Conversion of alkyl sulfonates

A class of enzymes capable of removing sulfur from alkane sulfonates exists, which may have relevance in microbial desulfurization of alkyl sulfides. A gene cluster ssuEADCB was identified in E. coli. The enzyme SsuD was capable of conversion of pentane sulfonic acid to pentaldehyde and sulfite. It was reported to be capable of conversion of alkyl sulfonates from C2 to CIO, as well as substituted ethanesulfonates and sulfonated buffers. The SsuE was a flavin-reducing enzyme that provided FMNH2 to the SsuD. 

Oxathiolane 2,2-dioxide undergoes metallation with n-butyllithium as expected at the 3-position (81JOC101). The anion may be alkylated with alkyl halides or carbonyl compounds. The isomeric 1,3-oxathiolane 3,3-dioxides also undergo metallation ortho to the sulfone and, when the 4-position is blocked, metallation at the 2-position may be used as an efficient conversion of alkyl halides into aldehydes as shown in Scheme 22 (79TL3375). 

Such stabilised carbanion intermediates are of considerable importance in synthetic organic chemistry 3 thus, they may be readily alkylated or acylated, e.g. in the conversion of the sulfone (14) into (15) and of the sulfoxide (16) into (17) (Scheme 4). 

Dye conversion method is based on the solubilization in surface chemistry. For example, dye conversion method had been used in the testing of alkyl sulfonate, sulfate, and fatty amine. Common indicators include methylene blue, pinacyanol, and bromophenol blue [11-14]. 

The potential of alkyl-sulfonated diphosphane ligands associated with methylated a- and P-cyclodextrins during the reaction of rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of 1-decene was studied. In all cases, the presence of cydodextrins increased the conversion and the diemoselectivity, whereas the hnear-to-branched ratio of the aldehyde product decreased. The decrease in regiosdectivity was attributed to the formation of low-coordinated phosphane spedes [112]. 

Substitution Reactions on Side Chains. Because the benzyl carbon is the most reactive site on the propanoid side chain, many substitution reactions occur at this position. Typically, substitution reactions occur by attack of a nucleophilic reagent on a benzyl carbon present in the form of a carbonium ion or a methine group in a quinonemethide stmeture. In a reversal of the ether cleavage reactions described, benzyl alcohols and ethers may be transformed to alkyl or aryl ethers by acid-catalyzed etherifications or transetherifications with alcohol or phenol. The conversion of a benzyl alcohol or ether to a sulfonic acid group is among the most important side chain modification reactions because it is essential to the solubilization of lignin in the sulfite pulping process (17). 

An asymmetric synthesis of estrone begins with an asymmetric Michael addition of lithium enolate (178) to the scalemic sulfoxide (179). Direct treatment of the cmde Michael adduct with y /i7-chloroperbenzoic acid to oxidize the sulfoxide to a sulfone, followed by reductive removal of the bromine affords (180, X = a and PH R = H) in over 90% yield. Similarly to the conversion of (175) to (176), base-catalyzed epimerization of (180) produces an 85% isolated yield of (181, X = /5H R = H). C8 and C14 of (181) have the same relative and absolute stereochemistry as that of the naturally occurring steroids. Methylation of (181) provides (182). A (CH2)2CuLi-induced reductive cleavage of sulfone (182) followed by stereoselective alkylation of the resultant enolate with an allyl bromide yields (183). Ozonolysis of (183) produces (184) (wherein the aldehydric oxygen is by isopropyUdene) in 68% yield. Compound (184) is the optically active form of Ziegler s intermediate (176), and is converted to (+)-estrone in 6.3% overall yield and >95% enantiomeric excess (200). 

In contrast to phosphorus esters, sulfur esters are usually cleaved at the carbon-oxygen bond with carbon-fluorine bond formation Cleavage of esteri nf methanesulfonic acid, p-toluenesidfonic acid, and especially trifluoromethane-sulfonic acid (tnflic acid) by fluoride ion is the most widely used method for the conversion of hydroxy compounds to fluoro derivatives Potassium fluoride, triethylamine trihydrofluoride, and tetrabutylammonium fluoride are common sources of the fluoride ion For the cleavage of a variety of alkyl mesylates and tosylates with potassium fluoride, polyethylene glycol 400 is a solvent of choice, the yields are limited by solvolysis of the leaving group by the solvent, but this phenomenon is controlled by bulky substituents, either in the sulfonic acid part or in the alcohol part of the ester [42] (equation 29)... 

An interesting new method for the conversion of [I, y-epoxy sulfones (82) to cyclo-alkenones (85) has been developed61. It includes the addition of alkyllithium to y-hydroxy-a,/ -unsaturated sulfones generated from 82 and the alkylation of sulfonyl carbanion thus formed. Oxidation of the resulting y-hydroxy sulfone to 84 followed by elimination of benzenesulfinic acid gives the desired product 85 in good yields (equation 72)61. 

Sulfonic esters are most frequently prepared by treatment of the corresponding halides with alcohols in the presence of a base. The method is much used for the conversion of alcohols to tosylates, brosylates, and similar sulfonic esters. Both R and R may be alkyl or aryl. The base is often pyridine, which functions as a nucleophilic catalyst, as in the similar alcoholysis of carboxylic acyl halides (10-21). Primary alcohols react the most rapidly, and it is often possible to sulfonate selectively a primary OH group in a molecule that also contains secondary or tertiary OH groups. The reaction with sulfonamides has been much less frequently used and is limited to N,N-disubstituted sulfonamides that is, R" may not be hydrogen. However, within these limits it is a useful reaction. The nucleophile in this case is actually R 0 . However, R" may be hydrogen (as well as alkyl) if the nucleophile is a phenol, so that the product is RS020Ar. Acidic catalysts are used in this case. Sulfonic acids have been converted directly to sulfonates by treatment with triethyl or trimethyl orthoformate HC(OR)3, without catalyst or solvent and with a trialkyl phosphite P(OR)3. ... 

Alkyl sulfonates are very effective cationic initiators of e-caprolactone, although only the more reactive methyl triflate and methyl fluorosulfate result in a high conversion. The mechanism of polymerization in the presence of these initiators is believed to involve methylation of the exocyclic carbonyl oxygen, followed by partial ring opening of the activated lactone by the counteranion (Fig. 

The replacement of halogen by alkyl or aryl groups is included in this section. For the conversion of RX RH (X = halogen) see Section 160 (Hydrides from Halides and Sulfonates). 

Similar to nitrogen compounds, electron-rich sulfur compounds, such as the sulfides, with the lone pair of electrons on the sulfur atom, are oxidized to sulfoxides and, further, to sulfones by the H202/titanosilicate sytem (218,232, 233). Table XXXI (232) illustrates typical conversions and product selectivities for various sulfides for the reactions catalyzed by TS-1. Bulky sulfides such as alkyl, phenyl sulfides are relatively unreactive because of their steric exclusion from the pores of TS-1. Diphenyl sulfide could not be oxidized at all. As the diffusivity and, hence, the conversion of the sulfide decreases, the further oxidation of the primary product (sulfoxide) becomes more competitive, leading to increased formation of the corresponding sulfone (Table XXXI) ... 

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