Azides, preparation from carboxylic acids

Support-bound isocyanates can be conveniently prepared from carboxylic acids by Curtius degradation. Because the reaction of the intermediate acyl azides with alcohols to yield esters is slow, Curtius degradation can be conducted in the presence of alcohols to yield carbamates directly (Entries 4 and 5, Table 14.8). 

Carboxylic acid azides are prepared from carboxylic acid halides or from amino acid/peptide esters via hydrazides, followed by nitrosylation with nitrous acid in water or with alkyl nitrites in organic solvents.Also, the aforementioned diphenylphosphorazidate cf. Section 2.3.1.1.2.2.ii.e) is often used in this preparation method starting from carboxylic acids. 

Mixed carboxylic-carbonic anhydrides, prepared from carboxylic acids and alkyl chloioformates in the presence of base, are easily converted to acyl azides by the action of sodium azide. Since the reaction sequence from carboxylic acids to acyl azides proceeds under mild conditions, it has a broad applica-... 

In the early literature, including the pioneering studies of Curtius himself, acyl azides were prepared from carboxylic acids via treatment of the derived acid hydrazides with nitrous acid. This method is less commonly used in contemporary synthesis but still appears occasionally in the literature. Examples were shown for compounds 1, 7, 17, and 21 in the earlier sections above. 

Dehydration. This reagent is useful for synthesis of acyl azides from carboxylic acids, NaCN, and pyridine, with tetrabutylammomum bromide as catalyst (75-95% yield). In combination with pyridine, it effects dehydration of oximes to nitriles in 80-90% yield, P-Lactams can be prepared directly in 40-75 )t yield from carboxylic acids and imines with the reagent (1 equiv,) and triethylamine (excess). In general, a mixture of cis- and rra/j5-azetidinones is formed. 

Carboxamides of the tricyclic compounds 244 (n = 1, R = CONH2) and 389 (w = 1, R = CONH2) were obtained from the appropriate esters or from carboxylic acids with ammonia, via mixed anhydrides. N-Substi-tuted carboxamides of the pyrido[l,2-fl]quinazolinones 211 (R = CONHR ) were prepared directly from the corresponding acids with amines in the presence of diphenylphosphoryl azide and triethylamine in dimethyl-formamide at — S C " or were obtained from esters with amines. ... 

V-Dimethylchlorosulfitomethaniminium chloride (54), prepared from thionyl chloride and dimethyl-formamide, together with sodium azide is useful for the direct preparation of acyl azides from carboxylic acids (equation 35). ... 

Amide formation. Carboxamides including peptides are S3mthesized from carboxylic acids and aUcyl azides, after converting the acids into mixed anhydrides and then selenocarboxylates. Treatment of the mixed anhydrides with a suspension of freshly prepared from LAH and Se completes the first stage of the transformation. 

Recently, Bandgar and Pandit have described a mild, efficient, and general method for the preparation of acyl azides from carboxylic acids and sodium azide using CC (Scheme 47). Various aryl, heteroaryl, alkylaryl, and alkyl carboxylic acids, on reaction with CC in the presence of sodium azide and A -methylmorpholine, undergo smooth conversion to the corresponding acyl azides in excellent yields <2002TL3413>. 

Deshmukh et al. demonstrated that triphosgene can also be used to prepare dialkylcar-bamoyl azides from tertiary amines and sodium azide. Alternatively, acyl azides (e.g. 303) can be converted via a one-step procedure from carboxylic acids using bis(2-methoxyethyl)aminosulfur trifluoride (Deoxo-Fluor) (Scheme 3.46). ... 

General. Diphenyl phosphorazidate is a readily available, nonexplosive, and relatively stable azide widely used as a reagent in peptide synthesis, " and as a versatile reagent in a wide array of organic transformations. DPPA has been successfully utilized in the synthesis of a-amino acids and o-aryl carboxylic acids direct preparation of thiol esters from carboxylic acids and thiols the stereospecific preparation of alkyl azides and the phosphorylation of alcohols and amines The application of DPPA in a modified Curtius reaction permits a simple one-step conversion of carboxylic acids to urethanes under mild reaction conditions. DPPA acts as a nitrene source, and can undergo 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions. The Curtius degradation of carboxylic acids in the presence of f-butanol gives the Boc-protected amine directly (eq 1). 

The presence of the propionamide fragment in the stmcture of the anti-inflammatory agent broperamole (125-1) is reminiscent of the heterocycle-based NSAID propionic acids. The activity of this agent may trace back to the acid that would result on hydrolysis of the amide. Tetrazoles are virtually always prepared by reaction of a nitrile with hydrazoic acid or, more commonly, sodium azide in the presence of acid in a reaction very analogous to a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. A more recent (and safer) version of the reaction noted later (see losartan, 77-4) uses tributyltin azide. In the case at hand, reaction of the anion of mefa-bromobenzonitrile (125-1) with sodium azide and an acid affords the tetrazole (125-2). Condensation of the anion from that intermediate with ethyl acrylate leads to the product from Michael addition saponiflcation gives the corresponding carboxylic acid (125-3). This is then converted to the acid chloride reaction with piperidine affords broperamole (125-4) [136]. 

The (aminomethyl)thiophene-2-carboxylic acid isomers were prepared from the corresponding methylthiophene-2-carboxylic acid esters, as exemplified for the 3-(aminomethyl) isomer 79 (Scheme 22))66 The 4-(aminomethyl) isomer was prepared in the same way, but with a low yield for the bromination step (7%))66,111 For the 5-(aminomethyl) isomer the bromomethyl compound was reacted with sodium azide, followed by catalytic reduction)74 The corresponding furan and pyridine analogues were prepared similarly. 

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