Benzyl cyanoacetate

The preparation of malonic acid monoesters has been demonstrated using the microbial nitrilase activity of Corynebacterium nitrilophilus ATCC 21 419, Gordona terrae MA-1, or Rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC 33 025 to hydrolyze methyl cyanoacetate, ethyl cyanoace-tate, M-propyl cyanoacetate, isopropyl cyanoacetate, M-butyl cyanoacetate, tertbutyl cyanoacetate, 2-ethylhexyl cyanoacetate, allyl cyanoacetate, and benzyl cyanoacetate [96]. By maintaining the concentration of nitrile in a reaction mixture at <5 wt%, significant inactivation of the nitrilase activity was avoided for example, a total of 25 g of M-propyl cyanoacetate was added in sequential 5g portions to a lOOmL suspension of Rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC 33 025 cells (OD630 = 5.6) in 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) over 30h at 25 °C to produce mono-M-propyl malonate in 100% yield (Figure 8.17). 

Nitromethane, cyanomethyl phenyl sulfbne 78a, and benzyl cyanoacetate 78b underwent the asymmetric cydopropanation with 2-bromo-2-cydo-... 

Common synthetic methods for the preparation of cyclic 8-enamino esters are the condensation between a lactim ether and benzyl cyanoacetate followed by hydrogenolytic decarboxylation, or the imino ester carbon-carbon condensation with tert-butyl cyanoacetate followed by a trifluoroacetic acid treatment. The use of a thiolactam condensed with ethyl bromoacetate gives, after sulfur extrusion by triphenylphosphine, cyclic 8-enamino esters. Compared with these methods, the Meldrum s acid condensation followed by the monodecarboxylating transesterification described here is more convenient and practical. An extension of this procedure permits preparation of smaller... 

Common synthetic methods for the preparation of cyclic B-enamino esters are the condensation between a lactim ether and benzyl cyanoacetate followed... 

There are a couple of examples of cascade processes starting by a Michael-type addition of a carbon nucleophile proceeding under phase-transfer eatalysis conditions which deserve to be mentioned at this point. The first one eonsists of an enantioselective cyclopropanation of 2-bromocyclopentenone by a cascade Michael/intramolecular nucleophilic displacement in which a variety of C-H acidic carbon pro-nucleophiles such as nitromethane, cyanomethylsulfone and benzyl cyanoacetate reacted with this Michael acceptor in the presence of a quinidinium salt of type 67 (Scheme 7.79). In addition, the conditions needed to be optimized for each Michael donor employed, requiring a different catalyst and inorganic base for each case. Under the best conditions, the final cyclopropanes were obtained in moderate yields and enantioselectivities, albeit as single diastereoisomers. 

A mixture of 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-6-ethoxypyridine, benzyl cyanoacetate, and tri-ethylamine stored 2 days at room temp. -> benzyl 2-piperidylidenecyanoacetate. Y 68%. F. e. s. T. Oishi et al., Chem. Pharm. Bull. 17, 2306 (1969). 

Transesterification of an ester is catalyzed by acid or base and has been used in the preparation of simple alkyl, benzyl, and t-butyl esters. Thus the mono (13) and benzyl ester (14) of malonic acid are prepared from diethyl malonate by alkoxide catalysed transesterification [49]. Benzyl cyanoacetic ester may be similarly prepared. t-Butyl acetate in the presence of either an A -acyl or a free amino acid and perchloric acid catalyst forms the t-butyl esters of the amino acid by analogous transesterification [50]. 

A solution of 1-benzyl-4-piperidone, ethyl cyanoacetate, powdery sulfur and morpholine in ethanol is heated moderately under reflux for about 20 minutes to dissolve the powdery sulfur. The mixture is heated under reflux for one further hour to complete the reaction. On standing at room temperature, the mixture yields a precipitate. The precipitate is collected by filtration, washed well with methanol and recrystallized from methanol to give 2-amino-6-benzyl-3-ethoxycarbonyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrothieno(2,3-c)-pyridine as almost colorless needles melting at 112° to 113°C. 

Condensation of 165 with ethoxymethylenemalononitrile gave 171, and with ethyl ethoxymethylenecyanoacetate or methyl bis(methylmercapto)-methylene cyanoacetate it yielded 172 (80AP108). The reaction of 172 with urea, thiourea, and benzyl nitrile afforded 173 (91PHA98). Treatment of hydrazino derivatives 165 with alkyl, aryl, or aralkyl isothiocyanates yielded (86JHC1731) 3-(/V-substituted-thiocarbamoyl)-hydrazino[l,2,4]triazino[5,6-b]indoles which have been evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial activity (Scheme 36). 

Acetyloxindole, 40, 1 Aud chlorides, from acids and chloro vmylamuies, 41, 23 from cyanoacetic acid, 41, 5 from pentaacetylglucomc acid, 41, 80 Acrylamide, N benzyl, 42,16 Acrylonitrile, reaction with benzyl alcohol, 42, 16... 

An example of commercial interest is the synthesis of citronitrile (Scheme 17), a compound with a citrus-like odor, which is used in the cosmetics and fragrance industries. The first step in the synthesis of citronitrile is the Knoevenagel condensation of benzyl acetone and ethyl cyanoacetate. This condensation has been carried out with MgO and Al-Mg calcined hydrotalcites as catalysts (148). Similar results were obtained with the two solid catalysts, with yields of 75% of the Knoevenagel adduct. 

The addition of nitromethane (56% yield/168h 87% ee) or methyl a-cyanoacetate (94% yield/52h 82% ee) as alternative CH-acidic methylene compounds required increased reaction temperatures (60 to 80 °C) to furnish the adducts 7 and 8. As exemplarily depicted in Scheme 6.69 for benzylic alcohol thiourea 12 catalyzes the transformation of the obtained malononitrile Michael products to the respective carboxyhc acid derivatives (89% yield/88h). This method of derivatization also described for methanol (87% yield/24h rt), benzyl amine (77% yield/3h rt), and N,0-dimethylhydroxyamine (75% yield/20h 60°C) as nucleophiles was reported to be feasible as a one-pot strategy without isolation of the initially formed Michael adduct [222]. 

In this synthetic sequence, displacement of the benzylic chloride from o-chlorobenzylchloride 100, with ethyl cyanoacetate anion afforded 3-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-carboethoxypropionitrile 101 in 68% yield after distillation. Saponification of the ethyl ester followed by thermal decarboxylation and fractional vacuum distillation, provided 3-(2-chlorophenyl)propionitrile 102 in 92% yield. Intramolecular cyclization was accomplished with sodium amide in liquid ammonia to afford 1-cyanobenzocyclobutene 103 as a colorless liquid in a... 

The addition of allylic (or benzylic) zinc halides to alkylidenemalonates (105),lo2s-c alkylidene-cyanoacetates (106),l02d e alkylidenephosphonoacetates (108),84,1 alkylidene barbiturates102f and their ary-lidene analogs occurs exclusively in a 1,4-addition mode. However, the addition of allylic zinc halides to alkylidenemalonates (105) is temperature dependent at low temperatures (-15 C), the homoallylic ma-lonate (128) is obtained, while at higher temperatures (68 C) the isomeric 2-cyclopentenedicarboxylate esters (129) are obtained by a zinc halide promoted electrocyclic closure of the intermediate ester (127 Scheme 48).102 ... 

The enantio-determining step of nucleophilic additions to a-bromo-a,y -unsaturated ketones is mechanistically similar to those of nucleophilic epoxidations of enones, and asymmetry has also been induced in these processes using chiral phase-transfer catalysts [20]. The addition of the enolate of benzyl a-cyanoacetate to the enone 31, catalysed by the chiral ammonium salt 32, was highly diastereoselective and gave the cyclopropane 33 in 83% ee (Scheme 12). Good enantiomeric excesses have also been observed in reactions involving the anions of nitromethane and an a-cyanosulfone [20]. 

Allyl and benzyl bromides react with a,/ -unsaturated nitriles in the presence of indium(i) iodide under sonication to produce the corresponding allylated and benzylated imines, involving exclusive addition of the allyl/benzyl group to the nitrile moiety (Equation (63)).273 The reaction of allylindium reagents with methyl cyanoacetates affords the corresponding allylation-enamination products (Equation (64)).27 l-Acyl-l,2-dihydropyridines are prepared by indium-mediated allylation of 1-acylpyridinium salts (Equation (65)).275 Quinoline and isoquinoline activated by... 

Cesium-exchanged zeolite X was used as a solid base catalyst in the Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehyde or benzyl acetone with ethyl cyanoacetate [121]. The latter reaction is a key step in the synthesis of the fragrance molecule, citronitrile (see Fig. 2.37). However, reactivities were substantially lower than those observed with the more strongly basic hydrotalcite (see earlier). Similarly, Na-Y and Na-Beta catalyzed a variety of Michael additions [122] and K-Y and Cs-X were effective catalysts for the methylation of aniline and phenylaceto-nitrile with dimethyl carbonate or methanol, respectively (Fig. 2.37) [123]. These procedures constitute interesting green alternatives to classical alkylations using methyl halides or dimethyl sulfate in the presence of stoichiometric quantities of conventional bases such as caustic soda. 

In addition to malonic, acetoacetic, and cyanoacetic esters, compounds furnishing the active hydrogen atom are nitro paraffins,benzyl cyanide, malononitrile, cyanoacetamide, sulfones, methyl-pyridines, and ketones. ... 

Dimerization of ethyl 2-amino-2-cyanoacetate gives diethyl 5-aminoimidazole-2,4-dicar-boxylate (92) as in Scheme 53. At reflux temperatures in propanol, 1,1-dimethyl-1-phenacyl-hydrazinium bromide is converted into 2-benzyl-4-phenylimidazole (93). Again the cycliz-ation is a dimerization process (Scheme 53) (80AHC(27)24l). 

The parent, 8-azapurine, has been made only by nitrosation of 4,5-di-aminopyrimidine, which is an item of commerce. - - The 7- and 8-alkyl derivatives of 8-azapurine, whether with or without further substituents, require 1,2,3-triazole starting materials (Section IV,B), of which the best source is Hoover and Day s historic condensation of benzyl azide with ethyl cyanoacetate or (better) cyanoacetamide. An 8-aralkyl group has been introduced similarly. In favorable cases, an 8-aryl group can be derived from the action of a benzenediazonium chloride on a pyrimidine that bears enough electron-releasing substituents to activate the 5 position (the Benson synthesis Section IV,A). 

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