Basicity of heterocycles

Although the pKa or H0 values for several acids are known [10,11], the definition of strong acid is somewhat arbitrary, because the position of equilibrium (13) depends on the basicity of heterocyclic monomer. Because this basicity varies from rather low (e.g., cyclic acetals) to rather high (e.g., cyclic amines) no universal rule describing the behavior of particular protonic acids in ring-opening polymerization exists. 

Basicity of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines (Section 23.5C) Heterocyclic aromatic amines are considerably weaker bases than aliphatic amines. 

The basicity of heterocyclic amines varies over a wide range and reflects both the hybridization of the orbital of nitrogen containing the lone pair electrons and the effects of delocalization. Pyridine is a substantially weaker base than alkylamines such as piperidine. The electron pair of pyridine occupies an sp2-hybridized orbital and lies closer to the nucleus than the electron pair in the sp -hybridized orbital of alkylamines. As a result, pyridine is a weaker base (larger than an alkylamine. 

A 2-methylthio substituent decreases the basicity of thiazole pK = 2.52) by 0.6 pK unit (269). The usual bathochromic shift associated with this substituent in other heterocycles is also found for the thiazole ring (41 nm) (56). The ring protons of thiazole are shielded by this substituent the NMR spectrum of 2-methylthiothiazole is (internal TMS, solvent acetone) 3.32 (S-Me) 7.3 (C -H) 6.95 (Cj-H) (56, 270). Typical NMR spectra of 2-thioalkylthiazoles are given in Ref. 266. 

The 1-azirine ring also undergoes a number of reactions in which the heterocycle plays the role of the nucleophile. Although the basicity of the nitrogen atom in the azirine ring is much lower than in simple aliphatic amines, this system can still function as a nucleophilic reagent. One example of this involves the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of 1-azirines to a-aminoketones (200) which represents a well-established reaction. In fact, in many reactions of 1-azirines where acid catalysis is used, formation of a-aminoketones is difficult to avoid (67JA44S6). 

Imidazole and its derivatives form an interesting and important class of heterocyclic aromatic fflnines. Imidazole is approximately 100 times more basic than pyridine. 

These compounds show the typical reactions of heterocyclic N-oxides and their structure was proved by methylation which takes place on N-1. Quinazoline 3-oxide is soluble in water and melts at 155°C. It has basic properties and its pKa value in water is 1.47. ... 

The reactions of carbenes, which are apparently unique in displaying electrophilic character in strongly basic solutions, include substitution, addition to multiple bonds, and co-ordination with lone pairs of electrons to form unstable ylides. This last reaction is of obvious relevance to a consideration of the reactions of heterocyclic compounds with carbenes and will be summarized. 

Generalizaticm of the organometallic chemistry of heterocycles is an important task It allows us to understand the basic trends of the ligand behavior of heterocycles, their coordination modes, and dieir application in various branches of applied chemistry, especially materials chemistry [93CCR(126)237 96CCR(147)247 01AHC(78)1 01AHC(79)115]. 

I The order of topics remains basically the same but has been changed to devote Chapter 3 entirely to alkanes and Chapter 4 to cycloalkanes. In addition, epoxides are now introduced in Chapter 7 on alkenes, and coverage of heterocyclic chemistry has been moved to Chapter 24. 

Furthermore, the strongly metallic character of selenium weakens the C-Se bond and thus favors reactions involving opening of the ring. The basicity of the three heterocycles is approximately in the same order, the nitrogen atom of selenazole and thiazole possessing much the same properties as the heteroatom of pyridine. Of the two carbon atoms ortho to nitrogen, that is, the 2-carbon and the 4-carbon, only the one in the 2-position is fairly active as a result of its interaction with selenium or sulfur. The 4- and 5-positions of thiazole and selenazole are more susceptible to electrophilic substitution than the 3- and 5-positions of pyridine. This is particularly true of the 5-position of selenazole. Thus it can be said that the 2- and 5-positions of the selenazoles and thiazoles... 

The Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds has been published since 1950 under the initial editorship of Arnold Weissberger, and later, until his death in 1984, under the joint editorship of Arnold Weissberger and Edward C. Taylor. In 1997, Peter Wipf joined Prof. Taylor as editor. This series attempts to make the extraordinarily complex and diverse held of heterocyclic chemistry as organized and readily accessible as possible. Each volume has traditionally dealt with syntheses, reactions, properties, structure, physical chemistry, and utility of compounds belonging to a specihc ring system or class (e.g., pyridines, thiophenes, pyrimidines, three-membered ring systems). This series has become the basic reference collection for information on heterocyclic compounds. 

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