Catalyzed reductions

Reductive carbonylation of nitro compounds is catalyzed by various Pd catalysts. Phenyl isocyanate (93) is produced by the PdCl2-catalyzed reductive carbonylation (deoxygenation) of nitrobenzene with CO, probably via nitrene formation. Extensive studies have been carried out to develop the phosgene-free commercial process for phenyl isocyanate production from nitroben-zene[76]. Effects of various additives such as phenanthroline have been stu-died[77-79]. The co-catalysts of montmorillonite-bipyridylpalladium acetate and Ru3(CO) 2 are used for the reductive carbonylation oLnitroarenes[80,81]. Extensive studies on the reaction in alcohol to form the A -phenylurethane 94 have also been carried out[82-87]. Reaction of nitrobenzene with CO in the presence of aniline affords diphenylurea (95)[88]. 

The Pd-catalyzed reductive carbonylation of methyl acetate with CO and H2 affords acetaldehyde. The net reaction is the formation of acetaldehyde from MeOH, CO, and H2P4]. Methyl formate (109) is converted into AcOH under CO pressure in the presence of Lil and Pd(OAc)2[95],... 

Formic acid is a good reducing agent in the presence of Pd on carbon as a catalyst. Aromatic nitro compounds are reduced to aniline with formic acid[100]. Selective reduction of one nitro group in 2,4-dinitrotoluene (112) with triethylammonium formate is possible[101]. o-Nitroacetophenone (113) is first reduced to o-aminoacetophenone, then to o-ethylaniline when an excess of formate is used[102]. Ammonium and potassium formate are also used for the reduction of aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds. Pd on carbon is a good catalyst[103,104]. NaBH4 is also used for the Pd-catalyzed reduction of nitro compounds 105]. However, the ,/)-unsaturated nitroalkene 114 is partially reduced to the oxime 115 with ammonium formate[106]... 

Enzyme catalyzed reductions of carbonyl groups are more often than not com pletely stereoselective Pyruvic acid for example is converted exclusively to (5) (+) lactic acid by the lactate dehydrogenase NADH system (Section 15 11) The enantiomer... 

Ru(OCOCH2)2[(3)-BINAP]-(106)-catalyzed reduction of precursor olefin (107). The asymmetric synthesis of analgesic tetrahydroisoquinolines makes use... 

Alcohol dehydrogenase-catalyzed reduction of ketones is a convenient method for the production of chiral alcohols. HLAD, the most thoroughly studied enzyme, has a broad substrate specificity and accommodates a variety of substrates (Table 11). It efficiendy reduces all simple four- to nine-membered cycHc ketones and also symmetrical and racemic cis- and trans-decalindiones (167). Asymmetric reduction of aUphatic acycHc ketones (C-4—C-10) (103,104) can be efficiendy achieved by alcohol dehydrogenase isolated from Thermoanaerohium hrockii (TBADH) (168). The enzyme is remarkably stable at temperatures up to 85°C and exhibits high tolerance toward organic solvents. Alcohol dehydrogenases from horse Hver and T. hrockii... 

Table 11. Alcohol Dehydrogenase-Catalyzed Reductions on Ketones...

Scheme 7.5. BusSnH-catalyzed reduction of nitroalkanes to alkanes...

Soderberg and coworkers have developed a palladium-phosphine-catalyzed reductive iV-het-eroannuladon of 2-nitrostyrenes forming indoles in good yields For example, reaction of 6-bromo-2-nitrostyrene with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalytic amount of palladium diacetate (6 mol% and triphenylphosphine 124 mol% in acetonitrile at 30 gives 4-bromoindole in 86% yield fEq 10 62 Several functional groups, such as esters, ethers, bromides, tnflates, and additional nitro groups, have been shown to be compatible with the reaction conditions... 

An unusual by-product was obtained in small yield in palladium-catalyzed reduction of 2-amino-4,5-dimethoxyindanone hydrochloride, The reduction was done in two stages first, a rapid absorption of 1 mol of hydrogen at 38 C to give the amino alcohol, and then a much slower reduction in the presence of HCIO4 at 70 "C. The rearranged by-product was shown to arise from attack of acid on the amino alcohol (50), Resistance to hydrogenolysis is characteristic of / -amino aromatic alcohols (56), a fact that makes reduction of aromatic oximino ketones to amino benzyl alcohols a useful synthetic reaction. 

Catalysts show remarkable product variation in hydrogenation of simple nitriles. Propionitrile, in neutral, nonreactive media, gives on hydrogenation over rhodium-on-carbon high yields of dipropylamine, whereas high yields of tripropylamine arise from palladium or platinum-catalyzed reductions (71). Parallel results were later found for butyronitrile (2S) and valeronitrile (74) but not for long-chain nitriles. Good yields of primary aliphatic amines can be obtained by use of cobalt, nickel, nickel boride, rhodium, or ruthenium in the presence of ammonia (4J 1,67,68,69). 

Examples of palladium-catalyzed reduction are 4-chloro-2,6-di-r-butyl-phenol to 2,6-di-t-butylcyclohexanone (750 psig, 25 C) with loss of halogen 24), 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene to 8-hydroxy-1-tetralone 30), and 2,4-dimethylphenol to 2,4-dimethylcyclohexanone (27). 

Both regio- and stereospecificiiy may be influenced by the catalyst and by alkali. Raney nickel opens ce>2,3-diphenylbul-2-ene epoxide with retention of configuration to give cr3 f/iro-2,3-diphenylbutan-2-ol, whereas palladium-on-carbon gives the inverted threo isomer. If a small amount of alkali is added to nickel-catalyzed reductions, nickel too gives the threo isomer (d5). 

In 1995, palladium-catalyzed reduction of vinylaziridines with formic acid was reported [42]. As shown in Scheme 2.26, 1,2-reduction products 95 and 1,4-products 96 were obtained in ratios depending on the reaction conditions, such as the additive, solvent, and catalyst employed. Both the E/Z selectivity of 95 and the... 

Scheme 2.26 Palladium(0)-catalyzed reduction with formic acid.

An unprecedented nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling between an epoxide and an alkyne to give synthetically useful homoallylic alcohols has been developed by Jamison [55a], and was recently used in a short enantioselective synthesis of am-... 

Scheme 8.30 Nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling of alkynes with epoxides.

I.V. Yentekakis, R.M. Lambert, M.S. Tikhov, M. Konsolakis, and V. Kiousis, Promotion by sodium in emission control catalysis A kinetic and spectroscopic study of the Pd-catalyzed reduction on NO by propene, J. Catal. 176, 82-92 (1998). 

Nitrogen fixation is any process in which N2 in the atmosphere reacts to form any nitrogen compound. Biological nitrogen fixation is the enzyme-catalyzed reduction of N2 to NH3, NH4, or any organic nitrogen compound. 

A rhodium catalyzed reduction of pyrrole 2,5-bis(propanoate) 62 afforded the cis-pyrrolidine 63 en route to the unusual heterocycle, azatriquinane (64) <96TL131>. 

Although sulfur is unHkely to chelate the metal in this case, it is worth mentioning the axially chiral diphosphine Hgands, based on hz-thienyl systems which increase the electronic density at phosphorus such as 159 (used in Ru-catalyzed reduction of /1-keto esters with 99% ee) [llla],BITIANP 160,andTMBTP 161 (in a Pd-catalyzed Heck reaction, the regio- and enantioselectivity are high with 160 but low with 161) [mb]. 

Figure28-10. The phenylalanine hydroxylase reaction. Two distinct enzymatic activities are involved. Activity II catalyzes reduction of dihydrobiopterin by NADPH, and activity I the reduction of O2 to HjO and of phenylalanine to tyrosine. This reaction is associated with several defects of phenylalanine metabolism discussed in Chapter 30.

Scheme 46 Fe-catalyzed reduction of amides to amines under either thermal or photoassisted conditions...

Oriyama and coworkers reported an iron-catalyzed reductive etherification of carbonyl compounds with triethylsilane and alkoxytriaUcylsilane [149, 150] and alcohols (Scheme 48) [151]. 

Scheme 48 Iron-catalyzed reductive etherification of carbonyl compounds...

Scheme 33 Iron-catalyzed reductive carbonylation reported by Reppe [108]...

For the majority of redox enzymes, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide [NAD(H)j and its respective phosphate [NADP(H)] are required. These cofactors are prohibitively expensive if used in stoichiometric amounts. Since it is only the oxidation state of the cofactor that changes during the reaction, it may be regenerated in situ by using a second redox reaction to allow it to re-enter the reaction cycle. Usually in the heterotrophic organism-catalyzed reduction, formate, glucose, and simple alcohols such as ethanol and 2-propanol are used to transform the... 

Other examples of microalgae-catalyzed reductions of carbonyl groups are summarized below and shown in Fig. 2 ... 

---