Electrophilic hydration

Table 16 Reaction-constant dependence on substituent G in electrophilic hydration" and bromination6 of alkenes GRaiC=CR(,R. ...

Aryl substituted alkenes and alkynes become more basic in the excited state so that electrophilic hydration of the double bond occurs under very mildly acidic conditions. Kresge has used this effect for the generation of an enol from mesitylacetylene in water,and McClelland has used the reaction for the generation of... 

Scheme 2.31 Mechanism of electrophilic hydration and addition of HX to a simple alkene using HjO X in aqueous solution.

ALCOHOL SYNTHESIS BY ELECTROPHILIC HYDRATION THERMODYNAMIC CONTROL... 

So far, we have seen attack on the double bond by a proton, followed by nucleophilic attachment of its counterion to the intermediate carbocation. Can other nucleophiles participate Upon exposure of an alkene to an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid, which has a poorly nucleophilic counterion, water acts as the nucleophile to trap the carbocation formed by initial protonation. Overall, the elements of water add to the double bond, an electrophilic hydration. The addition follows the Markovnikov rule in that adds to the less substituted carbon and the OH group ends up at the more substituted one. Because water is a poor nucleophile, carbocation rearrangements can intervene in the hydration process. 

In Summary The carbonyl group of aldehydes and ketones is hydrated by water. Aldehydes are more reactive than ketones. Electron-withdrawing substituents render the carbonyl group more electrophilic. Hydration is an equilibrium process that may be catalyzed by acids or bases. 

This genera] scheme could be used to explain hydrogen exchange in the 5-position, providing a new alternative for the reaction (466). This leads us also to ask whether some reactions described as typically electrophilic cannot also be rationalized by a preliminary hydration of the C2=N bond. The nitration reaction of 2-dialkylaminothiazoles could occur, for example, on the enamine-like intermediate (229) (Scheme 141). This scheme would explain why alkyl groups on the exocyclic nitrogen may drastically change the reaction pathway (see Section rV.l.A). Kinetic studies and careful analysis of by-products would enable a check of this hypothesis. 

We can extend the general principles of electrophilic addition to acid catalyzed hydration In the first step of the mechanism shown m Figure 6 9 proton transfer to 2 methylpropene forms tert butyl cation This is followed m step 2 by reaction of the car bocation with a molecule of water acting as a nucleophile The aUcyloxomum ion formed m this step is simply the conjugate acid of tert butyl alcohol Deprotonation of the alkyl oxonium ion m step 3 yields the alcohol and regenerates the acid catalyst... 

An adjacent tnfluoromethyl group sharply increases the electrophilic character of the carbonyl carbon Compounds that readily form hydrates and hemiacetals show a time-dependent reversible mhibition of the en yme acetylcholinesterase (equation 2), in which the tight complex makes inhibition only partially reversible [75] In comparison with a nonfluormated analogue, several aliphatic ketones flanked by CFj and CF2 groups, are exceptionally potent reversible inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, as documented by companson of inhibition constants shown in equation 3 [16 ... 

Hydroboration-oxidation (Sections 6.11-6.13) This two-step sequence achieves hydration of alkenes in a stereospecific syn manner, with a regiose-lectivity opposite to Markovnikov s rule. An organoborane is formed by electrophilic addition of diborane to an alkene. Oxidation of the organoborane intermediate with hydrogen peroxide completes the process. Rearrangements do not occur. 

The sole known example of electrophilic substitution in quinazoline is nitration. Quinazoline gives 6-nitroquinazoline with fuming nitric acid in concentrated sulfuric acid. No oxidation of the heterocyclic ring can occur under these conditions because the hydrated cation (see Section IIA>4) is not present. This substitution is in agreement with theoretical calculation [see (2) and reference 36]. 

Acid-catalyzed hydration of isolated double bonds is also uncommon in biological pathways. More frequently, biological hydrations require that the double bond be adjacent to a carbonyl group for reaction to proceed. Fumarate, for instance, is hydrated to give malate as one step in the citric acid cycle of food metabolism. Note that the requirement for an adjacent carbonyl group in the addition of water is the same as that we saw in Section 7.1 for the elimination of water. We ll see the reason for the requirement in Section 19.13, but might note for now that the reaction is not an electrophilic addition but instead occurs... 

In the laboratory, alkenes are often hydrated by the oxymercuration procedure. When an alkene is treated with mercury(II) acetate Hg(02CCH3)2, usually abbreviated Hg(OAc)2l in aqueous tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent, electrophilic addition of Hg2+ to the double bond rapidly occurs. The intermediate orgnnomercury compound is then treated with sodium borohydride, NaBH4, and an alcohol is produced. For example ... 

Hydration of an alkene—the addition of water—is carried out by either of two procedures, depending on the product desired. Oxymercuration involves electrophilic addition of Hg2+ to an alkene, followed by trapping of the cation intermediate with water and subsequent treatment with NaBH4. Hydroboration involves addition of borane (BH3) followed by oxidation of the intermediate organoborane with alkaline H202- The two hydration methods are complementary oxymercuration gives the product of Markovnikov addition, whereas hydroboration/oxidation gives the product with non-Markovnikov syn stereochemistry. 

The chemistry of alkynes is dominated by electrophilic addition reactions, similar to those of alkenes. Alkynes react with HBr and HC1 to yield vinylic halides and with Br2 and Cl2 to yield 1,2-dihalides (vicinal dihalides). Alkynes can be hydrated by reaction with aqueous sulfuric acid in the presence of mercury(ll) catalyst. The reaction leads to an intermediate enol that immediately isomerizes to yield a ketone tautomer. Since the addition reaction occurs with Markovnikov regiochemistry, a methyl ketone is produced from a terminal alkyne. Alternatively, hydroboration/oxidation of a terminal alkyne yields an aldehyde. 

The acid-catalvzed hydration reaction begins with protonation of the carbonyl oxygen atom, which places a positive charge on oxygen and makes the carbonyl group more electrophilic. Subsequent nucleophilic addition of water to the protonated aldehyde ot ketone then yields a protonated gem diol, which loses H+ to give the neutral product (Figure 19.5). 

The mechanism of acid-catalyzed hydration of an aldehyde or ketone. Acid protonetes the carbonyl group, making it more electrophilic and more reactive. 

Once again, a large amount of diverse evidence indicates the intermediacy of a vinyl cation in electrophilic additions to arylacetylenes. As in the case of the hydration of alkynyl ethers and thioethers, the vinyl cation formed is especially stable because of resonance interaction and charge delocalization with the adjacent rr center of the aromatic system. 

The oxidation is regarded as taking place by an electrophilic attack of selenium dioxide (or selenous acid, H2Se03, the hydrate) on the enol of the ketone or aldehyde. This is followed by hydrolytic elimination of the selenium.258... 

Acids that have weakly nucleophilic anions, e.g. HS04e from dilute aqueous H2S04, are chosen as catalysts, so that their anions will offer little competition to H20 any R0S03H formed will in any case be hydrolysed to ROH under the conditions of the reaction. Rearrangement of the carbocationic intermediate may take place, and electrophilic addition of it to as yet unprotonated alkene is also known (p. 185). The reaction is used on the large scale to convert cracked petroleum alkene fractions to alcohols by vapour phase hydration with steam over heterogeneous acid catalysts. Also under acid catalysis, ROH may be added to alkenes to yield ethers, and RCOzH to yield esters. 

Phomactin A is the most challenging family member architecturally. The fragments that are most challenging are highlighted in Fig. 8.4. In Box-A, the highly sensitive hydrated furan is prone to dehydration under acidic or basic conditions, and any total synthesis almost certainly must save introduction of this fragment until the end game. Box-B relates to the strained and somewhat twisted electron-rich double bond. This trisubstituted olefin is extremely reactive toward electrophilic oxidants. 

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