Boron trifluoride Lewis acid promotion

The diastereofacial selectivity of Lewis acid promoted reactions of allylsilancs with chiral aldehydes has been thoroughly investigated58. Aldehydes with alkyl substituted a-stereogenic centers react with a mild preference for the formation of Cram products, this preference being enhanced by the use of boron trifluoride-diethyl ether complex as catalyst58. 

An interesting and stereoselective synthesis of 1,3-diols has been developed which is based on Lewis acid promoted reactions of /f-(2-propenylsilyloxy (aldehydes. Using titanium(IV) chloride intramolecular allyl transfer takes place to give predominantly Ag/r-l,3-diols, whereas anti-1,3-diols, formed via an / / /-molecular process, are obtained using tin(IV) chloride or boron trifluoride diethyl ether complex71. 

The stereoselectivity of Lewis acid promoted reactions between 2-butenylstannanes and aldehydes has been widely studied, and several very useful procedures for stereoselective synthesis have been developed. In particular syn-products are formed stereoselectively in reactions between trialkyl- and triaryl(2-butenyl)stannanes, and aldehydes induced by boron trifluoride-diethyl ether complex, irrespective of the stannane geometry66. 

Numerous Lewis acids promote the formation of nitronium ions when in the presence of nitric acid. Nitric acid-boron trifluoride, and the nitric acid-hydrogen fluoride-boron trifluoride reagents described by Olah are practical nitrating agents the latter provides a convenient preparation of nitronium tetrafluoroborate. Olah reports that nitric acid-magic acid (FSOsH-SbFs) is extremely effective for the polynitration of aromatic substrates. 

This procedure illustrates a general method for the preparation of crossed aldols. The aldol reaction between various silyl enol ethers and carbonyl compounds proceeds smoothly according to the same procedure (see Table I). Sllyl enol ethers react with aldehydes at -78°C, and with ketones near 0°C. Note that the aldol reaction of sllyl enol ethers with ketones affords good yields of crossed aldols which are generally difficult to prepare using lithium or boron enolates. Lewis acids such as tin tetrachloride and boron trifluoride etherate also promote the reaction however, titanium tetrachloride is generally the most effective catalyst. 

In consideration of conceivable strategies for the more direct construction of these derivatives, nitriles can be regarded as simple starting materials with which the 3+2 cycloaddition of acylcarbenes would, in a formal sense, provide the desired oxazoles. Oxazoles, in fact, have previously been obtained by the reaction of diazocarbonyl compounds with nitriles through the use of boron trifluoride etherate as a Lewis acid promoter. Other methods for attaining oxazoles involve thermal, photochemical, or metal-catalyzed conditions.12 Several recent studies have indicated that many types of rhodium-catalyzed reactions of diazocarbonyl compounds proceed via formation of electrophilic rhodium carbene complexes as key intermediates rather than free carbenes or other types of reactive intermediates.13 If this postulate holds for the reactions described here, then the mechanism outlined in Scheme 2 may be proposed, in which the carbene complex 3 and the adduct 4 are formed as intermediates.14... 

Lewis acids such as tin(IV) chloride, boron trifluoride-acetic acid and boron trifluoride-etherate, are also effective in promoting the Ritter reaction. In general, the original technique is more efficient, but use of Lewis acids can sometimes signiflcantly influence the proportions of products in a mixture and has advantages when relatively sensitive substrates are present. 

When halogen atoms are present in the epoxide such as in epichlorohydrin, 3,3,3-trichloropropylene oxide (TCPO) or 4,4,4-trichloro-l,2-butylene oxide (TCBO), or in the initiator, acid catalysts, e.g. boron trifluor-ide etherate, may be used (13-18). Vogt cind Davis (16) found that, if the concentration of catalyst/ini-tiator (polyol) complex is decreased with respect to TCPO in order to obtain higher molecular weight products, side reactions such as cyclization reactions become increasingly important. Boron trifluoride also promotes dimerization of alkylene oxides to dioxane or alkyl derivatives of dioxane as described by Fife and Roberts ( ). The use of acid catalysts, e.g. Lewis acids, promotes formation of a greater amount of terminal primary alcohol groups when compared to base catalysis of epoxides. 

The use of the thioacetal products as electrophiles in Lewis acid-promoted reactions of allyl- and propargylstannanes allows access to three-carbon homologated methyl ethers or phenyl sulfides (eq 9). Employment of boron trifluoride etherate as the Lewis acid results in the selective cleavage of the phenylthio group to provide ether products. Similarly, the use of titanium(IV) chloride results in cleavage of the methoxy group and formation of... 

The Lewis acid promoted (typically boron trifluoride) condensation of cyclic iminium ions with TMSOF provides a facile route to a variety of substituted butenolide products. In this manner, the Lewis acid promoted condensation of pyrrolidine derived iminium ions with TMSOF provides the desired threo-product as the major isomer (eq 26). This step is pivotal in the synthesis of a tachykinin NK-2 receptor antagonist, the C1-C32 fragment of aza-solamin and various biologically active indolizidinones. ... 

The use of boron trifluoride-diethyl ether complex as the Lewis acid in these reactions promotes silyl group migration and gives rise to the formation of tetrahydrofurans with excellent stereoselectivity82. 

Epoxides can be isomerized to carbonyl compounds by Lewis acids.104 105 Boron trifluoride is frequently used as the reagent. Carbocation intermediates appear to be involved, and the structure and stereochemistry of the product are determined by the factors which govern substituent migration in the carbocation. Clean, high-yield reactions can be expected only where structural or conformational factors promote a selective rearrangement. 

High polymers are generally obtained on treatment with Lewis acids at low temperatures in an inert solvent. Boron trifluoride and boron trifluoride etherate are the most widely used catalysts, but a small amount of water must be present, which is termed a promoter triethylaluminum and triisobutylaluminum are also useful initiators and are generally used with addition of water. Alkylating agents, such as ethyl triflate, triethyloxonium tetrafluoro-borate and hexafluorophosphite, and 2-methyl-l,3-dioxolenium perchlorate, are also effective initiators (76MI51301,72MI51304). 

Starting ingredients may be formaldehyde or the cyclic trimer rrioxane, CH2OCH2OCH2O. Both form polymers of similar properties. Boron trifluoride of other Lewis acids are used to promote polymerization where trioxane is the raw material. 

Simple Lewis acids such as boron trifluoride or protons, which only have a single site for coordination, promote completely different chemistry. For example, the reaction of tetramethyldioxetane with BF3 gave acetone, pinacolone, and the 1,2,4,5-tetroxane (Eq. 78). Similar results have been obtained when this dioxetane is treated with aqueous sulfuric acid. ... 

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