Birch reduction reaction conditions

Obviously the structures and yields of Birch reduction products are determined at the two protonation stages. The ring positions at which both protonations occur are determined kinetically the first protonation or 7t-complex collapse is rate determining and irreversible, and the second protonation normally is irreversible under the reaction conditions. In theory, the radical-anion could protonate at any one of the six carbon atoms of the ring and each of the possible cyclohexadienyl carbanions formed subsequently could protonate at any one of three positions. Undoubtedly the steric and electronic factors discussed above determine the kinetically favored positions of protonation, but at present it is difficult to evaluate the importance of each factor in specific cases. A brief summary of some empirical and theoretical data regarding the favored positions of protonation follows. 

A remarkable feature of the Birch reduction of estradiol 3-methyl ether derivatives, as well as of other metal-ammonia reductions, is the extreme rapidity of reaction. Sodium and -butyl alcohol, a metal-alcohol combination having a comparatively slow rate of reduction, effects the reduction of estradiol 3-methyl ether to the extent of 96% in 5 minutes at —33° lithium also effects complete reduction under the same conditions as is to be expected. Shorter reaction times were not studied. At —70°, reduction with sodium occurs to the extent of 56 % in 5 minutes, although reduction with lithium is virtually complete (96%) in the same time. (The slow rates of reduction of compounds of the 5-methoxytetralin type is exemplified by 5-methoxy-tetralin itself with sodium and f-butyl alcohol reduction occurs to the extent of only 50% in 6 hours vs. 99+% with lithium.) The iron catalyzed reaction of sodium with alcohols must be very fast since it competes so well with the rapid Birch reduction. One cannot compensate for the presence of iron in a Birch reduction mixture containing sodium by adding additional metal to extend the reaction time. The iron catalyzed sodium-alcohol reaction is sufficiently rapid that the aromatic steroid still remains largely unreduced. 

The elaboration of a method for the reduction of aromatic rings to the corresponding dihydrobenzenes under controlled conditions by A. J. Birch opened a convenient route to compounds related to the putative norprogesterone. This reaction, now known as the Birch reduction,is typified by the treatment of... 

Reaction of estrone methyl ether with methyl Grignard reagent followed by Birch reduction and hydrolysis of the intermediate enol ether affords the prototype orally active androgen in the 19-nor series, normethandrolone (69). ° (Note that here again the addition of the methyl group proceeded stereoselectively by approach from the least hindered side.) The preparation of the ethyl homolog starts by catalytic reduction of mestranol treatment of the intermediate, 70, under the conditions of the Birch reduction and subsequent hydrolysis of the intermediate enol ether yields norethandrolone (71). ... 

Under the conditions of the Birch reduction, IV-Boc amides such as 60 can be reductively alkylated in high yields, presumably via a dianion intermediate which is protonated by ammonia at C-5 leaving an enolate anion at C-2 <96JOC7664>. Quenching the reaction with alkyl halides or ammonium chloride then affords the 3-pyrrolines 61. 

Reduction of aromatic compounds to dihydro derivatives by dissolved metals in liquid ammonia (Birch reduction) is one of the fundamental reactions in organic chemistry308. When benzene derivatives are subjected to this reduction, cyclohexa-1,4-dienes are formed. The 1,4-dienes obtained from the reduction isomerize to more useful 1,3-dienes under protic conditions. A number of syntheses of natural products have been devised where the Birch reduction of a benzenoid compound to a cyclohex-1,3-diene and converting this intermediate in Diels-Alder fasion to polycyclic products is involved (equation 186)308f h. 

R. Taylor. We tried the Birch reduction and obtained amino peaks in the ir because amination occurs under the reaction conditions. We tried to get over this problem by hydrogenating over platinum at low pressure, initially in hexane and then in benzene. Benzene must be redistilled first because it contains di-octyl phthalate. Having adopted this precaution, a purple solution was obtained which became bright yellow after 2-3 days. Of course benzene is reduced as well to cyclohexane. Another problem arises because the (hydrogenated) product, although initially soluble in... 

Under Birch reaction conditions not only reduction of the carbonyl occurs. 

This is a radical reaction similar to the Birch reduction (see p. 148). In general benzyl groups are removed hydrogenolytically (see p. 260), but under these conditions elimination of the remaining double bond would occur. In the second step the carbonate is cleaved and the amine is deprotected to get the unprotected oligosaccharide 19. 

Several examples of the Birch reduction of substituted benzene derivatives are shown in the following equations. Note that substituents such as alkyl and alkoxy groups prefer to be attached to one of the carbons of the double bonds of the product, while a carboxyl group prefers to be attached to one of the singly bonded carbons. Benzene derivatives with other types of substituents are usually not employed as reactants in the Birch reduction because the substituents are not stable to the reaction conditions. 

The product of a Birch reduction is 1,4-cyclohexadiene. Offer a reason why this product is not further reduced under the reaction conditions. 

The Birch reduction has been applied to electron-deficient pyrroles substituted with a chiral auxiliary at the C(2)-position <1999TL435>. Using either (—)-8-phenylmenthol or (- -)-/ra /-2-(ot-cumyl)cyclohexanol as auxiliaries, high levels of stereoselectivity were obtained. Pyrrole 911, prepared from the l/7-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid 910 in 90% yield, was reduced under modified Birch conditions (Scheme 176). The best conditions involved lithium metal (3 equiv), liquid ammonia and THE at —78°C. The addition of A, A -bis(2-methoxyethyl)amine (10 equiv) helped to reduce side reactions caused by the lithium amide formed in the reaction <1998TL3075>. After 15 min, the Birch reductions were quenched with a range of electrophiles and in each case 3,4-dehydroproline derivatives 912 were formed in excellent yields and with good diastereoselectivities. 

Catalytic hydrogenation offers the mildest and one of the most efficient means for cleaving benzylidene acetals to toluene and the corresponding dioL The reaction is especially useful for reactions on a small scale performed on frail substrates as exemplified by the final step in a short synthesis of Oteandolide by Evans and co-workers [Scheme 3.54J.88 Birch reduction involving sodium or lithium in liquid ammonia in the presence of a proton source such as ethanol accomplishes the clean scission of a benzylidene acetal but few functional groups are compatible with such powerfully reducing conditions and the reaction is seldom used.89... 

Oxidation of the dienolate of (17) with (+)-( ) affords a-hydroxy ester (18), a key intermediate in the enantioselective synthesis of the antibiotic echinosporin (eq 19) whereas oxidation of enolates derived from 1,3-dioxin vinylogous ester (19) gives rise to both a - and y-hydroxylation depending on the reaction conditions (eq 20). With (+)-( ) the lithium enolate of (19) gives primarily the a -hydroxylation product (20), while the sodium enolate gives )/-hydroxylation product (21). Only low levels of asymmetric induction (ca. 16% ee) are found in these oxidations. Birch reduction products are also asymmetrically hydroxylated in situ by (+)-( ) (eq 21). ... 

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