Oxygenated Carbons

Clearly such bonding would produce two different carbon-oxygen bond distances (p. 48) but in fact all bonds are found to be identical and intermediate in length between the expected C=0 and C—O bond distances. We conclude, therefore, that the true structure of the carbonate ion cannot be accurately represented by any one diagram of the type shown and a number of resonance structures are suggested (p. 50). 

Carbon dioxide has a linear structure. The simple double-bonded formula, however, does not fully explain the structure since the measured carbon-oxygen bond lengths are equal but intermediate between those expected for a double and a triple bond. A more accurate representation is, therefore, obtained by considering carbon dioxide as a resonance hybrid of the three structures given below ... 

All the carbon-oxygen bonds are found to be of equal length and intermediate between carbon-oxygen single and double bond length. 

Chlorine reacts with most elements, both metals and non-metals except carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, forming chlorides. Sometimes the reaction is catalysed by a trace of water (such as in the case of copper and zinc). If the element attacked exhibits several oxidation states, chlorine, like fluorine, forms compounds of high oxidation state, for example iron forms iron(III) chloride and tin forms tin(IV) chloride. Phosphorus, however, forms first the trichloride, PCI3, and (if excess chlorine is present) the pentachloride PCI5. 

Carbon-oxygen bonds are formed by the Ullmann reaction (- coupling of aryl halides with copper) which has been varied in alkaloid chemistry to produce diaryl ethers instead of biaryls. This is achieved by the use of CuO in basic media (T. Kametani, 1969 R.W. Dos-kotch, 1971). 

Addition of Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Sulfur Nucleophiles... 

Lewis s concept of shared electron parr bonds allows for four electron double bonds and SIX electron triple bonds Carbon dioxide (CO2) has two carbon-oxygen double bonds and the octet rule is satisfied for both carbon and oxygen Similarly the most stable Lewis structure for hydrogen cyanide (HCN) has a carbon-nitrogen triple bond... 

Recall that the carbon atom of carbon dioxide bears a partial positive charge because of the electron attracting power of its attached oxygens When hydroxide ion (the Lewis base) bonds to this positively polarized carbon a pair of electrons in the carbon-oxygen double bond leaves carbon to become an unshared pair of oxygen... 

Oxidation of carbon corresponds to an increase in the number of bonds between carbon and oxygen or to a decrease in the number of carbon-hydrogen bonds Conversely reduction corresponds to an increase in the number of carbon-hydrogen bonds or to a decrease in the number of carbon-oxygen bonds From Table 2 4 it can be seen that each successive increase m oxidation state increases the number of bonds between carbon and oxygen and decreases the number of carbon-hydrogen bonds Methane has four C—H bonds and no C—O bonds car bon dioxide has four C—O bonds and no C—H bonds... 

Carbon-oxygen and carbon-halogen bonds are polar covalent bonds and carbon bears a partial positive charge in alcohols ( " C—0 ) and in alkyl halides ( " C—X ) Alcohols and alkyl halides are polar molecules The dipole moments of methanol and chloromethane are very similar to each other and to water... 

Relatively simple notions of attractive forces between opposite charges are suffi cient to account for many of the properties of chemical substances You will find it help ful to keep the polarity of carbon-oxygen and carbon-halogen bonds m mind as we develop the properties of alcohols and alkyl halides m later sections... 

Primary alcohols do not dehydrate as readily as secondary or tertiary alcohols and their dehydration does not involve a primary carbocation A proton is lost from the (3 carbon m the same step m which carbon-oxygen bond cleavage occurs The mechanism is E2... 

In the acid catalyzed dehydration of 2 methyl 1 propanol what carbocation would be formed if a hydride shift accompanied cleavage of the carbon-oxygen bond in the alkyloxonium lon" What ion would be formed as a result of a methyl shift" Which pathway do you think will predominate a hydnde shift or a methyl shift" ... 

Step 3 Carbon migrates from boron to oxygen displacing hydroxide ion Carbon migrates with the pair of electrons m the carbon-boron bond these become the electrons m the carbon-oxygen bond... 

To understand the effect of a carbonyl group attached directly to the ring consider Its polarization The electrons m the carbon-oxygen double bond are drawn toward oxy gen and away from carbon leaving the carbon attached to the nng with a partial posi tive charge Using benzaldehyde as an example... 

The most obvious way to reduce an aldehyde or a ketone to an alcohol is by hydro genation of the carbon-oxygen double bond Like the hydrogenation of alkenes the reac tion IS exothermic but exceedingly slow m the absence of a catalyst Finely divided metals such as platinum palladium nickel and ruthenium are effective catalysts for the hydrogenation of aldehydes and ketones Aldehydes yield primary alcohols... 

Neither sodium borohydride nor lithium aluminum hydride reduces isolated carbon-carbon double bonds This makes possible the selective reduction of a carbonyl group m a molecule that contains both carbon-carbon and carbon-oxygen double bonds... 

Typical carbon-oxygen bond distances m ethers are similar to those of alcohols (—142 pm) and are shorter than carbon-carbon bond distances m alkanes (—153 pm) An ether oxygen affects the conformation of a molecule m much the same way that a CH2 unit does The most stable conformation of diethyl ether is the all staggered anti conformation Tetrahydropyran is most stable m the chair conformation—a fact that has an important bearing on the structures of many carbohydrates... 

Thus epoxides like cyclopropanes have significant angle strain They tend to undergo reactions that open the three membered nng by cleaving one of the carbon-oxygen bonds... 

Their polar carbon-oxygen bonds and the presence of unshared electron pairs at oxygen contribute to the ability of ethers to form Lewis acid Lewis base complexes with metal ions... 

A long standing method for the preparation of ethers is the Williamson ether synthesis Nucleophilic substitution of an alkyl halide by an alkoxide gives the carbon-oxygen bond of an ether... 

Just as the carbon-oxygen bond of alcohols is cleaved on reaction with hydrogen halides (Section 4 8) so too is an ether linkage broken... 

With mixed ethers of the type ROR the question of which carbon-oxygen bond... 

The experimental observations combine with the principles of nucleophilic substi tution to give the picture of epoxide ring opening shown m Figure 16 5 The nucleophile attacks the less crowded carbon from the side opposite the carbon-oxygen bond Bond... 

Step 2 Nucleophilic attack by water on carbon of the oxonium ion The carbon-oxygen bond of the ring is broken in this step and the ring opens... 

Section 16 3 The carbon-oxygen bond of ethers is polar and ethers can act as proton acceptors m hydrogen bonds with water and alcohols... 

FIGURE 17 2 Both (a) ethylene and (b) formal dehyde have the same num ber of electrons and carbon IS sp hybridized in both In formaldehyde one of the carbons is replaced by an sp hybridized oxygen Like the carbon-carbon double bond of ethylene the carbon-oxygen double bond of formaldehyde is com posed of a (T component and a TT component... 

Increased single bond character in a carbonyl group is associated with a decreased carbon—oxygen stretching frequency Among the three compounds benzaldehyde 2 4 6 trimethoxybenzaldehyde and 2 4 6 trinitrobenzaldehyde which one will have the lowest frequency carbonyl absorption" Which one will have the highest" ... 

In these and numerous other simple cases the keto form is more stable than the enol by some 45-60 kJ/mol (11-14 kcal/mol) The chief reason for this difference is that a carbon-oxygen double bond is stronger than a carbon-carbon double bond... 

Aldol condensation offers an effective route to a p unsaturated aldehydes and ketones These compounds have some interesting properties that result from conjugation of the carbon-carbon double bond with the carbonyl group As shown m Figure 18 6 the rr systems of the carbon-carbon and carbon-oxygen double bonds overlap to form an extended rr system that permits increased electron delocalization... 

FIGURE 18 7 Nucleophilic addition to a p unsaturated aldehydes and ketones may take place either in a 1 2 or 1 4 manner Direct addition (1 2) occurs faster than conjugate addition (1 4) but gives a less stable product The product of 1 4 addition retains the carbon-oxygen double bond which is in general stronger than a carbon-carbon double bond... 

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