Conversion to isocyanates

SCHEME 4. Carbonylation of aniline and nitrobenzene to methyl N -phenyl carbamate (Catalytica Associates, Nippon Kokan and Haldor Topsoe), and conversion to isocyanates... 

Carbamate esters also react with BCI3 in the presence of EtjN to afford isocyanates under mild reaction conditions (Schane 23.13)." In most cases, quantitative or near-quantitative conversion to isocyanates is achieved in aryl, alkyl, alicyclic, and tosyl carbamate esters. 

Acyl azides may loose N2 on heating and rearrange to isocyanates (Curtius rearrangement), which may be solvolyzed. Some of the possibilities of classical carboxyl conversions are exemplified in the schemes below, which are taken from a triquinacene synthesis (R. Russo, 1971 C. Merder, 1973) and the ergotamine synthesis of A. Hofmann (1963). 

Garbodiimide Formation. Carbodiimide formation has commercial significance in the manufacture of Hquid MDI. Heating of MDI in the presence of catalytic amounts of phosphine oxides or alkyl phosphates leads to partial conversion of isocyanate into carbodiimide (95). The carbodiimide (39) species reacts with excess isocyanate to form a 2 + 2cycloaddition product. The presence of this product in MDI leads to a melting point depression and thus a mixture which is Hquid at room temperature. 

Olefin isomerization can be catalyzed by a number of catalysts such as molybdenum hexacarbonyl [13939-06-5] Mo(CO)g. This compound has also been found to catalyze the photopolymerization of vinyl monomers, the cyclization of olefins, the epoxidation of alkenes and peroxo species, the conversion of isocyanates to carbodiimides, etc. Rhodium carbonylhydrotris(triphenylphosphine) [17185-29-4] RhH(CO)(P(CgH )2)3, is a multifunctional catalyst which accelerates the isomerization and hydroformylation of alkenes. 

Incorporation of the phenethyl moiety into a carbocyclic ring was at first sight compatible with amphetamine-like activity. Clinical experience with one of these agents, tranylcypromine (79), revealed the interesting fact that this drug in fact possessed considerable activity as a monamine oxidase inhibitor and as such was useful in the treatment of depression. Decomposition of ethyl diazoacetate in the presence of styrene affords a mixture of cyclopropanes in which the trans isomer predominates. Saponification gives acid 77. Conversion to the acid chloride followed by treatment with sodium azide leads to the isocyanate, 78, via Curtius rearrangement. Saponification of 78 affords tranylcypromine (79). 

Phenyl isocyanate, conversion to di-phenylcarbodiimide, 43,31 Phenyl isocyanide, 41,103 Phenyllithium, reaction with allyltri-phenyltin, 41, 30 standardization of, 41, 32 Phenylmagnesium bromide, 41, 91 reaction with ( r(-butyl perbenzoate, 41,91... 

The phosphinic isocyanates (116) and isothiocyanates (117) react with oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus nucleophiles by attack at carbon rather than phosphorus. Phenyl phosphonodichloridate has been recommended as a useful reagent for the activation (presumably by mixed anhydride formation) of carboxylic acids for conversion to amides and hydrazides. ... 

Several other propargylic substrates have successfully undergone [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements. Examples are thiocyanates to isothiocyanates [580], the opposite conversion [581] and the equilibrium between such species as exemplified by 173 (Scheme 1.77) [582], cyanates to isocyanates [582] and the formation of isoselenocya-nates [583] and azides [584]. 

Michael addition reactions are particularly useful when linear aliphatic bis-nitramines are used because the products contain two terminal functional groups like in the diester (182). The terminal functionality of such products can be used, or modified by simple functional group conversion, to provide oligomers for the synthesis of energetic polymers such oligomers often use terminal alcohol, isocyanate or carboxy functionality for this purpose. 

Under aqueous conditions formaldehyde reacts with primary nitramines to form the corresponding methylol derivatives. The versatility of the terminal hydroxy group of these methylol derivatives is illustrated by their facile conversion to more reactive functional groups, like isocyanates, which can then be reacted with compounds containing hydroxy or carboxy functionality. Diisocyanates like (215), (216) and (217) have been reacted with various polyni-troaliphatic diols for the synthesis of energetic polymers. ... 

An intramolecular cycloaddition of the tetradecatrienyl nitroethyl ether 263 was used in the synthesis of the 14-membered bicyclic precursor 265 of crassin acetate 266, a cembrane lactone possessing antibiotic and antineoplastic activity (332). Nitro compound 263 was obtained from farnesyl acetate (262) in several steps and was then treated with phenyl isocyanate and triethylamine to give the tricyclic isoxazoline 264 (Scheme 6.98). Conversion to ketone 265 was accomplished by hydrogenation of the cycloadduct with Raney Ni and boric acid followed by acetylation (332). In this case, the isoxazoline derived from a 3-butenyl nitroethyl ether moiety served to produce a 3-methylenetetrahydropyran moiety (332). 

By far the most thoroughly investigated azocines are the 2-methoxy derivatives prepared and studied by Paquette and coworkers (7lAG(E)ll). The synthesis involves addition of chlorosulfonyl isocyanate to a cyclohexadiene, conversion to the imidate and introduction of another double bond by allylic bromination and dehydrohalogenation. Valence isomerization then ensues and 2-methoxyazocine (98) or alkyl homologs are isolated from this sequence in multigram quantities as stable yellow oils. NMR data (see 98) clearly indicate the monocyclic azocine structure the spectra are invariant from -70 to 180 °C and indicate less than 2% of the bicyclic valence isomers. 

Slonplwsgene Preparation. The term nonphosgene route is primarily used in conjunction with the conversion of amines (or the corresponding nitio precursor) to isocyanates via the use of earboxylation agents. 

Pyridopyrimidine systems may also be accessed by in situ generation of pyridylisocyanates <2003TL2745>. Treatment of 2,3-pyridinccarboxylic anhydride with methanol leads to the formation of 2-(methoxycarbonyl)nicotinic acid that undergoes Curtius rearrangement on conversion to the 3-acyl azide with sodium azide and ethyl chloro-formate. Condensation of the resulting isocyanate with a series of amino acids leads to the synthesis of pyrido[3,2- T pyrimidines in good to excellent yield (Scheme 19). 

In the first synthesis [50] phenol (150) prepared from dehydroabietic acid as starting material [51] and this was converted to trifluoroacetate (151). The azide (152) prepared from (151), underwent Curtis rearrangement yielding isocyanate (153). Reduction of (153) followed by heating the resulting material with formic acid and formaldehyde provided the tertiary amine (154). Its conversion to ketone (155) was accomplished in three steps (a) oxidation with m-cloroperbenzoic acid, (b) Cope elimination and (c) oxidative cleavage. 

Gee and Langstrom synthesized255 1 -labelled a-methyl l-tyrosine via alkylation of a malonate derivative, enzymatic ester hydrolysis, conversion of carboxylic moiety to isocyanate followed by hydrolysis of the ester and isocyanate groups. Labelling of the a-posi-tion of the a-methyl L-tyrosine with 14C and UC, has been achieved also according to the pathway shown in equation 125256. 

The cycloaddition of isomiinchnones with acetylenic dipolarophiles followed by the extrusion of an alkyl or aryl isocyanate (RNCO) has proven to be an effective method for the synthesis of substituted furans. The Ibata group investigated the bimolecular 1,3-dipolar-cycloaddition of aryl-substituted isomiinchnones with a number of acetylenic dipolarophiles [50]. Aryl diazoimides of type 1 were heated in the presence of a catalytic amount of Cu(acac)2 and the appropriate acetylenic dipolarophile. Formation of the substituted furan was found to be temperature-dependent higher temperatures (ca. 120°C) were needed for complete conversion to the furan. It was reasoned that the extrusion of methyl isocyanate was not as facile as the loss of carbon dioxide from sydnones and miinchnones [50]. 

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