Triflations esters, trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride

Alkyl esters of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, commonly called triflates, have been prepared from the silver salt and an alkyl iodide, or by reaction of the anhydride with an alcohol (18,20,21). Triflates of the 1,1-dihydroperfluoroalkanols, CF2S020CH2R can be prepared by the reaction of perfluoromethanesulfonyl fluoride with the dihydroalcohol in the presence of triethylamine (22,23). Triflates are important intermediates in synthetic chemistry. They are among the best leaving groups known, so they are commonly employed in anionic displacement reactions. 

Beccalli et al. reported a new synthesis of staurosporinone (293) from 3-cyano-3-(lH-indol-3-yl)-2-oxo propionic acid ethyl ester (1464) (790). The reaction of 1464 with ethyl chlorocarbonate and triethylamine afforded the compound 1465, which, on treatment with dimethylamine, led to the corresponding hydroxy derivative 1466. The triflate 1467 was prepared from 1466 by reaction with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride (Tf20) in the presence of ethyldiisopropylamine. The palladium(O)-catalyzed cross-coupling of the triflate 1467 with the 3-(tributylstannyl)indole 1468 afforded the vinylindole 1469 in 89% yield. Deprotection of both nitrogen atoms with sodium ethoxide in ethanol to 1470, followed by photocyclization in the presence of iodine as the oxidizing agent provided the indolocarbazole 1471. Finally, reductive cyclization of 1471 with sodium borohydride-cobaltous chloride led to staurosporinone (293) in 40% yield (790) (Scheme 5.248). 

The C-4 acids (183 and 184) have also been subjected to borane reduction conditions to afford alcohol 195 in 23-50% yield or 64% yield as the C-8 epimeric mixture (195 and 196, Scheme 29) [34, 49, 64]. The C-8 alcohol epimers 195 and 196 have been treated separately as a common intermediate for a number of C-4 derivatives including esters, ethers, and amines [34, 49, 64], Alcohols 195 and 196 was subjected to DCC, DMAP, and desired acid chloride or carboxylic acid in CH2CI2 affording ester analogs in 50-92% yield [64], Esters prepared include alkyl, aryl, and fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc) protected amino acid derivatives (197 and 198) [64]. Ethers were prepared with various alkyl halides and Ag20 in CH3CN at 40 °C. Alkyl, allyl, and benzyl ethers were prepared in 45-80% yield (199 and 200) [34,64]. Alcohols 195 and 196 were then activated to the triflates and displaced by a variety of amines by treatment with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride and desired amine in 22% - quantitative yield over two steps (201 and 202)... 

The highly reactive trifluoromethylsulfonyloxy (triflate) group is introduced into malate esters by treatment of 2 or 3 with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride at —78 °C in the presence of 2,6-lutidine [70,71,72], or at 0 °C in the presence of pyridine [73]. Yields are generally high, often exceeding 90%. Triflates 197 can be generated in situ, and need not be isolated. 

Reaction with Alcohols and Phenols. The reaction of alcohols and phenols with triflic anhydride (Tf20) at 0°C in the presence of a base (usually Pyridine) in an inert solvent (usually dichloromethane) for 2-24 h affords the corresponding reactive trifluoromethanesulfonate esters (triflates). When triflic anhydride and pyridine are combined, the pyridinium salt forms immediately and normally precipitates out from the reaction mixture. Nevertheless, the salt is an effective esterifying agent, reacting with the added alcohol to give triflates in high yields (eq 1). ... 

The desired sulfonate ester is usually prepared by reaction of the alcohol in pyridine with the appropriate sulfonyl chloride, that is, methanesulfonyl chloride (mesyl chloride) for a mesylate, y)-toluenesulfonyl chloride (tosyl chloride) for a tosylate, or trifluoromethane-sulfonyl chloride [or trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride (triflic anhydride)] for a triflate. Pyridine (C5H5N, pyr) serves as the solvent and to neutralize the HCI formed. Ethanol, for example, reacts with methanesulfonyl chloride to form ethyl methanesulfonate and with yj-toluenesulfonyl chloride to form ethyl /-toluenesulfonate ... 

Conversion of alcohols to sulfonate esters is a way of labilising them to nucleophilic substitution and elimination. The common leaving groups are arenesulfonates, particularly p-toluenesulfonate (tosylate), methanesulfonates (mesylate) and trifluromethanesulfonate (triflate) they are introduced by reaction of the acid chlorides (or, in the case of the trifluoromethanesulfonates, acid anhydrides) in a basic solvent such as pyridine. Traditionally, the reactions are carried out in pyridine as solvent, but both this solvent and the liberated... 

One-carbon Homologation of Carboxylic Acids. l-[(Tri-methylsilyl)methyl]benzotriazole converts benzoyl chlorides to the corresponding (benzotriazol-l-yl)methyl aryl ketones in high yields (see eq 1). Treatment with triflic anhydride and 2,6-lutidine in CH2CI2 converts these ketones into their enolate triflates in 83-95% yields (eq 4). In the subsequent steps, the triflates are treated with sodium methoxide and then with ethanolic HCl to afford ethyl esters of the corresponding arylacetic acids in 89-98% yields (eq 5). The proposed reaction mechanism involves elimination of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid with sodium methoxide and final alcoholysis of the obtained l-(arylethynyl)benzotriazole intermediates with ethanolic HCl. A comparable classical method for one-carbon homologation of carboxylic acids, the Amdt-Eistert reaction, involves difficult to handle diazomethane and Q -diazoketones. ... 

Most commonly initiation proceeds as direct addition of initiator to monomer molecule (route 1). Cationic polymerization of cyclic ethers may be initiated by both Bronsted and Lewis acids. Most commonly used initiators include strong protic acids such as trifluoromethanesulfonic (triflic) acid (also its anhydride or esters), fiuorosulfonic acid, perchloric acid, or heteropolyacids, oxonium salts such as triethyloxonium (e.g., EtsC A ), carbenium (e.g., Ph3C A ), or carboxonium (e.g., CeHsCO A ) salts where A should be stable, weakly nucleophilic counterion (e.g., BF4, PFg, and SbFg) or Lewis acids (most commonly used is BF3 -Et20). Several other initiation systems have been used (e.g., rare earth triflates) but the advantages over typically used simple and easily available initiators have not always been shown. 

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