Decomposition, thermal quaternary

Hofmann exhaustive methyiation reaction org chem The thermal decomposition of quaternary ammonium hydroxide compounds to yield an olefin and water an exception is tetramethyiammonium hydroxide, which decomposes to give an alcohol. haf-mon ig z6s-tiv. meth-o la-shon re,ak-sh3n )... 

Thermal decomposition of quaternary ammonium salts and bases is most valuable in structural investigations of amines, particularly heterocyclic secondary amines (Hofmann exhaustive methylation). The course of the elimination (A or B) is determined by the nature of the four alkyl groups on the nitrogen atom. The reaction has found little use in the synthesis of pure olefins. The yields are low even when three of the alkyl groups are methyl radicals. Carbon-skeleton rearrangement does not occur. Thus, the only olefin obtained by pyrolysis of pinacolyltri-methylammonium hydroxide, (CHj),CCH(CHj)N(CHj)j OH, is /-butylethylene (50%). ... 

Another interesting comparison was reported by von Braun 150> in which various quaternary ammonium hydroxides were decomposed under Hofmann conditions and in the presence of glycerol. These results also show that the displacement reaction is favored in the presence of a hydroxylic solvent. It was also noted by Hanhart and Ingold 57> that displacement reactions are favored over elimination reactions in thermal decompositions of quaternary ammonium salts as the nucleophilicity of the anion is increased from chloride to acetate. 

The apparent intrinsic nucleophilicities of halide ions have been determined by the thermal decomposition of quaternary ammonium salts (19). Complica-... 

Tertiary phosphine oxides may be prepared by thermal decomposition of quaternary phospho-nium hydroxides or alkoxides (6.109, 6.110). Tetraxis hydroxymethylphosphonium chloride reacts with an excess of caustic soda in an unusual way to give the corresponding oxide with hydrogen and formaldehyde (6.111). 

Thermal decomposition of quaternary ammonium hydroxides Tert. amines and ethylene derivatives s. 18, 993 Tert. amines from quaternary ammonium salts s. 16, 728... 

Thermal decomposition of quaternary ammonium hydroxides is different because elimination occurs preferentially to form the least substituted double bond. Thermal decomposition of scc-butyltrimethylammonium hydroxide, for example, gives 1-butene as the major product. 

The procedure of methylation of amines and thermal decomposition of quaternary ammonium hydroxides was first reported by Hohnann in 1851, but its value as a means of structure determination was not appreciated until 1881, when he published a report of its use to determine the structure of piperidine. Following are the results obtained by Hohnann. 

Chemical Properties. Reactions of quaternaries can be categorized iato three types (169) Hoffman eliminations, displacements, and rearrangements. Thermal decomposition of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide to an alkene, tertiary amine, and water is known as the Hoffman elimination (eq. la) (170). This reaction has not been used extensively to prepare olefins. Some cycHc olefins, however, are best prepared this way (171). Exhaustive methylation, followed by elimination, is known as the Hoffman degradation and is important ia the stmctural determination of unknown amines, especially for alkaloids (qv) (172). 

The reaction of higher alkyl chlorides with tin metal at 235°C is not practical because of the thermal decomposition which occurs before the products can be removed from the reaction zone. The reaction temperature necessary for the formation of dimethyl tin dichloride can be lowered considerably by the use of certain catalysts. Quaternary ammonium and phosphonium iodides allow the reaction to proceed in good yield at 150—160°C (109). An improvement in the process involves the use of amine—stannic chloride complexes or mixtures of stannic chloride and a quaternary ammonium or phosphonium compound (110). Use of these catalysts is claimed to yield dimethyl tin dichloride containing less than 0.1 wt % trimethyl tin chloride. Catalyzed direct reactions under pressure are used commercially to manufacture dimethyl tin dichloride. 

When potassium fluoride is combined with a variety of quaternary ammonium salts its reaction rate is accelerated and the overall yields of a vanety of halogen displacements are improved [57, p 112ff. Variables like catalyst type and moisture content of the alkali metal fluoride need to be optimized. In addition, the maximum yield is a function of two parallel reactions direct fluorination and catalyst decomposition due to its low thermal stability in the presence of fluoride ion [5,8, 59, 60] One example is trimethylsilyl fluoride, which can be prepared from the chloride by using either 18-crown-6 (Procedure 3, p 192) or Aliquot 336 in wet chlorobenzene, as illustrated in equation 35 [61],... 

The derivative-forming process in pyrolytic alkylation involves two sequential reactions deprotonation of the acidic substrate in aqueous solution by the strongly basic tetra-alkylammonium ion and the thermal decomposition of the quaternary M-alkylammonium salt formed to give a tertiary amine and alkyl derivative. For some weak acids both processes may occur virtually simultaneously in the injector oven of the gas chromatograph. 

Pyridine (and quinoline) which in so many respects are aromatic and comparable to benzene, lose this character completely on hydrogenation to piperidine (and hydroquinoline), which are entirely of the same nature as secondary aliphatic amines. The completely hydrogenated heterocyclic bases undergo degradation reactions which have become important particularly in the investigation of the constitution of alkaloids. A. W. Hofmann s method of opening rings by means of exhaustive methylation may be illustrated with piperidine. By thermal decomposition of the quaternary ammonium base a C—N-link-age is broken and at the same time water is eliminated. 

Alternative procedures for the generation of dichlorocarbene and dibromocarbene under phase-transfer catalysed conditions are also available. Where the reactive substrate is labile under basic conditions, the thermal decomposition of solid sodium trichloroacetate or bromoacetate under neutral conditions in an organic solvent is a valuable procedure [10-12], The decarboxylation is aided by the addition of a quaternary ammonium salt, which not only promotes dissolution of the trihaloacetate anion in the organic solvent, but also stabilizes the trihalomethyl anion. Under optimum reaction conditions, only a catalytic amount of the quaternary ammonium salt is required, as a large amount of the catalyst causes the rapid generation of the dichlorocarbene with resultant side reactions. 

In addition, procedures have been described in which quaternary ammonium and phosphonium permanganates are preformed and isolated as semistable solids that can then be used as general oxidants in a wide variety of solvents (32,33). Precautions should be taken to avoid violent thermal decompositions when the latter procedure is used (34-36). 

The kinetic preference for cis- over imns-olefin elimination from acyclic compounds is rare. Cope and co-workers 91) reported a slight preference for cis- over irans-2-butene and 2-pentene in the thermal decomposition of the quaternary ammonium hydroxides, and Andr u and co-workers 92,93) found a preponderance of cis- over trons-2-butene in the elimination of hydrogen chloride from 2-chlorobutane over solid catalysts. Neureiter and Bordwell 94) found the formation of cis-2-butene rather than alkene from a-chlorosulfone on treatment with alkali ... 

The formation of novel silicon-rich synthetic zeolites has been facilitated by the use of templates, such as large quaternary ammonium cations instead of Na+. For instance, the tetramethylammonium cation, [(CH3)4N], is used in the synthesis of ZK-4. The aluminosilicate framework condenses around this large cation, which can subsequently be removed by chemical or thermal decomposition. ZSM-5 is produced in a similar way using the tetra-.n-propyl ammonium ion. Only a limited number of large cations can fit into the zeolite framework, and this severely reduces the number of [AIO4] tetrahedra that can be present, producing a silicon-rich structure. 

Reactions conducted in molten quaternary phosphonium salts require no other solvent (199). This material serves as both promoter and reaction medium. Care must be exercised in choosing the salt in such a reaction, since any decomposition could lead to products such as trialkylphosphines and alkyl halides which are expected to be deleterious to catalyst performance. Tetrabutylphosphonium bromide is reported to provide a stable catalyst medium which can be recycled (199, 200), but other related salts show evidence of thermal decomposition during catalytic reactions. Experiments in tetrabutylphosphonium acetate, for example, are found to produce large amounts of methyl and ethylene glycol acetate esters (199). 

Base-catalysed quaternary ammonium salts give alkenes and 3° amines. This reaction is known as Hofmann elimination or Hofmann degradation. Amines can readily be converted to quaternary ammonium salt by the treatment of excess primary alkyl halides, and then Ag20 and H2O. Quaternary ammonium salts undergo E2 elimination, when heated with NaOH to give alkenes and tertiary amines. Thermal decomposition of a quaternary ammonium salt by NaOH to an alkene is known as Hofmann elimination. 

The above-mentioned route to the preparation of quarternary ammonium ions in acidic zeolites is remarkable for the following reasons an immobilization of quaternary ammonium ions in a well-controlled concentration is an approach to modification of zeolite catalysts. Furthermore, the synthesis of isotopically labeled compounds is of importance in organic, pharmaceutical, and agricultural chemistry. This method is an approach to the synthesis of C-labeled (or C, N-labeled) tertiary amines via a thermal decomposition (243,251) of the corresponding quaternary ammonium ions in zeolites. 

Chemical Properties. Reactions of quaternaries can be categorized into three types Hoffman eliminations, displacements, and rearrangements. Thermal decomposition of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide to an alkene, tertiary amine, and water is known as the Hoffman elimination (eq. la). 

An alternative bimolecular elimination process involves the thermal decomposition in an atmosphere of nitrogen of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide (Hofmann exhaustive methylation procedure). 

Other special injection devices have been applied in combination with derivatization only rarely, if the reaction is carried out directly in the injection port. The method of thermal degradation of quaternary ammonium salts has already been mentioned. This can be performed in a sealed capillary directly in the injection port of the apparatus. The port should then be modified in order that when the reaction is finished, the capillary can be crushed and the products swept into the column. Another method of modification of the injection port in the thermal decomposition of hydrazones by a-ketoglutaric acid is shown in Fig. 4.3 (p.77). 

A novel class of crystalline, microporous aluminophosphate phases has been discovered. It represents the first class of molecular sieves with framework oxide compositions free of silica. The new class of materials encompasses some fourteen reported three-dimensional microporous framework structures, and six two-dimensional layer-type structures. The three-dimensional structures include structural analogues of the zeolites sodalite and erionite-offre-tite. The novel phases can be synthesized hydro-thermally in the presence of organic amines and quaternary ammonium templates. The template is entrapped or clathrated within the crystallizing aluminophosphate network. After thermal decomposition of the template the three-dimensional molecular sieves have the general composition of Al303 1.0 ... 

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