Attention Nucleophilic-Ring

The ring-opening reactions of aziridines 16 with amines deserve special attention. Unlike ring-openings with the other nucleophiles examined, they do not require added base, and they do not produce stoichiometric byproducts (as with azide). In certain cases, they do not even require a solvent, as exemplified by the ring-opening of aziridine 18 (Table 12.12, entries 1-3). In addition, the reactions... 

Nucleophilic Reactions.—Nucleophilic substitution in the isothiazole nucleus, as well as a variety of nucleophilic ring fissions, continue to attract a good deal of attention. The methylsulphonyl group is particularly prone to nucleophilic replacement 3,5-bis(methylsulphonyl)isothiazole-4-carbo-nitrile, readily accessible from malononitrile and carbon disulphide, yields the 5-(substituted)amino-compounds on treatment with ammonia, amines, or hydrazine, and the 5-ethoxy-compound when treated with ethanol in the presence of sodium carbonate. The electron-attracting cyano-group appears to promote the nucleophilic displacement, since 3,5-bis(methyIsuIphonyl)-4-phenylisothiazole displays reduced reactivity. ... 

Nucleophilic reactivity of the sulfur atom has received most attention. When neutral or very acidic medium is used, the nucleophilic reactivity occurs through the exocyclic sulfur atom. Kinetic studies (110) measure this nucleophilicity- towards methyl iodide for various 3-methyl-A-4-thiazoline-2-thiones. Rate constants are 200 times greater for these compounds than for the isomeric 2-(methylthio)thiazole. Thus 3-(2-pyridyl)-A-4-thiazoline-2-thione reacts at sulfur with methyl iodide (111). Methyl substitution on the ring doubles the rate constant. This high reactivity at sulfur means that, even when an amino (112, 113) or imino group (114) occupies the 5-position of the ring, alkylation takes place on sulfiu. For the same reason, 2-acetonyi derivatives are sometimes observed as by-products in the heterocyclization reaction of dithiocarba-mates with a-haloketones (115, 116). 

The addition of nucleophiles to double and triple bond systems is often a convenient way of effecting an intramolecular ring closure. Addition to cyano groups has received considerable attention, as in addition to ring formation it provides a convenient method for the introduction of an amino group. Reaction of methyl Af-cyanodithiocarbimidate with Af-methylaminoacetonitrile resulted in displacement of methanethiol and formation of (314). Sodium ethoxide treatment in DMF converted (314) into a 4-amino-5-cyanoimidazole... 

Let us focus attention on the unfavorable ring closures. Why, for example, should formation of a five-membered ring by an endo-trig process be difficult The answer is provided by a consideration of the trajectory of approach of the nucleophile." If Z is an electron-attracting conjugating group of the type necessary to activate the double bond to nucleophilic attack, the reaction would involve the LUMO of the conjugated system, a 7t ... 

Cleavage of aziridines has been employed in the asymmetric total synthesis of pancratistatin 57 [47], a compound that is the object of considerable attention thanks to its broad spectrum of antineoplastic activities [48]. The chemistry of vinylaziridines has for the most part been confined to their use in rearrangement sequences resulting in functionalized pyrrolines. Hence, because of the lack of data concerning the ring-opening of vinylaziridines with carbon nucleophiles,... 

Gas-phase nucleophilic displacement reactions in aromatic systems have until recently received considerably less attention than those in aliphatic systems. This situation is not unlike reactions in solution where these reactions are less common than displacement at aliphatic centres. It is well known that these reactions occur only when strongly activating groups (e.g. nitro) are present in the ring (Miller, 1968). 

Oxazinium and -thiazinium cations are 67r-aromatic systems which readily react with nucleophiles at C-6. Ring opening is normally followed by recyclization so that a variety of heterocyclic systems are then formed. The behaviour of the oxygen and sulfur compounds are almost identical and so, as the latter are usually prepared from the former, it is not surprising that most attention has focussed on the reactions of 1,3-oxazinium species (72S333). These versatile synthons react with ammonia, for example, to give pyrimidines, while hydrazines afford pyrazoles and hydroxylamine produces isoxazoles (Scheme 20). 

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