Cycloalkenes, epoxidation

The data in Table 10.1 suggest that the reactivity of epoxide hydrolase toward alkene oxides is highly variable and appears to depend, among other things, on the size of the substrate (compare epoxybutane to epoxyoctane), steric features (compare epoxyoctane to cycloalkene oxides), and electronic factors (see the chlorinated epoxides). In fact, comprehensive structure-metabolism relationships have not been reported for substrates of EH, in contrast to some narrow relationships that are valid for closely related series of substrates. A group of arene oxides, along with two alkene oxides to be discussed below (epoxyoctane and styrene oxide), are compared as substrates of human liver EH in Table 10.2 [119]. Clearly, the two alkene oxides are among the better substrates for the human enzyme, as they are for the rat enzyme (Table 10.1). 

In the present section are discussed, in turn, the most important subclasses of alkene oxides that are known to be substrates of EH. The sequence begins with epoxides of unconjugated alkenes and ends with epoxides of complex, conjugated cycloalkenes of biochemical and pharmacological interest. 

The sequential addition method also allows the synthesis of many different block copolymers in which the two monomers have different functional groups, such as epoxide with lactone, lactide or cyclic anhydride, cyclic ether with 2-methyl-2-oxazoline, imine or episul-Hde, lactone with lactide or cyclic carbonate, cycloalkene with acetylene, and ferrocenophane with cyclosiloxane [Aida et al., 1985 Barakat et al., 2001 Dreyfuss and Dreyfuss, 1989 Farren et al., 1989 Inoue and Aida, 1989 Keul et al., 1988 Kobayashi et al., 1990a,b,c Massey et al., 1998 Yasuda et al., 1984]. 

The stereochemistry of ring-opening polymerizations has been studied for epoxides, episul-fides, lactones, cycloalkenes (Sec. 8-6a), and other cyclic monomers [Pasquon et al., 1989 Tsuruta and Kawakami, 1989]. Epoxides have been studied more than any other type of monomer. A chiral cyclic monomer such as propylene oxide is capable of yielding stereoregular polymers. Polymerization of either of the two pure enantiomers yields the isotactic polymer when the reaction proceeds in a regioselective manner with bond cleavage at bond 1. 

It should be noted that while the mechanism outlined in this section describes the overall features of 0,-alkene chemistry, there are also other minor paths as well. For example, small yields of epoxides that appear to be formed in the primary reaction have been observed as products of the reactions of some dienes and cycloalkenes (e.g., see Paulson et al., 1992b and Atkinson et al., 1994a, 1994b). The reader should consult the rather extensive ozone literature for further details on both the condensed- and gas-phase reactions. 

The more energetic cis double bond in acyclic alkenes is epoxidized faster than the trans double bond.215 In contrast, opposite reactivity is observed for the stereoisomers of cycloalkenes, where the trans isomers are more reactive as a result of higher ring strain. This was demonstrated in the selective monoepoxidation of cis, trans-1,5-cyclodecadiene 235... 

Since peroxy acids have a relatively low steric requirement, steric hindrance mainly arises in the epoxidation of bridged cycloalkenes.224 Marked difference in exolendo selectivity was observed in the reaction of norbomene and 7,7-dimethyl-norbomene with m-CPBA236 [Eqs. (9.60) and (9.61)] ... 

Alkenes may also react with certain oxidizing agents to result in anti hydroxyla-tion. Treatment with peroxycarboxylic acids435 leads initially to an epoxide. Ring scission of the latter via an SN2 reaction in an anti manner with the corresponding carboxylic acid or water gives the trans monoester or tram diol, respectively. Complete anti stereoselectivity and high yields in the oxidation of cycloalkenes are... 

Alkaline hydrogen peroxide oxidation52 has been extended to higher perfluorinated alk-1-enes, perfluorinated cycloalkenes and certain alkenes with internal C = C bonds.52 57 A convenient reagent for the preparation of perfluoroalkene epoxides is sodium hypochlorite in a mixture with aqueous acetonitrile or another aprotic solvent. Several cis- and traw.s-perfluoroalkenes are oxidized to 32 with retention of configuration (Table 4).58-63... 

The catalytic properties of Del-Ti-MWW have been compared with those of other titanosilicates in the epoxidation of cyclic alkenes (Table 4.4). The TON decreased sharply for TS-1, Ti-beta and 3D Ti-MWW with increasing molecular size of cyclic alkenes. Ti-MCM-41 with mesopores, however, showed higher TONs for cyclooctene and cyclododecene. This implies that the reaction space is extremely important for the reactions of bulky molecules. The delamination of Ti-MWW increased the TON greatly for not only cyclopentene but also bulkier cycloalkenes. Especially, the catalytic activity of Del-Ti-MWW was about 6 x higher than that of Ti-MWW for cyclooctene and cyclododecene. Del-Ti-MWW even turned out to be superior to Ti-MCM-41 in the epoxidation of bulky substrates. This should be due to the high accessibility of Ti active sites in Del-Ti-MWW. Thus the delamination was able to change Ti-MWW into an effective catalyst applicable to reactions of bulky substrates. 

Table 4.4 Epoxidation of cycloalkenes with H2O2 over various titanosilicates3. ... 

Epoxidation of cycloaikenes Cycloalkenes, particularly strained bicyclic alkenes, can be epoxidized by treatment with l equiv. of 1 under N,. In the case of norbornene (2) the reaction involves formation of the metallacycle 3, which decomposes slowly to exo-epoxynorbomene (4). In fact, epoxidation is favoured over ox idation of a vinyl system in the air oxidation of 5 catalyzed with l. 3... 

Wagner-Mecrwein rearrangement.1 Epoxidation of the cycloalkene (1) with buffered m-chloroperbenzoic acid or with the more reactive 3,5-dinilroperbenzoic... 

Oxidations of hydrocarbons (cycloalkanes, cycloalkenes, aromatics) photo-catalyzed by metallotetrapyrroles lead to the formation of epoxides, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and carboxylic acids both in solutions and polymer matrices. These processes frequently occur as selective (one-product formation) reactions. Irradiation with visible light has a pronounced accelerating effect on such important industrial processes as the oxidation of thiols to disulfides (Merox process [265]) in a treatment of petroleum distillates or waste water cleaning. 

The rate constants for oxidation of a series of cycloalkenes with ozone have been determined using a relative rate method. The effect of methyl substitution on the oxidation of cycloalkenes and formation of secondary organic aerosols has been analysed.155 Butadiene, styrene, cyclohexene, allyl acetate, methyl methacrylate, and allyl alcohol were epoxidized in a gas-phase reaction with ozone in the absence of a catalyst. With the exception of allyl alcohol, the yield of the corresponding epoxide ranged from 88 to 97%.156 Kinetic control of distereoselection in ozonolytic lactonization has been (g) reported in the reaction of prochiral alkenes.157... 

Cleavage of epoxides. As with simpler haloboranes, these reagents cleave epoxides of cycloalkenes to give, after nonoxidative workup, halohydrins in 65-90% yield. When carried out at -78 to -100°, the cleavage can show high en-antioselectivity. Thus the halodiisopinocampheylboranes derived from (+ )-pinene react with the oxide of cyclohexene or of cyclopentene to furnish (1R,2R) halo-... 

On this ground, DCA was found a suitable sensitizer to induce the photooxygenation of a great variety of organic compounds such as alkenes [84,94-98], alkynes [99,100], sulfides [84,98,101], dienes [84], sulfoxides [102], cycloalkanes [103,104], cycloalkenes [105,106], epoxides [107,108], aziridines [109], allenes [110], dioxenes [111], p-dioxins [111,112], aromatic substrates [113], tertiary amines [114], and of great interest from the mechanistic point of view, sterically hindered olefines [97,115-117]. 

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