Epoxidation catalysis

Alkenylsilanes and -stannanes, and arylsilanes and -stannanes are useful reagents for transfer of an sp -carbon unit to electrophiles under titanium catalysis. Epoxides are opened by TiCE to generate cationic carbon, which is successfully trapped with bis(trimethylsilyl)propene as an aUcenylsilane (Eq. 122) [305]. Other Lewis acids, for example ZnCla, SnCU, and BF3 OEt2, proved less satisfactory. Cyclic epoxides such as cyclopentene and cyclohexene oxides gave poorer yields. An intramolecular version of this reaction proceeded differently (Eq. 123) [305]. Eqs (124) and (125) illustrate diastereoselective alkenylation and arylation of (A,0)-acetals that take advantage of the intramolecular delivery of alkenyl and aryl groups [306], Cyclic ethers... 

A. G. Katopodis, K. Wimalasena, J. Lee, and S. W. May, Mechanistic studies on non-heme monooxygenase catalysis Epoxidation, aldehyde formation, and demethylation by the omega-hydroxylation system of Pseudomonas oleo-vorans, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 206 7928 (1984). 

There is an important difference in the regiochemistry of ring opening reactions of epoxides depending on the reaction conditions Unsymmetncally substituted epoxides tend to react with anionic nucleophiles at the less hindered carbon of the ring Under conditions of acid catalysis however the more highly substituted carbon is attacked... 

As we ve just seen nucleophilic ring opening of ethylene oxide yields 2 substituted derivatives of ethanol Those reactions involved nucleophilic attack on the carbon of the ring under neutral or basic conditions Other nucleophilic ring openings of epoxides like wise give 2 substituted derivatives of ethanol but either involve an acid as a reactant or occur under conditions of acid catalysis... 

Reaction conditions depend on the reactants and usually involve acid or base catalysis. Examples of X include sulfate, acid sulfate, alkane- or arenesulfonate, chloride, bromide, hydroxyl, alkoxide, perchlorate, etc. RX can also be an alkyl orthoformate or alkyl carboxylate. The reaction of cycHc alkylating agents, eg, epoxides and a2iridines, with sodium or potassium salts of alkyl hydroperoxides also promotes formation of dialkyl peroxides (44,66). Olefinic alkylating agents include acycHc and cycHc olefinic hydrocarbons, vinyl and isopropenyl ethers, enamines, A[-vinylamides, vinyl sulfonates, divinyl sulfone, and a, P-unsaturated compounds, eg, methyl acrylate, mesityl oxide, acrylamide, and acrylonitrile (44,66). 

Polymerization to Polyether Polyols. The addition polymerization of propylene oxide to form polyether polyols is very important commercially. Polyols are made by addition of epoxides to initiators, ie, compounds that contain an active hydrogen, such as alcohols or amines. The polymerization occurs with either anionic (base) or cationic (acidic) catalysis. The base catalysis is preferred commercially (25,27). 

Hydrogen Sulfide andMercaptans. Hydrogen sulfide and propylene oxide react to produce l-mercapto-2-propanol and bis(2-hydroxypropyl) sulfide (69,70). Reaction of the epoxide with mercaptans yields 1-aLkylthio- or l-arylthio-2-propanol when basic catalysis is used (71). Acid catalysts produce a mixture of primary and secondary hydroxy products, but ia low yield (72). Suitable catalysts iaclude sodium hydroxide, sodium salts of the mercaptan, tetraaLkylammonium hydroxide, acidic 2eohtes, and sodium salts of an alkoxylated alcohol or mercaptan (26,69,70,73,74). 

Ca.ta.lysts, A small amount of quinoline promotes the formation of rigid foams (qv) from diols and unsaturated dicarboxyhc acids (100). Acrolein and methacrolein 1,4-addition polymerisation is catalysed by lithium complexes of quinoline (101). Organic bases, including quinoline, promote the dehydrogenation of unbranched alkanes to unbranched alkenes using platinum on sodium mordenite (102). The peracetic acid epoxidation of a wide range of alkenes is catalysed by 8-hydroxyquinoline (103). Hydroformylation catalysts have been improved using 2-quinolone [59-31-4] (104) (see Catalysis). 

The ratio of yy -epoxide (shown above) to ant -eipoxide is 10—25 1 with TYZORTPT catalysis, whereas vanadjdacetylacetonate is less selective and y -chloroperoxybenzoic acid gives the reverse 1 25 ratio. It is supposed that TYZOR TPT esterifies the free hydroxyl, then coordinates with the peroxide to favor yy -epoxidation (135). This procedure is related to that for enantioselective epoxidation of other allyflc alcohols in 9—95% enantiomeric excess (135). 

When heated in the presence of a carboxyHc acid, cinnamyl alcohol is converted to the corresponding ester. Oxidation to cinnamaldehyde is readily accompHshed under Oppenauer conditions with furfural as a hydrogen acceptor in the presence of aluminum isopropoxide (44). Cinnamic acid is produced directly with strong oxidants such as chromic acid and nickel peroxide. The use of t-butyl hydroperoxide with vanadium pentoxide catalysis offers a selective method for epoxidation of the olefinic double bond of cinnamyl alcohol (45). 

When the reaction of acetaldehyde with a 6-diazopenicillanate is catalyzed by BFs-EtiO, an epoxide of unknown stereochemistry is obtained (79H( 13)227). With ZnCh catalysis, however, the 6a-acetyl derivative is obtained, which can be stereospecifically reduced as the Mg chelate to the 6a-(/ -l-hydroxyethyl) derivative as part of an elegant synthesis of the carbapenem thienamycin (Scheme 40) (8UA6765). 

The Sharpless-Katsuki asymmetric epoxidation (AE) procedure for the enantiose-lective formation of epoxides from allylic alcohols is a milestone in asymmetric catalysis [9]. This classical asymmetric transformation uses TBHP as the terminal oxidant, and the reaction has been widely used in various synthetic applications. There are several excellent reviews covering the scope and utility of the AE reaction... 

The only notable success to date in the use of (salen)metal systems in catalysis of asymmetric cyanide addition to epoxides was achieved by Pietrusiewicz, who reported the aluminium-catalyzed desymmetrization of phospholene meso-epoxide (Scheme 7.23) in moderate ee [47]. Despite these significant efforts, a truly prac-... 

Dual activation of nucleophile and epoxide has emerged as an important mechanistic principle in asymmetric catalysis [110], and it appears to be particularly important in epoxide ARO reactions. Future work in this area is likely to build on the concept of dual substrate activation in interesting and exciting new ways. 

The asymmetric epoxidation of enones with polyleucine as catalyst is called the Julia-Colonna epoxidation [27]. Although the reaction was originally performed in a triphasic solvent system [27], phase-transfer catalysis [28] or nonaqueous conditions [29] were found to increase the reaction rates considerably. The reaction can be applied to dienones, thus affording vinylepoxides with high regio- and enantio-selectivity (Scheme 9.7a) [29]. 

The past thirty years have witnessed great advances in the selective synthesis of epoxides, and numerous regio-, chemo-, enantio-, and diastereoselective methods have been developed. Discovered in 1980, the Katsuki-Sharpless catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols, in which a catalyst for the first time demonstrated both high selectivity and substrate promiscuity, was the first practical entry into the world of chiral 2,3-epoxy alcohols [10, 11]. Asymmetric catalysis of the epoxidation of unfunctionalized olefins through the use of Jacobsen s chiral [(sale-i i) Mi iln] [12] or Shi s chiral ketones [13] as oxidants is also well established. Catalytic asymmetric epoxidations have been comprehensively reviewed [14, 15]. 

Alternatively, RC CSiMe3 cleavage can be achieved easily, avoiding the use of TBAF, by employing phase-transfer catalysis the reaction is complete in 5-10 min, and the conditions are compatible with other nucleophically labiele functional groups such as epoxides. 

Catalysis. Cytochrome P-450 model compounds catalyze the epoxidation of alkenes by hypochlorite ions.16 A typical catalyst is OMn(TMP)L+. 

Epoxidations of chiral allenamides lead to chiral nitrogen-stabilized oxyallyl catioins that undergo highly stereoselective (4 + 3) cycloaddition reactions with electron-rich dienes.6 These are the first examples of epoxidations of allenes, and the first examples of chiral nitrogen-stabilized oxyallyl cations. Further elaboration of the cycloadducts leads to interesting chiral amino alcohols that can be useful as ligands in asymmetric catalysis (Scheme 2). 

Micellar catalysis to enhance or diminish the rate of chemical reactions is well known [97]. Of somewhat greater interest is the influence of micelles on competing reactions, e.g., proton-catalyzed reactions. An example related to the effect of alkanesulfonates is the epoxidation of simple aliphatic olefins. The reaction of olefins and hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by strongly acidic Mo(VI)... 

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