Dehalogenation/Halogenation Reactions

Oxidative dehalogenation. Halogen atoms may be removed from xenobiotics in an oxidative reaction catalyzed by cytochromes P-450. For example, the anesthetic halothane is metabolized to trifluoroacetic acid via several steps, which involves the insertion of an oxygen atom and the loss of chlorine and bromine (Fig. 4.28). This is the major metabolic pathway in man and is believed to be involved in the hepatotoxicity of the drug. Trifluoroacetyl chloride is thought to be the reactive intermediate (see chap. 7). 

The reaction of a 1,2-dihalocyclopropene (halogen = Br, Cl) with methyllithium also results in the formation an allenic carbene, in this case by an overall dehalogenation such reactions are discussed in Section 2.B.2.1.4.2. 

Catalysts. In industrial practice the composition of catalysts are usuaUy very complex. Tellurium is used in catalysts as a promoter or stmctural component (84). The catalysts are used to promote such diverse reactions as oxidation, ammoxidation, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, halogenation, dehalogenation, and phenol condensation (85—87). Tellurium is added as a passivation promoter to nickel, iron, and vanadium catalysts. A cerium teUurium molybdate catalyst has successfliUy been used in a commercial operation for the ammoxidation of propylene to acrylonitrile (88). 

Halogenation and dehalogenation are catalyzed by substances that exist in more than one valence state and are able to donate and accept halogens freely. Silver and copper hahdes are used for gas-phase reactions, and ferric chloride commonly for hquid phase. Hydrochlorination (the absoration of HCl) is promoted by BiCb or SbCl3 and hydrofluorination by sodium fluoride or chromia catalysts that form fluorides under reaction conditions. Mercuric chloride promotes addition of HCl to acetylene to make vinyl chloride. Oxychlori-nation in the Stauffer process for vinyl chloride from ethylene is catalyzed by CuCL with some KCl to retard its vaporization. 

Stereochemistry of the halogenation-dehalogenation reaction was studied for 1,2,3,4-tetrabromodibenzodioxin, TBDD (Scheme 4). 

Scheme 4. Isomeric specific Reaction Pattern of the Halogenation-dehalogenation of 1,2,3,4-Tetrabromodibenzodioxin on the Surface of Fly-Ash. 

Aryl halides can be dehalogenated by Friedel-Crafts catalysts. Iodine is the most easily cleaved. Dechlorination is seldom performed and defluorination apparently never. The reaction is most successful when a reducing agent, say, Br or 1 is present to combine with the I" or Br coming off." Except for deiodination, the reaction is seldom used for preparative purposes. Migration of halogen is also found," both intramolecular and intermolecular." The mechanism is probably the reverse of that of 11-11." ... 

In 1980 Sonogashira reported a convenient synthesis of ethynylarenes - the Pd-catalyzed cross-coupfing of bromo- or iodoarenes with trimethylsilylacetylene followed by protiodesilylation in basic solution [15]. Prior to this discovery, formation of terminal acetylenes required manipulation of a preformed, two-carbon side chain via methods that include halogenation/dehydrohalogenation of vinyl- and acetylarenes, dehalogenation of /1,/1-dihaloalkenes, and the Vils-meier procedure [ 14]. With the ready availability of trialkylsilylacetylenes, the two-step Sonogashira sequence has become the cornerstone reaction for the construction of virtually all ethynylated arenes used in PAM and PDM synthesis (vide infra). 

Both Ni and Pd reactions are proposed to proceed via the general catalytic pathway shown in Scheme 8.1. Following the oxidative addition of a carbon-halogen bond to a coordinatively unsaturated zero valent metal centre (invariably formed in situ), displacement of the halide ligand by alkoxide and subsequent P-hydride elimination affords a Ni(II)/Pd(ll) aryl-hydride complex, which reductively eliminates the dehalogenated product and regenerates M(0)(NHC). ... 

This catalytic cycle, generating acetyl iodide from methyl iodide, has been demonstrated by carbonylation of anhydrous methyl iodide at 80°C and CO partial pressure of 3 atm using [(C6H5)4As][Rh(CO)2X2] as catalysts. After several hours reaction, acetyl iodide can be identified by NMR and infrared techniques. However, under anhydrous conditions some catalyst deactivation occurs, apparently by halogen abstraction from the acetyl iodide, giving rhodium species such as frans-[Rh(CO)2I4] and [Rh(CO)I4] . Such dehalogenation reactions are common with d8 and d10 species, particularly in reactions with species containing weak... 

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