Catalysts ester formation

Ester formation catalyzed by lipase (Mucor miehei) in conjunction with hydrogenation catalyzed by a rhodium complex Sol-gel immobilization of both catalysts... 

For instance, 2-methylpropene reacted with acetic acid at 18°C in the presence of Al-bentonite to form the ester product (75). Ion-exchanged bentonites are also efficient catalysts for formation of ketals from aldehydes or ketones. Cyclohexanone reacted with methanol in the presence of Al-bentonite at room temperature to give 33% yield of dimethyl ketal after 30 min of reaction time. On addition of the same clay to the mixture of cyclohexanone and trimethyl orthoformate at room-temperature, the exothermic reaction caused the liquid to boil and resulted in an almost quantitative yield of the dimethyl ketal in 5 min. When Na- instead of Al-bentonite is used, the same reaction did not take place (75). Solomon and Hawthorne (37) suggest that elimination reactions may have been involved in the geochemical transformation of lipid and other organic sediments into petroleum deposits. 

Complex 77 has also been reported to catalyze the oxidative dimerization of alcohols to esters when the reactions are performed in the presence of base [76]. The presence of base presumably encourages the reversible attack of the alcohol onto the initially formed aldehyde to give a hemiacetal, which is further oxidized to give the ester product. Alcohols 87 and 15 were converted into esters 88 and 89 with good isolated yields (Scheme 20). Alternative iridium catalysts have been used for related oxidative dimerization reactions, and the addition of base is not always a requirement for the reaction to favor ester formation over aldehyde formation [77, 78]. 

The influence of temperature on the ortho effect has been evaluated in the alkaline hydrolysis in aqueous DMSO solutions of ortho-, meta- and para-substituted phenyl benzoates (26). The alcoholysis of phthalic anhydride (27) to monoalkyl phthalates (28) occurs through an A-2 mechanism via rate-determining attack of the alcohol on a carbonyl carbon of the anhydride (Scheme 4). Evidence adduced for this proposal included highly negative A 5 values and a p value of 4-2.1. In the same study, titanium tetra-n-butoxide and tri-n-butyltin ethanoxide were shown to act as effective catalysts of the half-ester formation from (27), the mechanism involving alkoxy ligand exchange at the metal as an initial step. ... 

Bode and co-workers further extended redox esterification to include carbon-carbon bond breaking of formyl-cyclopropanes [113]. Both esters and thioesters are formed in high yield and good enantioselectivities (Scheme 31). The M-mesityl substituted triazolium salt 191 proved to be the most efficient pre-catalyst providing complete suppression of the benzoin reaction. Electron-deficient substituents, such as phenyl ketone, readily provide ester formation. 

We have already shown that Y zeolites are efficient catalysts for alkyne hydration (ref. 15). Such zeolites can also be used for nitrile hydration, but, in this case, the occurence of ester formation in alcoholic medium constitutes a new and interesting result. 

Exercise 18-24 Ester interchange also can proceed (but more slowly) with an acidic instead of a basic catalyst. Write a mechanism for this reaction consistent with acid-catalyzed ester formation (Section 18-3A). 

The conversion of methanol to ethanol with carbon monoxide and hydrogen has attracted considerable attention. Further carbonylation to higher alcohols occurs much more slowly, but acetic acid formation is a competing reaction and this leads to ester formation. Using CoI2 in presence of PBu 3 as catalyst, the selectivity to ethanol was improved by addition of the borate ion B4072. 399 This was attributed to an enhanced carbene-like nature of an intermediate cobalt-acyl complex by formation of a borate ester (equation 76). This would favour hydrogenolysis to... 

The wide range of standard procedures that are available for the formation of carboxylic esters of primary and secondary alcohols in the presence of suitable acid catalysts is discussed in detail in Section 5.12.3, p. 695. Also included is the mild method for methyl ester formation from the carboxylic acid and diazomethane, and a method appropriate for sterically hindered esters involving the acid, a secondary or tertiary alkyl halide, and the non-nucleophilic base DBU (Expt 5.151). An example of the formation of a t-butyl ester is noted in Expt 6.165. 

Kinetic resolution of chiral, racemic anhydrides In this process the racemic mixture of a chiral anhydride is exposed to the alcohol nucleophile in the presence of a chiral catalyst such as A (Scheme 13.2, middle). Under these conditions, one substrate enantiomer is converted to a mono-ester whereas the other remains unchanged. Application of catalyst B (usually the enantiomer or a pseudo-enantiomer of A) results in transformation/non-transformation of the enantiomeric starting anhydride ). As usual for kinetic resolution, substrate conversion/product yield(s) are intrinsically limited to a maximum of 50%. For normal anhydrides (X = CR2), both carbonyl groups can engage in ester formation, and the product formulas in Scheme 13.1 are drawn arbitrarily. This section also covers the catalytic asymmetric alcoholysis of a-hydroxy acid O-carboxy anhydrides (X = O) and of a-amino acid N-carboxy anhydrides (X = NR). In these reactions the electrophilicity of the carbonyl groups flanking X is reduced and regioselective attack of the alcohol nucleophile on the other carbonyl function results. 

The combination of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol gives an ester water is eliminated. Ester formation is an equilibrium process, catalyzed by an acid catalyst. 

As with ester formation, carbonylation of aryl halides under amide-forming conditions and high carbon monoxide pressures leads to synthetically useful yields of a-ketoamides via double carbonylation916- 21. In these reactions the amine must be a fairly strong nucleophile and it is noteworthy that primary amines often give imines as the final product. Aryl chlorides do not normally undergo this reaction but specialized palladium catalysts may facilitate this process890. Alternatively, reaction may be possible via a first-formed... 

Table 8 shows the examples that have been prepared thus far. Ester formation, mediated by DCC and 4-DMAP proved to be routine. A large excess of the methylenating reagent was required for the methylenation reactions to be driven to completion. In all the cases, 35 to 40 mo % of the RCM catalyst 7 was needed to achieve complete reaction. It is noteworthy that the three-step protocol works quite well even when both groups to be cyclized are on the same side of the pyranose ring as in entry 3. No evidence of other cyclized products by TLC or NMR were noted in the crude reaction mixtures. 

In Chapter 12 pyridine was often used as a catalyst in carbonyl substitution reactions. It can act in two ways. In making esters from acid chlorides or anhydrides pyridine can act as a nucleophile as well as a convenient solvent. It is a better nucleophile than the alcohol and this nucleophilic catalysis is discussed in Chapter 12 (p. 282). But nonnucleophilic bases also catalyse these reactions. For example, acetate ion catalyses ester formation from acetic anhydride and alcohols. 

The catalyst is efficient in ester synthesis and in interesterification. It is able to catalyze ester formation with both primary and secondary alcohols. 

The addition of an alcohol to the carbonyl group of a carboxylic acid in the presence of an acid catalyst leads to ester formation (Scheme 2.15a). The acid catalyst increases the electron deficiency of the carbonyl carbon, thus overcoming the electron-donating effect of the hydroxyl group of the acid. This enhancement of the electron deficiency of the carbonyl group of the carboxylic add may be brought about by converting the acid to a derivative such as the anhydride or the acyl chloride. The reaction of these with alcohols leads to esters (Scheme 2.15b). Another method is to carry out the reaction of the alcohol with an acyl chloride or anhydride in the presence of a base such as pyridine, which may facilitate the removal of a proton from the alcohol. 

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