Nitriles, arylation

Nitriles contain the —C=N functional group We have already discussed the two mam procedures by which they are prepared namely the nucleophilic substitution of alkyl halides by cyanide and the conversion of aldehydes and ketones to cyanohydrins Table 20 6 reviews aspects of these reactions Neither of the reactions m Table 20 6 is suitable for aryl nitriles (ArC=N) these compounds are readily prepared by a reaction to be dis cussed m Chapter 22... 

Both alkyl and aryl nitriles are accessible by dehydration of amides... 

Because cyano groups may be hydrolyzed to carboxylic acids (Section 20 19) the Sand meyer preparation of aryl nitriles is a key step m the conversion of arylammes to sub stituted benzoic acids In the example just cited the o methylbenzomtnle that was formed was subsequently subiected to acid catalyzed hydrolysis and gave o methylbenzoic acid in 80-89% yield... 

Excellent yields of guanamines (44) are obtained when dicyandiamide is heated with alkyl or aryl nitriles ia the presence of small amounts of alkaU. 

One of the features of Diels-Alder reactions with most alkyl and aryl nitriles that has made them rather unattractive as dienophiles is the requirement of very high reaction temperatures Again, only when electron-withdrawing substituents are directly bonded to the nitnle function do [4+2] cycloaddition reactions occur at reasonably low temperatures [ 48, 231, 232] A high yield [4+2] cycloaddition was observed on reaction of 4,4-bis(trifluoromethyl) 1 thia-3-aza-l,3-butadienes with trifluoroacetonitrile at 150 °C [225]... 

Preparation of aryl nitriles Cop-per(l) cyanide converts aryl diazonium salts to aryl nitriles. 

It was found that the reaction of 5-acetoxy- and 5-benzoyloxy-2(5//)-furanones 174 with aryl nitrile oxides afforded only one cycloadduct, the condensed isox-azoline 233 (88TL5317). In principle, there are four possible cycloadducts 233 and 234 resulting from the anti approach of the 1,3-dipolarophile to the acetoxy group (with exo configuration of the acetoxy substituent), and two further isomers... 

Hydroxy-2-athyI-3,3-diphenyl- -nitril 115 3-Hydroxy-3-aryl- -nitril 604 3-Hydroxy-2-benzyl- -nitril 206... 

Arylthallium bis(trifluoroacetates) (see 12-21) can be converted to aryl nitriles by treatment with copper(I) cyanide in acetonitrile. Another procedure uses excess aqueous KCN followed by photolysis of the resulting complex ion ArTl(CN)3 in the presence of excess KCN. Alternatively, arylthallium acetates react with Cu(CN)2 or CuCN to give aryl nitriles. Yields from this procedure are variable, ranging from almost nothing to 90 or 100%. 

The reaction between aryl halides and cuprous cyanide is called the Rosenmund-von Braun reactionP Reactivity is in the order I > Br > Cl > F, indicating that the SnAt mechanism does not apply.Other cyanides (e.g., KCN and NaCN), do not react with aryl halides, even activated ones. However, alkali cyanides do convert aryl halides to nitrilesin dipolar aprotic solvents in the presence of Pd(II) salts or copper or nickel complexes. A nickel complex also catalyzes the reaction between aryl triflates and KCN to give aryl nitriles. Aromatic ethers ArOR have been photochemically converted to ArCN. 

A related reaction involves oe-substituted aryl nitriles having a sufficiently acidic a hydrogen, which can be converted to ketones by oxidation with air under phase-... 

As noted in Section 11.2.2, nucleophilic substitution of aromatic halides lacking activating substituents is generally difficult. It has been known for a long time that the nucleophilic substitution of aromatic halides can be catalyzed by the presence of copper metal or copper salts.137 Synthetic procedures based on this observation are used to prepare aryl nitriles by reaction of aryl bromides with Cu(I)CN. The reactions are usually carried out at elevated temperature in DMF or a similar solvent. 

Scheme 9.23 Coordination of aryl nitriles to rhodium catalysts.

Further screening of conditions, coupled with evaluation of substrates lacking the aryl nitrile group. 

Scheme 9.27 Problems with hydrogenations of enamides bearing an aryl nitrile group.

Catalytic enantioselective crossed aldehyde-ketone benzoin cyclizations of ketoaldehydes, such as 13, readily obtained from an aryl nitrile oxide and a 1,3-diketone, were studied in order to perform the synthesis of complex molecules. Significant asymmetric induction was observed with chiral triazolium salts such as 14, in the presence of DBU as base, leading to compound 15 in high yield and with 99% ee in favor of the R enantiomer <06AG(E)3492>. 

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