Decarboxylative functionalization

X = C02Me) yielded, after decarboxylation, functionalized 3//-pyrroles 138 (Scheme 34). 

Decarboxylative functionalization has recently emerged as an appealing alternative to C-H functionalization (07AGE1374, 08AGE3100,... 

Methodologies for the selective arylation of indoles at the C3 position are largely limited to couplings of free indole with bromoarenes. Larrosa et al. employed a decarboxylative functionalization approach to selectively C3-arylate Af-pivaloylindole (94) with electron-poor benzoic acids to afford 95A-C in good yields one of the reasons that this method is attractive is because CO2 is the sole waste by-product (Scheme 10.32). The authors proposed a mechanism based on two catalytic cycles linked by the transmetallation of an arylsilver species to palladium in which the metal catalyst is responsible for the C—H activation and reductive elimination steps and the silver salts perform the decarboxylative activation step. 

Regioselectivity of C—C double bond formation can also be achieved in the reductiv or oxidative elimination of two functional groups from adjacent carbon atoms. Well estab llshed methods in synthesis include the reductive cleavage of cyclic thionocarbonates derivec from glycols (E.J. Corey, 1968 C W. Hartmann, 1972), the reduction of epoxides with Zn/Nal or of dihalides with metals, organometallic compounds, or Nal/acetone (seep.lS6f), and the oxidative decarboxylation of 1,2-dicarboxylic acids (C.A. Grob, 1958 S. Masamune, 1966 R.A. Sheldon, 1972) or their r-butyl peresters (E.N. Cain, 1969). 

Notice that the carboxyl group that stays behind during the decarboxylation of mal onic acid has a hydroxyl function that is not directly involved m the process Compounds that have substituents other than hydroxyl groups at this position undergo an analogous decarboxylation... 

The compounds most frequently encountered m this reaction are (3 keto acids that is carboxylic acids m which the (3 carbon is a carbonyl function Decarboxylation of (3 keto acids leads to ketones... 

The carbon-carbon bond forming potential inherent m the Claisen and Dieckmann reac tions has been extensively exploited m organic synthesis Subsequent transformations of the p keto ester products permit the synthesis of other functional groups One of these transformations converts p keto esters to ketones it is based on the fact that p keto acids (not esters ) undergo decarboxylation readily (Section 19 17) Indeed p keto acids and their corresponding carboxylate anions as well lose carbon dioxide so easily that they tend to decarboxylate under the conditions of their formation... 

In keeping with its biogenetic origin m three molecules of acetic acid mevalonic acid has six carbon atoms The conversion of mevalonate to isopentenyl pyrophosphate involves loss of the extra carbon as carbon dioxide First the alcohol hydroxyl groups of mevalonate are converted to phosphate ester functions—they are enzymatically phosphorylated with introduction of a simple phosphate at the tertiary site and a pyrophosphate at the primary site Decarboxylation m concert with loss of the terti ary phosphate introduces a carbon-carbon double bond and gives isopentenyl pyrophos phate the fundamental building block for formation of isoprenoid natural products... 

The first ester function of the malonates is hydrolyzed much more easily than the second. This property can be used for synthesizing a large number of carboxyUc acids by alkylation or acylation of a malonate followed by hydrolysis and decarboxylation of one ester group. This is the case for ethyl... 

Reactions. The chemical properties of cyanoacetates ate quite similar to those of the malonates. The carbonyl activity of the ester function is increased by the cyano group s tendency to withdraw electrons. Therefore, amidation with ammonia [7664-41-7] to cyanoacetamide [107-91-5] (55) or with urea to cyanoacetylurea [448-98-2] (56) proceeds very easily. An interesting reaction of cyanoacetic acid is the Knoevenagel condensation with aldehydes followed by decarboxylation which leads to substituted acrylonitriles (57) such as (29), or with ketones followed by decarboxylation with a shift of the double bond to give P,y-unsaturated nitriles (58) such as (30) when cyclohexanone [108-94-1] is used. 

Triazole has been prepared by the oxidation of substituted 1,2,4-triazoles, by the treatment of urazole with phosphorus pentasulfide, by heating equimolar quantities of formyl-hydrazine and formamide, by removal of the amino function of 4-amino-l,2,4-triazole, by oxidation of l,2,4-triazole-3(5)-thiol with hydrogen peroxide, by decarboxylation of 1,2,4-triazole-3(5)-carboxylic acid, by heating hydrazine salts with form-amide,by rapidly distilling hydrazine hydrate mixed with two molar equivalents of formamide, i by heating N,N -diformyl-hydrazine with excess ammonia in an autoclave at 200° for 24 hours, and by the reaction of 1,3,5-triazine and hydrazine monohydrochloride. ... 

During electrochemical fluorination retention of important functional groups or atoms in molecules is essential. Acyl fluorides and chlorides, but not carboxylic acids and anhydrides (which decarboxylate), survive perfluorination to the perfluorinated acid fluorides, albeit with some cyclization in longer chain (>C4) species [73]. Electrochemical fluorination of acetyl fluoride produces perfluoro-acetyl fluoride in 36-45% yields [85]. Electrochemical fluorination of octanoyl chloride results in perfluorinated cyclic ethers as well as perfluorinated octanoyl fluonde. Cyclization decreases as initial substrate concentration increases and has been linked to hydrogen-bonded onium polycations [73]. Cyclization is a common phenomenon involving longer (>C4) and branched chains. a-Alkyl-substituted carboxylic acid chlorides, fluorides, and methyl esters produce both the perfluorinated cyclic five- and six-membered ring ethers as well as the perfluorinated acid... 

Hydrolysis removes the acetyl group from nitrogen and converts the two ester functions to carboxyl groups. Decarboxylation gives the desired product. 

Certain amino acids and their derivatives, although not found in proteins, nonetheless are biochemically important. A few of the more notable examples are shown in Figure 4.5. y-Aminobutyric acid, or GABA, is produced by the decarboxylation of glutamic acid and is a potent neurotransmitter. Histamine, which is synthesized by decarboxylation of histidine, and serotonin, which is derived from tryptophan, similarly function as neurotransmitters and regulators. /3-Alanine is found in nature in the peptides carnosine and anserine and is a component of pantothenic acid (a vitamin), which is a part of coenzyme A. Epinephrine (also known as adrenaline), derived from tyrosine, is an important hormone. Penicillamine is a constituent of the penicillin antibiotics. Ornithine, betaine, homocysteine, and homoserine are important metabolic intermediates. Citrulline is the immediate precursor of arginine. 

Lipoic acid is an acyl group carrier. It is found in pyruvate dehydrogenase zard a-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, two multienzyme complexes involved in carbohydrate metabolism (Figure 18.34). Lipoie acid functions to couple acyl-group transfer and electron transfer during oxidation and decarboxylation of a-keto adds. 

The mechanism for the conversion of the A -oxide (94) to the o-methylaminophenylquinoxaline (96) involves an initial protonation of the A -oxide function. This enhances the electrophilic reactivity of the a-carbon atom which then effects an intramolecular electrophilic substitution at an ortho position of the anilide ring to give the spiro-lactam (98). Hydrolytic ring cleavage of (98) gives the acid (99), which undergoes ready dehydration and decarboxylation to (96), the availability of the cyclic transition state facilitating these processes. ... 

The reasonable mechanism outlined above has not yet been rigorously proven in every detail, but is supported by the fact that a 1 1-intermediate 5 has been isolated." The ester groups are essential for the Weiss reaction because of the /3-keto ester functionalities however, the ester groups can be easily removed from the final product by ester hydrolysis and subsequent decarboxylation. 

A thioamide of isonicotinic acid has also shown tuberculostatic activity in the clinic. The additional substitution on the pyridine ring precludes its preparation from simple starting materials. Reaction of ethyl methyl ketone with ethyl oxalate leads to the ester-diketone, 12 (shown as its enol). Condensation of this with cyanoacetamide gives the substituted pyridone, 13, which contains both the ethyl and carboxyl groups in the desired position. The nitrile group is then excised by means of decarboxylative hydrolysis. Treatment of the pyridone (14) with phosphorus oxychloride converts that compound (after exposure to ethanol to take the acid chloride to the ester) to the chloro-pyridine, 15. The halogen is then removed by catalytic reduction (16). The ester at the 4 position is converted to the desired functionality by successive conversion to the amide (17), dehydration to the nitrile (18), and finally addition of hydrogen sulfide. There is thus obtained ethionamide (19)... 

The final decarboxylation of mevalonate 5-diphosphate appears unusual because decarboxylations of acids do not typically occur except in /3-keto acids and malonic acids, in which the carboxylate group is two atoms away from an additional carbonyl group (Section 22.7). The function of this second carbonyl group is to act as an electron acceptor and stabilize the charge resulting from loss of CC>2- In fact, though, the decarboxylation of a /3-kelo acid and the decarboxylation of mevalonate 5-diphosphate are closely related. 

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