Catalysis with Other Lewis Acids

In recent years, new catalysts have been reported to effect useful transformations. Bismuth compounds such as BiCl3 or Bi(OTf)3 were used in several reactions [44]. A recent study examined the high pressure addition of lactams to trans-l-methoxy- 

The addition affords linear tmns 1 1 multifunctional adducts in a chemo- and re-gioselective manner. The selection of optimal pressure is delicate since depending on which catalyst and lactam is used, extensive polymerization can occur. 

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SbCls improves the regioselectivity in the Lewis acid-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction of toluquinone with 1,3-dienes (Scheme 14.25) [63]. The greater steric demand of SbCls compared with other Lewis acids would favor the less hindered transition state. Acyclic isopentenoids are cyclized under HF-SbFs catalysis to yield monocyclic or bicychc derivatives (Scheme 14.26) [64]. 

Abstract Several bismuth-catalyzed synthetic reactions, which proceed well in aqueous media, are discussed. Due to increasing demand of water as a solvent in organic synthesis, catalysts that can be used in aqueous media are becoming more and more important. Although bismuth Lewis acids are not very stable in water, it has been revealed that they can be stabilized by basic ligands. Chiral amine and related basic ligands combined with bismuth Lewis acids are particularly useful in asymmetric catalysis in aqueous media. On the other hand, bismuth hydroxide is stable and works as an efficient catalyst for carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions in water. 

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... 

Other fates are possible for the enolate formed in the initial conjugate addition and an obvious possibility is an aldol reaction. With an asymmetric catalyst, the combination of three simple molecules leads to one enantiomer of one diastereoisomer of the tandem Michael-aldol product14 83. The catalyst 84 is based on a BINOL A1 complex (see chapters 25, 26). It can be drawn either as a lithium salt with an aluminium cation or, better, as a lithium aryloxide with a Lewis-acidic aluminium atom. This is better because both basic ArCT and Lewis acidity are necessary for catalysis. 

Does the presence of excessive steric bulk when a Lewis acid and a Lewis base attempt to form an adduct automatically render these species inert towards each other The unique behavior of sterically frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs), pioneered by Stephan, is a vigorous research area with applications for small molecule activation and catalysis." The highly Lewis acidic and sterically bulky tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane" plays a role in many FLP reactions. The great promise of FLP chemistry was revealed by reactions between tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane and tertiary and secondary phosphines, where sterics preclude formation of classic adducts. A seminal example of a frustrated Lewis pair is that of the secondary phosphine di(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)phosphine that is precluded from forming a classic adduct with tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane. The phosphine Lewis pair is frustrated since it cannot interact with boron to form the adduct. 

Methyltetrahydrofuran allowed to react 12hrs. at 25° with acetyl tosylate -> 1-acetoxypentyl 4-p-tosylate. Y 95%. - Catalysis by added Lewis acids is not necessary and cleavage of the most unreactive ethers occurs after a few hrs. reflux in acetonitrile. The cleavage of unsym. ethers favors a greater specificity than other methods. M. H. Karger and Y. Mazur, Am. Soc. 90, 3878 (1968). 

First, the use of water limits the choice of Lewis-acid catalysts. The most active Lewis acids such as BFj, TiQ4 and AlClj react violently with water and cannot be used However, bivalent transition metal ions and trivalent lanthanide ions have proven to be active catalysts in aqueous solution for other organic reactions and are anticipated to be good candidates for the catalysis of aqueous Diels-Alder reactions. 

Surprisingly, the highest catalytic activity is observed in TFE. One mi t envisage this to be a result of the poor interaction between TFE and the copper(II) cation, so that the cation will retain most of its Lewis-acidity. In the other solvents the interaction between their electron-rich hetero atoms and the cation is likely to be stronger, thus diminishing the efficiency of the Lewis-acid catalysis. The observation that Cu(N03)2 is only poorly soluble in TFE and much better in the other solvents used, is in line with this reasoning. 

In summary, the work in this thesis provides an overview of what can be achieved with Lewis-acid and micellar catalysis for Diels-Alder reactions in water as exemplified by the reaction of3-phenyl-l-(2-pyridyl)-2-propene-l-ones with cyclopentadiene. Extension of the observed beneficial effect of water on rates and particularly enantioselectivities to other systems is envisaged. 

The other class of acrylic compatible tackifiers includes those based on ter-penes. Terpenes are monomers obtained by wood extraction or directly from pine tree sap. To make the polyterpene tackifiers, the monomers have to be polymerized under cationic conditions, typically with Lewis acid catalysis. To adjust properties such as solubility parameter and softening point, other materials such as styrene, phenol, limonene (derived from citrus peels), and others may be copolymerized with the terpenes. 

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