Catalytic amount

Oxidation of benzoin with concentrated nitric acid or by catalytic amounts of cupric salts in acetic acid solution, which are regenerated continuously by ammonium nitrate, yields the diketone benzil ... 

A mixture of an acid anhydride and a ketone is saturated with boron trifluoride this is followed by treatment with aqueous sodium acetate. The quantity of boron trifluoride absorbed usually amounts to 100 mol per cent, (based on total mola of ketone and anhydride). Catalytic amounts of the reagent do not give satisfactory results. This is in line with the observation that the p diketone is produced in the reaction mixture as the boron difluoride complex, some of which have been isolated. A reasonable mechanism of the reaction postulates the conversion of the anhydride into a carbonium ion, such as (I) the ketone into an enol type of complex, such as (II) followed by condensation of (I) and (II) to yield the boron difluoride complex of the p diketone (III) ... 

The reagent Is expensive and poisonous, consequently the hydroxylation procedure is employed only for the conversion of rare or expensive alkenes (e.g., in the steroid field) into the glycols. Another method for hydroxylation utilises catalytic amounts of osmium tetroxide rather than the stoichiometric quantity the reagent is hydrogen peroxide in tert.-butyl alcohol This reagent converts, for example, cyc/ohexene into cis 1 2- t/ohexanedlol. 

In the kinetic runs always a large excess of catalyst was used. Under these conditions IQ does not influence the apparent rate of the Diels-Alder reaction. Kinetic studies by UV-vis spectroscopy require a low concentration of the dienophile( 10" M). The use of only a catalytic amount of Lewis-acid will seriously hamper complexation of the dienophile because of the very low concentrations of both reaction partners under these conditions. The contributions of and to the observed apparent rate constant have been determined by measuring k pp and Ka separately. ... 

BASE-PROMOTED INTERCONVERSIONS BETWEEN ACETYLENES AND CUMULENES 1. ISOMERIZATIONS WITH CATALYTIC AMOUNTS OF BASE... 

The composition of the products from the isomerization of an unsaturated compound under the influence of a catalytic amount of a base is governed by the relative thermodynamic stabilities of the starting compound and the product. Of particular synthetic interest are isomerizations in which there is an accumulation of an isomer in the isomerization sequence. Isolation of the desired intermediate in a reasonable state of purity is often a matter of careful selection of the base and the solvent. The following reactions are representative examples ... 

This isomerization, which must proceed through a 1,2,3-trienylanine, is not "contra-thermodynamic", since with a catalytic amount of potassium tert.-butoxide the same result is obtained. Enyne ethers, H2C=CH-CsC-0R, undergo a similar conversion into HCeC-CH=CH-OR upon interaction with alkali metal amides in liquid NH3, followed by hydrolysis . Enyne sulphides, H2C=CH-CsC-SR, and the hydrocarbons H2C=CH-CsC-R (R = or phenyl) give only tars or polymeric products under... 

Some prapargylic halides can be converted into haloallenes by treating them with copper[I) halide and lithium halide, preferably in THF as solvent. A catalytic amount of the copper salt, which forms a soluble complex with lithium halide, is... 

In the first method a secondary acetylenic bromide is warmed in THF with an equivalent amount of copper(I) cyanide. We found that a small amount of anhydrous lithium bromide is necessary to effect solubilization of the copper cyanide. Primary acetylenic bromides, RCECCH Br, under these conditions afford mainly the acetylenic nitriles, RCsCCHjCsN (see Chapter VIII). The aqueous procedure for the allenic nitriles is more attractive, in our opinion, because only a catalytic amount of copper cyanide is required the reaction of the acetylenic bromide with the KClV.CuCN complex is faster than the reaction with KCN. Excellent yields of allenic nitriles can be obtained if the potassium cyanide is added at a moderate rate during the reaction. Excess of KCN has to be avoided, as it causes resinifi-cation of the allenic nitrile. In the case of propargyl bromide 1,1-substitution may also occur, but the propargyl cyanide immediately isomerizes under the influence of the potassium cyanide. 

With propargyl chloride a mixture consisting of about 85% of PhS-CH=C=CH2 and 15% of HC=C-CH2"SPh was obtained, when using catalytic amounts of CuBr. 

The first practical method for asymmetric epoxidation of primary and secondary allylic alcohols was developed by K.B. Sharpless in 1980 (T. Katsuki, 1980 K.B. Sharpless, 1983 A, B, 1986 see also D. Hoppe, 1982). Tartaric esters, e.g., DET and DIPT" ( = diethyl and diisopropyl ( + )- or (— )-tartrates), are applied as chiral auxiliaries, titanium tetrakis(2-pro-panolate) as a catalyst and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (= TBHP, Bu OOH) as the oxidant. If the reaction mixture is kept absolutely dry, catalytic amounts of the dialkyl tartrate-titanium(IV) complex are suflicient, which largely facilitates work-up procedures (Y. Gao, 1987). Depending on the tartrate enantiomer used, either one of the 2,3-epoxy alcohols may be obtained with high enantioselectivity. The titanium probably binds to the diol grouping of one tartrate molecule and to the hydroxy groups of the bulky hydroperoxide and of the allylic alcohol... 

If one heats acetone and pyrrole in the presence of catalytic amounts of acid, so-called acetone pyrrole is formed in over 80%i yield. This colorless, macrocyclic compound contains four pyrrole units which are connected by dimethylmethylene bridges, ft is formed by electrophilic-a-substitution of pyrrole by acetone, acid-catalyzed oligomerization, and spontaneous. 

Finally a general approach to synthesize A -pyrrolines must be mentioned. This is tl acid-catalyzed (NH4CI or catalytic amounts of HBr) and thermally (150°C) induced tea rangement of cyclopropyl imines. These educts may be obtained from commercial cyan> acetate, cyclopropyl cyanide, or benzyl cyanide derivatives by the routes outlined below. Tl rearrangement is reminiscent of the rearrangement of 1-silyloxy-l-vinylcyclopropancs (p. 7 83) but since it is acid-catalyzed it occurs at much lower temperatures. A -Pyrrolines constitut reactive enamines and may be used in further addition reactions such as the Robinson anei lation with methyl vinyl ketone (R.V. Stevens, 1967, 1968, 1971). 

TT-Allylpalladium chloride (36) reacts with the nucleophiles, generating Pd(0). whereas tr-allylnickel chloride (37) and allylmagnesium bromide (38) reacts with electrophiles (carbonyl), generating Ni(II) and Mg(II). Therefore, it is understandable that the Grignard reaction cannot be carried out with a catalytic amount of Mg, whereas the catalytic reaction is possible with the regeneration of an active Pd(0) catalyst, Pd is a noble metal and Pd(0) is more stable than Pd(II). The carbon-metal bonds of some transition metals such as Ni and Co react with nucleophiles and their reactions can be carried out catalytic ally, but not always. In this respect, Pd is very unique. 

The isocoumarin 151 is prepared by the intramolecular reaction of 2-(2-propenyDbenzoic acid (149) with one equivalent of PdCbjMeCN) . However, the (Z)-phthalide 150 is obtained from the same acid with a catalytic amount of PdjOAc) under 1 atm of Oi in DMSO, alone is remarkably efficient in reoxidizing Pd(0) in DMSO. The isocoumarin 151 is obtained by the reaction of 2-(l-propenyl)benzoic acid (152) under the same conditions[4], 2-Vinylbenzoic acid (153) is also converted into the isocoumarin 154, but not to the five-membered lactone) 167,170],... 

The carbonylation of COD PdCl2 complex in aqueous sodium acetate produces /rui7x-2-hydroxy-5-cyclooctenecarboxylic acid /i-lactone (240). The lactone is obtained in 79% yield directly by the carbonylation of the COD complex in aqueous sodium acetate solution[220]. /i-Propiolactone (241) is obtained in 72% yield by the reaction of the PdCC complex of ethylene with CO and water in MeCN at —20 " C. /3-Propiolactone synthesis can be carried out with a catalytic amount of PdCC and a stoichiometric amount of CuCl2[221]. 

The intramolecular oxidative earbonylation has wide synthetie applieation. The 7-lactone 247 is prepared by intramolecular oxycarbonylation of the alke-nediol 244 with a stoichiometric amount of Pd(OAc)2 under atmospheric pres-sure[223]. The intermediate 245 is formed by oxypalladation, and subsequent CO insertion gives the acylpalladium 246. The oxycarbonylation of alkenols and alkanediols can be carried out with a catalytic amount of PdCl2 and a stoichiometric amount of CuCb, and has been applied to the synthesis of frenolicin(224] and frendicin B (249) from 248[225]. The carbonylation of the 4-penten-l,3-diol 250, catalyzed by PdCl2 and CuCl2, afforded in the c -3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran-2-aeetie acid lactone 251[226J. The cyclic acetal 253 is prepared from the dienone 252 in the presence of trimethyl orthoformate as an accepter of water formed by the oxidative reaction[227]. 

Diacetoxylation of various conjugated dienes including cyclic dienes has been extensively studied. 1,3-Cyclohexadiene was converted into a mixture of isomeric l,4-diacetoxy-2-cyclohexenes of unknown stereochemistry[303]. The stereoselective Pd-catalyzed 1,4-diacetoxylation of dienes is carried out in AcOH in the presence of LiOAc and /or LiCI and beiizoquinone[304.305]. In the presence of acetate ion and in the absence of chloride ion, /rau.v-diacetox-ylation occurs, whereas addition of a catalytic amount of LiCl changes the stereochemistry to cis addition. The coordination of a chloride ion to Pd makes the cis migration of the acetate from Pd impossible. From 1,3-cyclohexadiene, trans- and ci j-l,4-diacetoxy-2-cyclohexenes (346 and 347) can be prepared stereoselectively. For the 6-substituted 1,3-cycloheptadiene 348, a high diaster-eoselectivity is observed. The stereoselective cij-diacetoxylation of 5-carbo-methoxy-1,3-cyclohexadiene (349) has been applied to the synthesis of dl-shikimic acid (350). 

In MeOH, l,4-dimethoxy-2-cyclohexene (379) is obtainejl from 1,3-cydo-hexadiene[315]. Acetoxylation and the intramolecular alkoxylation took place in the synthesis of the naturally occurring tetrahydrofuran derivative 380 and is another example of the selective introduction of different nucleo-philes[316]. In intramolecular 1,4-oxyacetoxylation to form the fused tetrahy-drofurans and tetrahydropyrans 381, cis addition takes place in the presence of a catalytic amount of LiCI, whereas the trans product is obtained in its absence[317]. The stereocontrolled oxaspirocyclization proceeds to afford the Irons product 382 in the presence of Li2C03 and the cis product in the presence of LiCl[ 318,319]. 

In order to make these oxidative reactions of 1,3-dienes catalytic, several reoxidants are used. In general, a stoichiometric amount of benzoquinone is used. Furthermore, Fe-phthalocyanine complex or Co-salen complex is used to reoxidize hydroquinone to benzoquinone. Also, it was found that the reaction is faster and stereoselectivity is higher when (phenylsulflnyl)benzoquinone (383) is used owing to coordination of the sulfinyl group to Pd, Thus the reaction can be carried out using catalytic amounts of PdfOAcji and (arylsulfinyl)benzoquinone in the presence of the Fe or Co complex under an oxygen atmosphere[320]. Oxidative dicyanation of butadiene takes place to give l,4-dicyano-2-butene(384) (40%) and l,2-dicyano-3-butene (385)[32l]. 

Acetoxybenzene is prepared by the reaction of benzene with Pd(OAc)2[325,342-345], This reaction is regarded as a potentially useful method for phenol production from benzene, if carried out with only a catalytic amount of Pd(OAc)2. Extensive studies have been carried out on this reaction in order to achieve a high catalytic turnover. In addition to oxygen and Cu(II) salts, other oxidants, such as HNOi, nitrate[346,347], potassium peroxodisulfate[348], and heteropoly acids[349,3S0], are used. HNO is said to... 

The oxidative coupling of toluene using Pd(OAc)2 via />-tolylmercury(II) acetate (428) forms bitolyl[384]. The aryl-aryl coupling proceeds with copper and a catalytic amount of PdCl2 in pyridine[385]. Conjugated dienes are obtained by the coupling of alkenylmercury(II) chlorides[386]. 

The stereo-defined enol ester 432 is prepared by the reaction of the vinyl-mercurial 431, obtained by acetoxymercuration of 2-butyne. with mercury(II) carboxylates using a catalytic amount of Pd(OAc)2[392]. 

Chlorination of the azobenzene complex 463 with chlorine produces mono-chloroazobenzene with regeneration of PdCN. Then complex formation takes place again with the chlorinated azobenzene. By this sequence, finally tetra-chloroazobenzene (503) is obtained using a catalytic amount of PdCT. The reaction, carried out by passing chlorine gas into an aqueous dioxane solution of azobenzene and PdCf for 16 h, gives a mixture of polychlorinated azoben-zenes[455]. 

Oxidative cleavage of the complex 549 with CuCri affords 2,3-bis(chloro-methyl)-1,3-butadiene (550) and regenerates PdCri. Thus the preparation of this interesting dimerization product 550 can be carried out with a catalytic amount of PdCl2 and two equivalents of CuCb in MeCN[495], Similarly, treatment of allene with PdBr2 affords the dimeric complex 551. Treatment of this complex with 2 equiv, of bromine yields the dibromide 552. The tetra-bromide 553 is obtained by the reaction of an excess of bromine[496]. Similarly,... 

Alcohols are oxidized slowly with PdCh. Oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones is carried out with a catalytic amount of PdCh under an oxygen atmo-sphere[73.74]. Also, selective oxidation of the allylic alcohol 571 without attacking saturated alcohols is possible with a stoichiometric amount of PdfOAc) in aqueous DMF (1% H OifSll],... 

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