Diazomethane reaction with ether

Diazomethane, reaction with 2,4,6-tri-nitrobenzenesulfonic acid and dimethyl ether, 46,122 Diazonium xanthates, detonation of, 47, 107... 

Ring expansion. In early work3 the ring expansion of cyclohexanone to 2-methylcycloheptanone by reaction with ethereal diazoethane was found to proceed slowly and in poor yield. The results were confirmed by Marshall and Partridge.4 These chemists noted, however, that Mosettig5 had observed that methanol accelerates the reaction of cyclohexanone with diazomethane. They then carried out the ring expansion of cyclohexanone (1) with diazoethane in 20% ethanol in diethyl ether as solvent. The reaction was complete within 2 hours and gave a 9 1 mixture of 2-methylcycloheptanone (2) and the oxide (3) in over 90% yield. They also carried out the reaction on a number of 4-substituted cyclohexanones. 

An ethereal solution of diazomethane free from alcohol may be prepared as follows such a solution is required, for example, in the Amdt-Eistert reaction with acid chlorides (compare Section VI,17). In a 100 ml. longnecked distilling flask provided with a dropping funnel and an efficient downward condenser, place a solution of 6 g. of potassium hydroxide in... 

Monoesterification of a symmetrical dihydroxy aromatic compound can be effected by reaction with polymer-bound benzoyl chloride (Pyr, benzene, reflux, 15 h) to give a polymer-bound benzoate, which can be alkylated with diazomethane to form, after basic hydrolysis (0.5 M NaOH, dioxane, H2O, 25°, 20 h, or 60°, 3 h), a monomethyl ether. ... 

The determination of position of protonation by reaction with diazomethane was performed as follows The enamine was treated at —70° with ethereal hydrogen chloride and the suspension of precipitated salt was treated with diazomethane and allowed to warm slowly to —40°, at which temperature nitrogen was liberated. The reaction with lithium aluminum hydride (LAH) was carried out similarly except that an ether solution of LAH was added in place of diazomethane. The results from reaction of diazomethane and LAH 16) are summarized in Table 1. 

If the carbonyl grou]) in the 3-position of N-methylisatin or tlii-ana])hthencquinone is blocked by formation of an oxime (cf. 112), A -methylation of the oxime group occurs instead of ring expansion on reaction with diazomethane. In methanol, thianaphthenequinone oxime iV-mcthyl ether (113) then undergoes ring opening catalyzed by diazoniethane (113 114). 

Diazomethane is a yellow gas that is toxic and explosive but that may be handled safely in solution in ether. It reacts immediately with an acid to liberate nitrogen and form the methyl ester. Its reaction with alcohols to form methyl esters requires catalysis by a Lewis acid. The procedures illustrate the use of this reagent as a methylating agent (see Chapter 17, Section III, for preparation of diazomethane). 

To a stirred suspension of 10 grams (35 mmol) of 7-chloro-5-phenyl-3H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2(1H) one 4-oxide in approximately 150 ml of methanol was added in portions an excess of a solution of diazomethane in ether. After about one hour, almost complete solution had occurred and the reaction mixture was filtered. The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo to a small volume and diluted with ether and petroleum ether. The reaction product, 7-chloro-1-methyl-5-phenyl-3H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2(1 H)-one 4-oxide, crystallized in colorless prisms. The product was filtered off and recrystallized from acetone, MP 188°-189°C. 

Bi Methylation of 8-Hydroxypsoralen 115 mg of 8-hydroxypsoralen was dissolved in 10 ml absolute methanol, an excess of diazomethane dissolved in ether was added and the mixture allowed to stand at room temperature with occasional stirring for 3 hours. The next day the reaction mixture was reduced in volume to 3 ml by evaporation on the steam bath and the concentrate was held in a refrigerator overnight. The next day, fine needles (80 mg) of 8-methoxypsoralen were filtered from the solution. The compound had a MP of 145° to 146°C and was obtained in a yield of 65% of theory. 

From the reaction of 5-0-benzoyl-l,2-0-isopropylidene-o -D-en/t/iro-pentofuranos-3-ulose (prepared in 80% yield by oxidation of 5-0-benzoyl-l,2-0-isopropylidene- -D-xylofuranose (35,36) with ruthenium tetroxide) with an excess of diazomethane in methanol-ether, two main products (m.p. 44°-45°C. and 76°-77°C.), both epoxides, could be isolated by chromatography of the product on a silica column. An... 

Reaction with alcohols is general for diazo compounds, but it is most often performed with diazomethane to produce methyl ethers or with diazo ketones to produce ot-keto ethers, since these kinds of diazo compounds are most readily available. With diazomethane the method is expensive and requires great caution. It is used chiefly to methylate alcohols and phenols that are expensive or available in small amounts, since the conditions are mild and high yields are obtained. Hydroxy compounds react better as their acidity increases ordinary alcohols do not react at... 

The action of diazomethane in aqueous 1,2-dimethoxyethane on 4-methoxy-l-/3-D-ribofuranosyl-2(lf/)-pyrimidinone gave, after purification, the corresponding 2 -methyl ether in 37% yield.333 N.m.r. spectroscopy showed that the crude mono-O-methyl fraction contained the 2 - and 3 - isomers in the ratio of 7 2. The 2 -methyl ether proved to be a versatile intermediate, as acid hydrolysis yielded 2 -0-methyluridine, whereas reaction with ammonia or methylamine... 

The value of methylation studies in structural determination of carbohydrates is well known. Methylation of sucrose has generally been achieved by the use of dimethyl sulfate-sodium hydroxide,34,35 methyl iodide-silver oxide-acetone,20 sodium hydride-methyl io-dide-N,N-dimethylformamide,35 or diazomethane-boron trifluoride etherate.36,37 The last method (already applied to monosaccharides38,39) has been found particularly useful for sucrose, because it proceeds without concomitant migration of acyl groups. The reaction of 2,3,6,T,3, 4, 6 -hepta-0-acetylsucrose (21) and 2,3,4,6,1, 3, 4 -hepta-O-acetylsucrose (22) with diazomethane in dichloromethane in the presence of a catalytic proportion of boron trifluoride etherate for 0.5 h at —5° gave the corresponding 4-methyl (23) and 6 -methyl (24)... 

In ethereal solution diazomethane can he preserved for a long time. Information about its numerous reactions (with hydrogen cyanide, acetylene, quinone, etc.) can he found in the special literature of the subject. As has already been mentioned, it is an important methylating agent, especially for phenols. With them it reacts in such a way that the two nitrogen atoms are eliminated as elementary nitrogen, and the two valencies which thus become free are occupied by H and OR. 

Methylation. The reaction with diazomethane has often been used for differentiating the acidic groups (28, 35, 38, 45, 46, 69). Diazomethane reacts, in general, with carboxylic acids, forming methyl esters which are easily hydrolyzed by dilute hydrochloric acid. With phenols, ethers are formed which are stable to hydrolysis. Alcohols are methylated only if catalysts are present, e.g., BF, ZnClj (70), or HjO (71). As Garten et al. 

The results of methoxy determinations after the reaction with diazomethane are presented in Table IV. The same carbon samples were used as in Table I. When dry ether was taken as solvent, acidic groups... 

The methylene fragment also reacts with undecomposed diazomethane to form nitrogenous products. Many other reactions, including insertion in carbon-hydrogen bond (cf. the photochemical reaction of diazomethane with ether and with 2-propanol183 occur. 

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