Bromoacetals

The Reformatsky Reaction consists of the interaction of an ester of an a-halogeno-acid with an aldehyde, a ketone or another ester in the presence of zinc. For example, if a mixture of ethyl bromoacetate and benzaldehyde is heated with zinc, the latter undoubtedly first combines with the ethyl bromoacetate to form a Grignard-like reagent (reaction A), which then adds on to the benzaldehyde Just as a Grignard reagent would do (reaction B). The complex so formed, on acidification gives ethyl p-phenyl-p-hydroxy-propionate (reaction C). Note that reaction A could not satisfactorily be carried out using... 

Required Zinc powder, 20 g. ethyl bromoacetate, 28 ml. benzaldehyde, 32 ml. 

Preparation of REAOENTS.t It is essential for this preparation that the zinc powder should be in an active condition. For this purpose, it is usually sufficient if a sample of ordinary technical zinc powder is vigorously shaken in a flask with pure ether, and then filtered off at the pump, washed once with ether, quickly drained and without delay transferred to a vacuum desiccator. If, however, an impure sample of zinc dust fails to respond to this treatment, it should be vigorously stirred in a beaker with 5% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution until an effervescence of hydrogen occurs, and then filtered at the pump, washed thoroughly with distilled water, and then rapidly with ethanol and ether, and dried as before in a vacuum desiccator. The ethyl bromoacetate (b.p. 159 ) and the benzaldehyde (b.p. 179 ) should be dried and distilled before use. 

A 1500 ml. flask is fitted (preferably by means of a three-necked adaptor) with a rubber-sleeved or mercury-sealed stirrer (Fig. 20, p. 39), a reflux water-condenser, and a dropping-funnel cf. Fig. 23(c), p. 45, in which only a two-necked adaptor is shown or Fig. 23(G)). The dried zinc powder (20 g.) is placed in the flask, and a solution of 28 ml. of ethyl bromoacetate and 32 ml. of benzaldehyde in 40 ml. of dry benzene containing 5 ml. of dry ether is placed in the dropping-funnel. Approximately 10 ml. of this solution is run on to the zinc powder, and the mixture allowed to remain unstirred until (usually within a few minutes) a vigorous reaction occurs. (If no reaction occurs, warm the mixture on the water-bath until the reaction starts.) The stirrer is now started, and the rest of the solution allowed to run in drop-wise over a period of about 30 minutes so that the initial reaction is steadily maintained. The flask is then heated on a water-bath for 30 minutes with continuous stirring, and is then cooled in an ice-water bath. The well-stirred product is then hydrolysed by the addition of 120 ml. of 10% sulphuric acid. The mixture is transferred to a separating-funnel, the lower aqueous layer discarded, and the upper benzene layer then... 

Ethyl bromoacetate is lachrymatory, and the preparation should therefore be carried out in a fume-cupboard. 

Bromoacetic acid must not be allowed to come into contact with the hands as it causes serious bums. 

Ethyl bromoacetate (1). Fit a large modified Dean and Stark apparatus provided with a stopcock at the lower end (a convenient size is shown in Fig. Ill, 126, 1) to the 1-htre flask containing the crude bromoacetic acid of the previous preparation and attach a double surface condenser to the upper end. Mix the acid with 155 ml. of absolute ethyl alcohol, 240 ml. of sodium-dried benzene and 1 ml. of concentrated sulphuric acid. Heat the flask on a water bath water, benzene and alcohol will collect in the special apparatus and separate into two layers, the lower layer consisting of approximately 50 per cent, alcohol. Run ofi the lower layer (ca. 75 ml.), which includes all the water formed in the... 

Ethyl bromoacetate vapour is extremely irritating to the eyes. The preparation must therefore be conducted in a fume cupboard provided with a good draught the material should be kept in closed vessels as far as possible. 

Great caro must be exercised in handling ethyl bromoacetate. Keep a 10 per cent, aqueous ammonia solution available to react with any bromoester which may be spilled. 

The Q. j-unsaturated ester and amide 942 is prepared by the Pd-catalyzed Wittig-type reaction of the bromoacetate or bromoacetamide 941 with aldehydes and BU(Asf785],... 

The reaction can be applied to allyl malonates. Alkylation of diallyl mal-onate (734) with bromoacetate and acetoxymethylation afford the mixed triester 735. Treatment of the tricster 735 with Pd catalyst affords allyl ethyl itaconate (736). In a similar way, a-methylene lactone and the lactam 737 can be prepared[462]. 

Chloro-2-(ethoxycarbonyl)-3-(4-fluorophenyl) N-[5-Chloro-2-(4-fluorobenzoyl]benzamide, methyl bromoacetate (1) NaH (2) NaOMe 30 [2]... 

Owing to the instability of a-halogenoaldehydes it is occasionally preferable to use more stable derivatives, such as enol acetate prepared according to Bedoukian s method (204) and a-bromoacetals (4, 8, 10, 16, 22, 67, 101, 426). An advantage is said to be in the yield however, this appears to be slight. The derivatives react in the same sense as the aldehydes themselves, that is, the acetal group as the more polarized reacts first and enters the C-4 position. It is likely that the condensation and cyclization occur by direct displacement of alkoxide ions. Ethyl-a,/3-dihalogeno ethers (159, 164, 177, 248) have also been used in place of the free aldehydes in condensation with thioamides. 

Bromoacetic acid [79-08-3] (BrCH2COOH), mol wt 138.96, C2H3Br02, occurs as hexagonal or rhomboidal hygroscopic crystals, mp 49°C, bp 208°C, 1.9335, 1-4804. It is soluble in water, methanol, and ethyl ether. Bromoacetic acid undergoes many of the same reactions as chloroacetic acid under... 

Bromoacetic acid can be prepared by the bromination of acetic acid in the presence of acetic anhydride and a trace of pyridine (55), by the HeU-VoUiard-Zelinsky bromination cataly2ed by phosphoms, and by direct bromination of acetic acid at high temperatures or with hydrogen chloride as catalyst. Other methods of preparation include treatment of chloroacetic acid with hydrobromic acid at elevated temperatures (56), oxidation of ethylene bromide with Aiming nitric acid, hydrolysis of dibromovinyl ether, and air oxidation of bromoacetylene in ethanol. 

Beecham P-lactamase iiihibitoi BRL 42715 [102209-75-6] (89, R = Na), C IlgN O SNa (105). Lithium diphenylamide, a weaker base, was used to generate the anion of (88) which on sequential treatment with l-methyl-l,2,3-ttia2ole-4-carbaldehyde and acetic anhydride gives a mixture of diastereomers of the bromoacetate (90). Reductive elimination then provided the (Z)-penem (89, R = d5 Q [ OC15 -p) as major product which on Lewis acid mediated deprotection gave BRL 42715 (89, R = Na). 

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