Arylthallium trifluoroacetates phenols

Mercuration of aromatic compounds can be accomplished with mercuric salts, most often Hg(OAc)2 ° to give ArHgOAc. This is ordinary electrophilic aromatic substitution and takes place by the arenium ion mechanism (p. 675). ° Aromatic compounds can also be converted to arylthallium bis(trifluoroacetates), ArTl(OOCCF3)2, by treatment with thallium(III) trifluoroacetate in trifluoroace-tic acid. ° These arylthallium compounds can be converted to phenols, aryl iodides or fluorides (12-28), aryl cyanides (12-31), aryl nitro compounds, or aryl esters (12-30). The mechanism of thallation appears to be complex, with electrophilic and electron-transfer mechanisms both taking place. 

The 1,1-dimetallic compounds, R2C(SnMe3)ZnBr, were oxidized by dry air at —10 to 0°C in the presence of Me3SiCl to give aldehydes or ketones, R2C=0. In a related indirect method, arylthallium bis(trifluoroacetates) (prepared by 12-21) can be converted to phenols by treatment with lead tetraacetate followed by triphenylphosphine, and then dilute NaOH. Diarylthallium trifluoroacetates undergo the same reaction. ... 

It has been reported previously (147), and will be discussed in detail later, that arylthallium ditrifluoroacetates may be converted in good yield to phenols by treatment with lead tetraacetate in trifluoroacetic acid solution followed by addition of 1 mole of triphenylphosphine. The immediate product of the above reaction, an aryl trifluoroacetate, is hydrolyzed... 

This phenol synthesis complements the analogous reaction (see below) from arylthallium ditrifluoroacetates (147). Although yields are only moderate, the procedure represents a viable conversion of aryl Grignard reagents to phenols. It is a practical method, however, only when the diarylthallium trifluoroacetate precursor is formed via the Grignard route the alternative synthesis via symmetrization of arylthallium ditrifluoroacetates is obviously circuitous, since the latter compounds may be converted directly to phenols. 

Thallium(III), particularly as the trifluoroacetate salt, is also a reactive electrophilic metallating species, and a variety of synthetic schemes based on arylthallium intermediates have been devised.75 Arylthallium compounds are converted to chlorides or bromides by reaction with the appropriate cupric halide.76 Reaction with potassium iodide gives aryl iodides.77 Fluorides are prepared by successive treatment with potassium fluoride and boron trifluoride.78 Procedures for converting arylthallium compounds to nitriles and phenols have also been described.79... 

The enhancement of the electrophilic properties of thallium(III) trifluoroacetate makes it a very important thallation reagent. The products of thallation, eg, arylthallium bis(trifluoracetate), undeigo a variety of substitution reactions, yielding iodides, fluorides, nitriles, thiophenols, phenols, and biaryls. 

Mercuration- Thallation. Mercuric acetate and thallium trifluoroacetate react with benzene to yield phenylmercuric acetate [62-38-4] or phenylthallic trifluoroacetate. The arylthallium compounds can be converted into phenols, nitriles, or aryl iodides (31). 

Whilst direct electrophilic hydroxylation of the arylthallium species can be effected using peroxytriflu-oroacetic acid, further oxidation of the phenol to a quinone accompanies this process. This over-oxidation can be avoided by initial transmetallation to a lead species with concomitant reduction of the thallium trifluoroacetate (TTFA) by triphenylphosphine, followed by displacement of the lead by trifluo-roacetate to give the aryl trifluoroacetate. lliis hydroxylation method has yet to find use in the synthesis of molecules which are more complex than simple arenes. 

Synthesis of phenols and aromatic nitriles.3 In a new phenol synthesis, an aromatic hydrocarbon is first thallated with the reagent in trifluoroacetic acid to give an arylthallium ditrifluoroacetate (which can be isolated) and then oxidized with lead tetraacetate in the presence of 1 equivalent of triphenylphosphine. The resulting aryl trifluoroacetate is then hydrolyzed with dilute base. The triphenyl-... 

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