Cyclohexene synthesis from cyclohexane

Recognizing that cyclohexene may be prepared by dehydration of cyclohexanol a prac tical synthesis of cyclohexane from cyclohexanol becomes apparent... 

The entrapped complexes are known to catalyze selective oxidation or hydrogenation reactions, depending mainly on the complexed transition metal cation [4, 82, 84]. Recently, two exciting examples have been published describing the synthesis of adipic acid from cyclohexene [93] or even from cyclohexane [94], respectively (cf Figure 6). 

Cyclopentene-l-carboxaldehydes are obtained from cyclohexene precursors by the sequence cyclohexene - cyclohexane-1,2-diol -> open-chain dialdehyde - cyclopentane aldol. The main advantage of this ring contraction procedure is, that the regio-and stereoselectivity of the Diels-Alder synthesis of cyclohexene derivatives can be transferred to cyclopentane synthesis (G. Stork, 1953 G. BUchi, 1968). 

In a detailed investigation, Turner and coworkers have described the preparation and application of solid-supported cyclohexane-1,3-dione as a so-called capture and release reagent for amide synthesis, as well as its use as a novel scavenger resin [125]. Their report included a three-step synthesis of polymer-bound cyclohexane-1,3-dione (CHD resin, Scheme 7.104) from inexpensive and readily available starting materials. The key step in this reaction was microwave-assisted complete hydrolysis of 3-methoxy-cyclohexen-l-one resin to the desired CHD resin. 

The environmental impact of the cyclohexane oxidation could also be reduced. An alternative is to start from benzene and make a selective hydrogenation to form cyclohexene. Ru-based supported catalysts working in the liquid phase and in the presence of a co-catalysts such as Zn (Asahi Chemical Industry process) are selective in the reaction, with yields up to about 60% [247], but with cyclohexane as the main by-product. Cyclohexene is hydrated in the liquid phase with an MFI zeolite as catalyst at moderate temperature (100-130 °C). This reaction is very selective (>99%). This route was primarily developed for the synthesis of adipic acid, but could be used also to reduce the number of products and separation costs in the production of cyclohexanone. 

Homolysis of the S-acyl bond is responsible for formation of phenylthio-cyclohexane and 3-phenylthiocyclohexene from. SiS -diphenyl dithiocarbonate by irradiation in cyclohexene.117 A cyclic mechanism, however, has been proposed to account for the photodecomposition of certain carbohydrate dithiobisthio-formates.118 On irradiation, 0-ethyl thioacetate is converted into cis- and / 5-2,3-diethoxybut-2-ene, together with small amounts of 2,3-diethoxybut-l-ene, 2,3-diethoxybuta-1,3-diene, and 1-ethoxyethane-l-thiol.119 121 Free sulphur was trapped by reaction with 1,2-dimethyIenecyclohexane. Details of the photoelimination of sulphur dioxide from D-glucofuranosyl phenyl sulphone acetates have been published.180 An efficient synthesis of another 1,8-bridged naphthalene... 

As noted in Section 10.12, the partial hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene is an economically attractive first step in the synthesis of polyamides, because it is more easily separated from unreacted benzene than is cyclohexane. The reaction is however a difficult one to accomplish, because cyclohexene is normally much the more easily hydrogenated, so its appearance in any significant amount depends upon constructing a catalyst which is in effect selectively poisoned for the hydrogenation of the alkene but not for the more strongly adsorbed benzene. There have been many attempts to modify metals (mainly ruthenium ) to secure this result, in ways that are now briefly recounted. 

This reaction was first reported by Nenitzescu in 1931. It is the formation of an a,p-unsaturated ketone directly by aluminum chloride-promoted acylation of alkenes with acyl halides. Therefore, it is known as the Darzens-Nenitzescu reaction (or Nenitzescu reductive acylation), or Nenitzescu acylation. Under such reaction conditions, Nenitzescu prepared 2-butenyl methyl ketone from acetyl chloride and 1-butene and dimethylacetylcyclohex-ene from acetyl chloride and cyclooctene. However, in the presence of benzene or hexane, the saturated ketones are often resolved, as supported by the preparation of 4-phenyl cyclohexyl methyl ketone from the reaction of cyclohexene and acetyl chloride in benzene, and the synthesis of 3- or 4-methylcyclohexyl methyl ketone by refluxing the mixture of cycloheptene and acetyl chloride in cyclohexane or isopentane. This is probably caused by the intermolecular hydrogen transfer from the solvent. In addition, owing to its intrinsic strain, cyclopropyl group reacts in a manner similar to an oleflnic functionality so that it can be readily acylated. It should be pointed out that under various reaction conditions, the Darzens-Nenitzescu reaction is often complicated by the formation of -halo ketones, 3,)/-enones, or /3-acyloxy ketones. This complication can be overcome by an aluminum chloride-promoted acylation with vinyl mercuric chloride, resulting in a high purity of stereochemistry. ... 

In the clay-catalysed reaction even oleate will furnish a cyclic dimer along with monomer which is a mixture of saturated and unsaturated (mainly tram), straight-chain and branched-chain Cis compounds formed by hydrogen transfer and rearrangement. Dimers are formed by diene synthesis (Diels Alder reaction) between a monoene and a conjugated diene produced from monoene by hydrogen transfer. The cyclohexene derivatives are converted by hydrogen transfer to cyclohexane and benzene derivatives. These monocyclic dimers are accompanied by acyclic and bicyclic dimers such as those formulated below. Linoleate reacts in a similar manner. 

The most important advantage of using neutral ionic liquids is that the reaction products can be easily separated from the ionic liquids and the catalyst. Using the neutral ionic liquids, cyclohexene can be reduced to cyclohexane." Even benzene could be reduced to cyclohexane. An interesting asymmetric hydrogenation using a chiral catalyst [RuClj-(S)-BINAP]j,NEt has enabled the synthesis of (S)-Naproxen (Scheme 5). ... 

Carreno MC, Merino E, Ribagorda M, Somoza A, Urbano A (2007) enantioselective synthesis of natural polyoxygenated cyclohexanes and cyclohexenes from [(p-tolylsulfinyl)methyl]-p-quinols. Chem Eur 113 1064-1077... 

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