Benzyl group Raney nickel

Nickel in the presence of ammonia is often used for reduction of nitriles to primary amines. The reaction is done at elevated temperatures and pressures ( 100 C, 1000 psig) unless massive amounts of nickel are used. Cobalt is used similarly but mainly under even more vigorous conditions. Nitriles containing a benzylamine can be reduced over Raney nickel to an amine without hydrogenolysis of the benzyl group (7). A solution of butoxycarbonyl)-3-aminopropyl]-N-<3-cyanopropyl)benzylamine (13.6 g) in 100 ml of ethanol containing 4 g. NaOH was reduced over 3.0 g Raney nickel at 40 psig for 28 h. The yield of A/ -benzyl-Air -(f-butoxycarbonyl)s >ermidine was 95% (7). 

Raney Nickel was also used as the catalyst for the reduction of nitro sugars to amino sugars by hydrogenation.87 Under these conditions, nitro sugar 127 was reduced to amino sugar derivative 128, without removal of the benzyl protecting group. Compound 128 was finally converted into azepane 129 (Scheme 39).88... 

Enalapril Enalapril, (S)-l-[iV-[l-(ethoxycarbonyl)-3-phenylpropyl]-L-alanyl]-L-proline (22.7.12), is synthesized by reacting the benzyl ester of L-alanyl-L-proline with the ethyl ester of 3-benzoylacrylic acid, which forms the product 22.7.11, the reduction of which with hydrogen using a Raney nickel catalyst removes the protective benzyl group, giving the desired enalapril (22.7.12) [24], Alternative methods of syntheses have also been proposed [25-29]. 

The optical isomers of DOM have been prepared in two ways. The racemic base has been resolved as the ortho-nitrotartranilic acid salt by recrystallization from EtOH. The (+) acid provides the (+) or S isomer of DOM preferentially. Also, the above-mentioned l-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl)-2-propanone can be reductively aminated with optically active alpha-methyl benzylamine with Raney Nickel. This amine is isolated and purified by recrystallization of the hydrochloride salt. When optically pure, the benzyl group was removed by hydrogenolysis with palladium on carbon. The mp of either of the optical isomers, as the hydrochloride salts, was 204-205 °C. 

Chemoselective catalytic hydrogenolysis (10 % Pd/C) of the glycosidic benzyl group of a 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucosederivative that carries another benzyl group protecting a 3-hydroxytetradecanoyl substituent at 0-3 has been applied in an efficient synthesis of lipid Y [215]. Benzyl ether is cleaved selectively in the presence of p-methoxy-benzyl ether by Raney nickel hydrogenolysis [216]. 

The synthesis uses alkylation by a benzylic halide and the reduction of both nitro groups is done catalytically with Raney nickel in the same step.6... 

Sulfoxides direct lateral lithiation in a reaction which is also highly stereoselective.409 In common with other electrophiles, ClC02Et produces as a single diastereoisomer of 455 from 454, and Raney nickel can be used to remove the sulfinyl group from the product, making this a very versatile method for asymmetric functionalisation of a benzyl group. 

The selective reduction of nitroarenes containing benzyl-protected phenolic groups without concomitant hydrogenolysis has also been achieved using hydrazine hydrate and Raney nickel. This procedure avoids strongly acidic conditions. The reaction is selective and a variety of (V-benzyl- and chloro-sub-stituted nitroarenes are reduced to the corresponding anilines without dehalogenation or debenzylation. 

Reduction of benzylic oxygen functional groups with Raney nickel has occasionally been reported, but there are very few examples in the recent literature. Hydrogenolysis over W-2 Raney nickel has been used to selectively remove benzyl ether protection in the presence of a 4-methoxybenzyl protecting group (equation 30)." ... 

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