-disubstituted butyrolactones by hydrolysis and subsequent oxidation. Palladium-catalysed carbonylation of RX in the presence of organotin species constitutes a useful synthesis of unsymmetrical ketones, and in the example reported this year RX is an arenediazonium salt. The reaction, which is basically an aromatic acylation, proceeds in good to excellent yield. Another Pd-catalysed reaction of aromatics, this time aryl bromides, is their reaction with acetonyltributyltin (194), prepared from methoxytributyltin and isopropenyl acetate, to give the arylacetones (195). ... 

A second synthetic route to poly(aryl ethers) containing heterocyclic units involved the reaction of an aromatic dihydroxy heterocycle with conventional activated difluoro compounds. Bisphenols containing quinoxaline, phenylimidazole, oxadizaole, pyrazole, triazole, phenolphthalein, phenolphthalimidine, and phenolphthalein anilide heterocycles were prepared and polymerized to high molecular weight (84-95), However, the most noteworthy examples are the poly(aryl ether benzimidazoles), prepared from bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) bibenzimidazole, due to their unique combination of adhesive, thermal and mechanical properties (Scheme VIII) (93-95),... 

---