Esters, benzyl

Acid B.P. M.P. 1 Anilide /hToIuI- dlde Amide phcnacyl Ester Nltro- benzyl Ester /)-Phenyl- phenacyl Ester S-Benzyl> Mo-thlu- ronlum Salt -Bromo- anlUde Hydrazlde ... 

Drop 1 g. of sodium into 10 ml. of ethyl alcohol in a small flask provided with a small water condenser heat the mixture until all the sodium has dissolved. Cool, and add 1 g. of the ester and 0-5 ml. of water. Frequently the sodium salt of the acid will be deposited either at once or after boiling for a few minutes. If this occurs, filter oflF the solid at once, wash it with a little absolute ethyl alcohol (or absolute methylated spirit), and convert it into the p-bromophenacyl ester, p-nitro-benzyl ester or S-benzyl-tso-thiuronium salt (for experimental details, see Section 111,85). If no solid separates, continue the boiling for 30-60 minutes, boil oflF the alcohol, allow to cool, render the product just neutral to phenolphthalein with dilute sulphuric or hydrochloric acid, convert the sodium salt present in solution into a crystalline derivative (Section 111,85), and determine its melting point. 

Add B.P. H.P Anilide Amide phenacyl Ester benzyl Ester phenacyl Ester uronlum Salt ... 

Acid B.P. H.P. AnlUde p-Tolu4- dide 1 Amide p-Bromo- phenacyl ter p-Nitro- benzyl Ester p-Phenyl phenacyl Ester S-Benzyl- uo-thi- uronium Salt Other Derivatives... 

Substitution of an ester of dithiocarbamic acid such as alkyl or benzyl ester (171), or their salts leads directly to 2-substituted mercaptothiazoles (172) (Scheme 87) (272, 461). Some of these compounds have an antifungal activity (561). 

Deprotection by this method rests on the ease with which benzyl esters are cleaved by nucleophilic attack at the benzylic carbon m the presence of strong acids Bromide ion IS the nucleophile... 

Carboxyl groups of ammo acids and peptides are normally protected as esters Methyl and ethyl esters are prepared by Fischer esterification Deprotection of methyl and ethyl esters is accomplished by hydrolysis m base Benzyl esters are a popular choice because they can also be removed by hydrogenolysis Thus a synthetic peptide protected at both... 

Its N terminus with a Z group and at its C terminus as a benzyl ester can be completely deprotected m a single operation... 

Reaction of carboxylate ion with nitrophenyl sulfites gives the carboxylate -nitrophenyl esters. If the -nitrophenyl sulfite is unsymmethcal (02NCgH40S(0)0R, where R is ethyl or phenyl), carboxylate attacks the -nitrophenyl side (69). Some amino acids react with methyl and benzyl sulfites in the presence of -toluenesulfonic acid to give methyl and benzyl esters of the amino acids as -toluenesulfonate salts (70). With alcohols, the conversion of henzil to a monoacetal upon addition of sulfuric acid to the henzil in methanol and dimethyl sulfite proceeds in high yield (71). 

Reactions of the Side Chain. Benzyl chloride is hydrolyzed slowly by boiling water and more rapidly at elevated temperature and pressure in the presence of alkaHes (11). Reaction with aqueous sodium cyanide, preferably in the presence of a quaternary ammonium chloride, produces phenylacetonitrile [140-29-4] in high yield (12). The presence of a lower molecular-weight alcohol gives faster rates and higher yields. In the presence of suitable catalysts benzyl chloride reacts with carbon monoxide to produce phenylacetic acid [103-82-2] (13—15). With different catalyst systems in the presence of calcium hydroxide, double carbonylation to phenylpymvic acid [156-06-9] occurs (16). Benzyl esters are formed by heating benzyl chloride with the sodium salts of acids benzyl ethers by reaction with sodium alkoxides. The ease of ether formation is improved by the use of phase-transfer catalysts (17) (see Catalysis, phase-thansfer). 

Nearly all uses and appHcations of benzyl chloride are related to reactions of the active haUde substituent. More than two-thirds of benzyl chloride produced is used in the manufacture of benzyl butyl-phthalate, a plasticizer used extensively in vinyl flooring and other flexible poly(vinyl chloride) uses such as food packaging. Other significant uses are the manufacture of benzyl alcohol [100-51-6] and of benzyl chloride-derived quaternary ammonium compounds, each of which consumes more than 10% of the benzyl chloride produced. Smaller volume uses include the manufacture of benzyl cyanide [140-29-4], benzyl esters such as benzyl acetate [140-11-4], butyrate, cinnamate, and saUcylate, benzylamine [100-46-9], and benzyl dimethyl amine [103-83-8], and -benzylphenol [101-53-1]. In the dye industry benzyl chloride is used as an intermediate in the manufacture of triphenylmethane dyes (qv). First generation derivatives of benzyl chloride are processed further to pharmaceutical, perfume, and flavor products. 

In an unusual application of the Wittig reaction, treatment of clavulanic acid derivatives and esters of penicillin V with methoxycarbonylmethylenetriphenylphosphorane afforded the corresponding exo-alkylideneazetidines. Thus penicillin V benzyl ester (104) gave (lOS) as a mixture of E and Z isomers. The /3-lactam could be regenerated by low-temperature ozonolysis (81CC929). 

A phenacyl ester is much more readily cleaved by nucleophiles than are othc esters such as the benzyl ester. Phenacyl esters are stable to acidic hydrolysis (e.g coned. HCh HBr/HOAc 50% CF3COOH/CH2Cl2 HF, 0°, 1 h ). 

The carboxamidomethyl ester was prepared for use in peptide synthesis. It is formed from the cesium salt of an A-protected amino acid and a-chloroacetamide (60-85% yield). It is cleaved with 0.5 M NaOH or NaHCOa in DMF/H2O. It is stable to the conditions required to remove BOC, Cbz, Fmoc, and r-butyl esters. It cannot be selectively cleaved in the presence of a benzyl ester of aspartic acid. ... 

Cycloalkyl esters have.been used to protect the /3-CO2H group in aspartyl peptides to minimize aspartimide formation during acidic or basic reactions. Aspartimide foimation is limited to 2-3% in TFA (20 h, 25°), 5-7% with HF at 0°, and 1.5-4% TfOH (thioanisole in TFA). Cycloalkyl esters are also stable to Et3N, whereas use of the benzyl ester leads to 25 % aspartimide formation during Et3N treatment. Cycloalkyl esters are stable to CF3COOH, but are readily cleaved with HF or TfOH. - ... 

Benzyl esters are readily prepared by many of the classical methods (see introduction to this chapter), as well as by many newer methods, since benzyl alcohol is unhindered and relatively stable to acid. 

A methyl estef can be exchanged for a benzyl ester thermally (185°, 1.25 h, -MeOH) ... 

The most useful property of benzyl esters is that they are readily cleaved by hy-drogenolysis. 

Catalytic transfer hydrogenation (entries 2 and 3 below) can be used to cleave benzyl esters in some compounds that contain sulfur, a poison for hydrogenolysis catalysts. 

Na, ammonia, 50% yield." These conditions were used to cleave the benzyl ester of an amino acid the Cbz and benzylsulfenamide derivatives were also cleaved. 

The p-bromobenzyl ester has been used to protect the /3-COOH group in aspartic acid. It is cleaved by strong acidic hydrolysis (HF, 0°, 10 min, 100% yield), but is stable to 50% CF3COOH/CH2CI2 used to cleave /-butyl carbamates. It is 5-7 times more stable than a benzyl ester. ... 

A benzyl ester can be cleaved in the presence of the 4-sulfobenzyl ester by CF3S03H. - ... 

The protective group is removed by mildly alkaline conditions that do not cleave methyl or benzyl esters. The group is stable to CF3COOH, HCl-AcOH, and HBr-AcOH. A polymer-bound version of this group has also been developed. ... 

Electrolysis —2.9 V, DMF, R4N X , 70-80% yield or Pd/graphite cathode, MeOH, AcOH, 2.5% NaCl04 (0.5 mol/L), 99% yield.Benzyl ethers and tosylates are stable to these conditions, but benzyl esters are cleaved. 

Catecholborane halide cleaves benzyl carbamatesi in the presence of ethyl and benzyl esters and TBDMS ethers." ... 

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