Benzylic Reactivity

H NMR, 4, 1042 ionization potentials, 4, 1046 synthesis, 4, 1066 UV spectra, 4, 1044 Selenolo[2,3 -cjthiophenes H NMR, 4, 1042 synthesis, 4, 1067 UV spectra, 4, 1044 Selenolo[3,2-6]thiophenes dipole moments, 4, 1049 H NMR, 4, 1042 ionization potentials, 4, 1046 synthesis, 4, 1066 UV spectra, 4, 1044 Selenolo[3,4-6]thiophenes synthesis, 4, 1067 Selenolo[3,4-c]thiophenes addition reactions, 4, 1062 synthesis, 4, 1076 Selenomethionine applications, 4, 970 Selenophene, 3-acetamido-reactions, 4, 953 Selenophene, 2-acetyl-mercuration, 4, 946 nitration, 4, 947 Selenophene, 2-alkyl-reactions, 4, 45 synthesis, 4, 135, 967 Selenophene, 3-alkyl-synthesis, 4, 135, 967 Selenophene, 3-aryl-synthesis, 4, 963 Selenophene, 2-benzyl-reactivity, 4, 946 Selenophene, 2-benzyl-5-ethyl-reduction, 4, 950... 

Benzylic Reactivity. 2,5-Dimethyl-3,4-dinitrothiophen has been condensed with aromatic aldehydes to give 3,4-dinitro-2,5-distyryl-thiophens. " An improved synthesis of 3-nitro-2-styryl-thiophens involves bromination of 3-methyl-2-nitrothiophen with A-bromosuccinimide, followed by a modified Wit-tig reaction. From 2,5-di(chloromethyl)thiophen, the phosphonate was prepared by the Arbusov reaction, which was used for the preparation of 2,5-distyryl-thiophens. Trichloromethyl(thienyl)carbinols have been converted into the corresponding fluoro-derivatives through the reaction with phenyl-tetrafluorophosphorane. The liquid-phase catalytic oxidation of phenyl-(2-thienyl)methane in acetic acid in the presence of cobalt(ll) acetate and sodium bromide has been investigated. ... 

Benzylic reactivity Halogenation (22-1) oxidation to benzoic acid (22-2)... 

Hammen equation A correlation between the structure and reactivity in the side chain derivatives of aromatic compounds. Its derivation follows from many comparisons between rate constants for various reactions and the equilibrium constants for other reactions, or other functions of molecules which can be measured (e g. the i.r. carbonyl group stretching frequency). For example the dissociation constants of a series of para substituted (O2N —, MeO —, Cl —, etc.) benzoic acids correlate with the rate constant k for the alkaline hydrolysis of para substituted benzyl chlorides. If log Kq is plotted against log k, the data fall on a straight line. Similar results are obtained for meta substituted derivatives but not for orthosubstituted derivatives. 

Ingold and his co-workers used the competitive method in their experiments, in which nitration was brought about in acetic anhydride. Typically, the reaction solutions in these experiments contained o-8-I 4 mol of nitric acid, and the reaction time, depending on the reactivities of the compounds and the temperature, was 0-5-10 h. Results were obtained for the reactivities of toluene, > ethyl benzoate, the halogenobenzenes, ethyl phenyl acetate and benzyl chloride. Some of these and some later results are summarized in table 5.2. Results for the halogenobenzenes and nitrobiphenyls are discussed later ( 9.1.4, lo.i), and those for a series of benzylic compounds in 5,3.4. 

Finally a general approach to synthesize A -pyrrolines must be mentioned. This is tl acid-catalyzed (NH4CI or catalytic amounts of HBr) and thermally (150°C) induced tea rangement of cyclopropyl imines. These educts may be obtained from commercial cyan> acetate, cyclopropyl cyanide, or benzyl cyanide derivatives by the routes outlined below. Tl rearrangement is reminiscent of the rearrangement of 1-silyloxy-l-vinylcyclopropancs (p. 7 83) but since it is acid-catalyzed it occurs at much lower temperatures. A -Pyrrolines constitut reactive enamines and may be used in further addition reactions such as the Robinson anei lation with methyl vinyl ketone (R.V. Stevens, 1967, 1968, 1971). 

As is broadly true for aromatic compounds, the a- or benzylic position of alkyl substituents exhibits special reactivity. This includes susceptibility to radical reactions, because of the. stabilization provided the radical intermediates. In indole derivatives, the reactivity of a-substituents towards nucleophilic substitution is greatly enhanced by participation of the indole nitrogen. This effect is strongest at C3, but is also present at C2 and to some extent in the carbocyclic ring. The effect is enhanced by N-deprotonation. 

An important method for construction of functionalized 3-alkyl substituents involves introduction of a nucleophilic carbon synthon by displacement of an a-substituent. This corresponds to formation of a benzylic bond but the ability of the indole ring to act as an electron donor strongly influences the reaction pattern. Under many conditions displacement takes place by an elimination-addition sequence[l]. Substituents that are normally poor leaving groups, e.g. alkoxy or dialkylamino, exhibit a convenient level of reactivity. Conversely, the 3-(halomethyl)indoles are too reactive to be synthetically useful unless stabilized by a ring EW substituent. 3-(Dimethylaminomethyl)indoles (gramine derivatives) prepared by Mannich reactions or the derived quaternary salts are often the preferred starting material for the nucleophilic substitution reactions. 

Carbocations derived from the alcohol are probably the reactive species, but data concerning by-products expected with carbocationic intermediates are lacking. Rearrangement of 2-alkylaminothiazoles to 2-amino-5-alkylthiazoles may also explain the observed products 2-aminothiazole with benzyl chloride yields first 2-benz Iaminothiazole (206). which then rearranges to 2-amino-5-benzvlthiazole (207) (Scheme 130) (163. 165. 198). 

Nucleophilic reactivity of exocyclic sulfur appears in acidic medium. 2-AryI thiazolyl sulfones are obtained from the corresponding sulfides by oxidation with HjO- in HOAc at 100°C (272). The same oxidation takes place with alkyl sulfides (203. 214, 273-275) and dithiazolylsulfides (129). However, the same reaction with 2-benzylthio derivatives gives benzylal-cohol and the related A-4-thiazoline-2-thione (169). 

The reaction of 2.4-dimethylthiazole with butyllithium shows that, in contrast to 2-methylthiazole, the benzyl position (the 2-position) is the most reactive. The effect of the substituent in the 4-position may well be steric 4-r-butyl-2-methylthiazole in the same reaction gives no 5-substituted product (223). 

Reaction with hydrogen halides (Sec tion 4 7) The order of alcohol reactiv ity parallels the order of carbocation staiiility RjC" > R2CH > RCHj" > CHj" Benzylic alcohols react readily... 

This IS a frequently used proce dure for the preparation of alkenes The order of alcohol reactivity paral lels the order of carbocation stability R3C > R2CH > RCH2 Benzylic al cohols react readily Rearrangements are sometimes observed... 

Solvent Preparation. The most critical aspect of the solvent is that it must be dry (less than 0.02 wt % of H2O) and free of O2. If the H2O content is above 0.02 wt %, then the reaction of Mg and RX does not initiate, except for an extremely reactive RX species, such as benzyl bromide. Although adventitious O2 does not retard the initiation process, the O2 reacts with the Grignard reagent to form a RMg02X species. Furthermore, upon hydrolysis, the oxidized Grignard reagent forms a ROH species that may cause purification problems. 

Substitution Reactions on Side Chains. Because the benzyl carbon is the most reactive site on the propanoid side chain, many substitution reactions occur at this position. Typically, substitution reactions occur by attack of a nucleophilic reagent on a benzyl carbon present in the form of a carbonium ion or a methine group in a quinonemethide stmeture. In a reversal of the ether cleavage reactions described, benzyl alcohols and ethers may be transformed to alkyl or aryl ethers by acid-catalyzed etherifications or transetherifications with alcohol or phenol. The conversion of a benzyl alcohol or ether to a sulfonic acid group is among the most important side chain modification reactions because it is essential to the solubilization of lignin in the sulfite pulping process (17). 

Novolaks. Novolak resins are typically cured with 5—15% hexa as the cross-linking agent. The reaction mechanism and reactive intermediates have been studied by classical chemical techniques (3,4) and the results showed that as much as 75% of nitrogen is chemically bound. More recent studies of resin cure (42—45) have made use of tga, dta, gc, k, and nmr (15). They confirm that the cure begins with the formation of benzoxazine (12), progresses through a benzyl amine intermediate, and finally forms (hydroxy)diphenyknethanes (DPM). 

In the presence of sulfide or sulfhydryl anions, the quinonemethide is attacked and a benzyl thiol formed. The P-aryl ether linkage to the next phenylpropane unit is broken down as a result of neighboring-group attack by the sulfur, eliminating the aryloxy group which becomes reactive phenolate ion (eq. 2). If sulfide is not present, a principal reaction is the formation of the stable aryl enol ether, ArCH=CHOAr. A smaller amount of this product also forms in the presence of sulfhydryl anion. 

SuIfona.tlon, Sulfonation is a common reaction with dialkyl sulfates, either by slow decomposition on heating with the release of SO or by attack at the sulfur end of the O—S bond (63). Reaction products are usually the dimethyl ether, methanol, sulfonic acid, and methyl sulfonates, corresponding to both routes. Reactive aromatics are commonly those with higher reactivity to electrophilic substitution at temperatures > 100° C. Tn phenylamine, diphenylmethylamine, anisole, and diphenyl ether exhibit ring sulfonation at 150—160°C, 140°C, 155—160°C, and 180—190°C, respectively, but diphenyl ketone and benzyl methyl ether do not react up to 190°C. Diphenyl amine methylates and then sulfonates. Catalysis of sulfonation of anthraquinone by dimethyl sulfate occurs with thaHium(III) oxide or mercury(II) oxide at 170°C. Alkyl interchange also gives sulfation. 

The benzyhc complex has been synthesized at low temperatures and may owe its stabiUty to possible multihapto coordination, Tj —Tj, of the benzyl ligand. The methyl complex is stable even up to room temperature. Six of the methyl groups are hydrogen-bonded to the Li atom to stabilize this highly charged species. This compound is very reactive with and CO. However, there is no concrete stmctural data for the final products of such reactions. 

These reactions occur on the benzylic hydrogens because these hydrogens are much more reactive. Competition experiments show, for example, that at 40°C a benzylic hydrogen of toluene is 3.3 times as reactive toward bromine atoms as the tertiary hydrogen of an alkane and nearly 100 million times as reactive as a hydrogen of methane. 

---