Carbonyl compounds nitro compound oxidation

These oxidants are generally too feeble to attack monofunctional compounds except thiols, carbonyl- and nitro-compounds in their enolic forms, phenols and aromatic amines. However, ferric rWj-o-phenanthroline readily oxidises cyclohexanone. 

One such method (Scheme 4.3) involves the oxidative carbonylation of amines [235-238], or the catalytic production of carbamate esters by reductive carbonylation of nitro compounds [238-242], dealcoholysis of which gives isocyanates. 

Scheme 4.3. Oxidative carbonylation of amines [235-238] and reductive carbonylation of nitro compounds [238-242].

In general, peroxomonosulfates have fewer uses in organic chemistry than peroxodisulfates. However, the triple salt is used for oxidizing ketones (qv) to dioxiranes (7) (71,72), which in turn are useful oxidants in organic chemistry. Acetone in water is oxidized by triple salt to dimethyldioxirane, which in turn oxidizes alkenes to epoxides, polycycHc aromatic hydrocarbons to oxides and diones, amines to nitro compounds, sulfides to sulfoxides, phosphines to phosphine oxides, and alkanes to alcohols or carbonyl compounds. 

Conversion of carbonyl to nitro groups (retro Nef Reaction) is an important method for the preparation of nitro compounds. Such conversion is generally effected via oximes using strong oxidants such as CF3CO3H.120... 

Oxidation of oximes to nitro compounds with m-CPBA has been applied to the synthesis of dialkyl 1-nitroalkanephosphonates (Eq. 2.63),124 which are useful reagents for conversion of carbonyl compounds to nitroalkenes.125... 

Nitro compounds are versatile precursors for diverse functionalities. Their conversion into carbonyl compounds by the Nef reaction and into amines by reduction are the most widely used processes in organic synthesis using nitro compounds. In addition, dehydration of primary nitro compounds leads to nitrile oxides, a class of reactive 1,3-dipolar reagents. Nitro compounds are also good precursors for various nitrogen derivatives such as nitriles, oximes, hydroxylamines, and imines. These transformations of nitro compounds are well established and are used routinely in organic synthesis. 

All of these elimination reactions contain [i-carbonyl groups in the nitro compounds. Of course, masked carbonyl groups are also frequently employed for such (3-elimination of HN02, as shown in Eq. 7.131,177 Eq. 7.132,178 and Eq. 7.133.179 In these cases, the sulfinylmethyl or hydroxymethyl group is converted into the carbonyl group by the Pummerer rearrangement or by simple oxidation. 

Imanaka—heterogenization of Rh complexes. In 1991, Imanaka and coworkers124 reported the heterogenization of Rh complexes by binding them to aminated polymers. As discussed previously, these findings led to fruitful research by Ford, Pardey, and others. The isolated polymer-bound Rh carbonyl anion complex was found to be reusable for reactions such as water-gas shift and reduction of nitro compounds. The polymer-bound Rh complexes were characterized by infrared spectroscopy. Water-gas shift activity (80 mol H2 per mol Rh6(CO)i6 in 24 hours) was recorded using the Rh complexes at 100 °C with 0.92 atm of CO, 2.16 ml H20, 0.05 mmol Rh6(CO)16, aminated polystyrene, 5.0 mmol of N, 5.56 ml ethoxyethanol and reduction of nitro-compounds (e.g., aliphatic nitro compounds to nitriles, oximes to nitriles, hydroxylamines to nitriles, and N-oxides to amines) occurred at 40 °C. 

Selected examples of the oxidative conversion of nitro compounds into carbonyl derivatives... 

Various nitro compounds have been condensed with carbonyl compounds in reactions catalyzed by alkaline earth metal oxides and hydroxides 145). It was found that the reactivities of the nitro compounds were in the order nitro-ethane > nitromethane > 2-nitropropane, and those of carbonyl compounds were propionaldehyde > isobutyraldehyde > pivalaldehyde > acetone > benzaldehyde > methyl propionate. Among the catalysts examined, MgO, CaO, Ba(OH)2, and Sr(OH)2, exhibited high activity for nitroaldol reaction of nitromethane with propionaldehyde. In reactions with these catalysts, the yields were between 60% (for MgO) and 26% (for Sr(OH)2) at 313 K after 1 h in a batch reactor. On Mg(OH)2, Ca(OH)2, and BaO, the yields were in the range of 3.8% (for BaO) and 17.5% (for Mg(OH)2). Investigation of the influence of the pre-treatment... 

Hydrogen attached to a tertiary hydrogen is most readily substituted secondary hydrogens are only very slowly replaced, while primary hydrogens are quite unreactive. Alkylaromatics react preferentially at the benzylic position. The reaction is accompanied by oxidation to yield carbonyl compounds, acids, and carbon oxides. Other main byproducts are nitrites, alcohols, and large quantities of poly-nitro compounds. 

Schiff base-cobalt-nitro complexes are too mild as oxidants to react as such with alkenes. However, the addition of Lewis acids (e.g. BF3 Et20, LiPF6) to these complexes activates the nitro ligand and produces a variety of both stoichiometric and catalytic oxidations. Stoichiometric transformations involve the oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides and 1,3-cyclohexadiene to benzene.467 Alcohols such as benzyl alcohol and cycloheptanol are catalytically transformed into the corresponding carbonyl compounds.467,474... 

Oxidation of enolizable nitro, carbonyl and dicarbonyl compounds with Fem MnnI and Celv reagents in the presence of electron rich aromatic (or heteroaromatic) rings often provides modest to good yields of substituted products. Typical examples are shown in Scheme 81.233 234 The oxidant functions both to generate the initial radical (Scheme 71) and to trap the adduct radical. Products of ortho substitution usually predominate but significant amounts of para and meta products are often formed, and in some cases, reversibility in the addition step may influence the product distribution. A recent paper by Citterio and Santi provides a nice introduction to these types of reactions.219... 

The conversion of nitro compounds into carbonyls is known as the Nef Reaction. Various methodologies have been developed, but the most important is the standard procedure a preformed nitronate salt is poured into strong aqueous acid (pH < 1). Some oxidative variations have also found wide application, and some reductive methods have even been developed. 

Nitro compounds can be alkylated and are good at conjugate addition (chapter 21) so the products of these reactions can be used to make aldehydes, ketones and amines. A simple synthesis of octanal5 shows that these methods can work very well indeed. Alkylation of nitromethane with bromoheptane gives the nitro-compound 11. Formation of the anion 12 and oxidation with KMnC>4 gives octanal in 89% yield. This chemistry gives us the disconnection to an alkyl halide and a carbonyl anion. The anion 12 is an acyl anion equivalent and we shall need these in the next chapter. 

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