Crown ethers—continued syntheses

Benzenedithiols are traditionally prepared by reductive dealkylation of 1,2-C6R4(SR )2, which in turn are obtained by treatment of dibromobenzenes with alkali metal or cuprous thiolates. The methodology continues to be used, for example, for crown ether-appended derivatives (15). A newer and more powerful synthesis of 1,2-benzenedithiol and its derivatives has been developed (16). This method (17) involves reaction of the benzenethiol with 2 equiv of BuLi to give 2-LiC6H4(SLi), which reacts with elemental sulfur to give the dithiolate (Eq. 1). 

Reactions.—1,3-Dithianyl Anions. 1,3-Dithianyl anions continue to find wide-ranging utility in the synthesis of diverse structures, including 2-deoxy-L-lyxose derivatives, eburnamine precursors, " l,2-diformyl-6,6-dimethylcyclohex-2-en-l-ol, cannabinoids, tertiary acyloins, cyclitols, unsaturated carboxylic acids, the terpenes egomaketone and a- and jff-curcumene, (205)-20-hydroxycholesterol, norpyrenophorin, pyrenophorin, and vermiculine, compounds with chiral methyl groups, " (+)-rrans-burseran, enones, " the macrocyclic lactam A-methylmaysenine, olivin, macrocyclic acetylacetone crown ethers, [5.1]metacyclophane, ( )-laurencin, monosaccharides, y-keto-esters and their precursors, muscarine analogues, quinols, epi-... 

There is continuing interest in the synthesis and complexing properties of crown ethers " and cryptands " based on pyridine units. For example, cryptand (78) is an especially strong ligand for binding alkali-metal cations, and it forms stable crystalline complexes with lithium and sodium perchlorate. " Pyridino-phane cryptands, e.g. (79), also form stable Na" and complexes. ... 

The addition of cyanotrialkylsilanes to carbonyl compounds, and especially the development of catalysts for this transformation continues to attract considerable attention owing to the role of cyanohydrin trialkysilyl ethers and cyanohydrins as versatile intermediates in organic synthesis [149]. A variety of catalysts has been developed for such reactions including Lewis acids, transition metal complexes, 18-crown-6 complexes of alkali metals, tetracyanoethylene, Lewis bases, and alkali earth bases. Trimethylcyanation of ketones using Lewis bases does not seem to have been mentioned in the literature. 

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