Ethere alkoxymercuration-demercuration

Problem 14.6 Give the alkene and alcohol needed to prepare the following ethers by alkoxymercuration-demercuration (a) diisopropyl ether, (b) 1-methyl-l-methoxycyclopentane, (c) 1-phenyl-1-ethoxypropane, (d) di-f-butyl ether. ... 

Problem 14.12 Use any needed starting material to synthesize the following ethers, selecting from among intermolecular dehydration, Williamson synthesis, and alkoxymercuration-demercuration. Justify your choice of method. 

The alkoxymercuration-demercuration of alkenes, dienes and alkynes in the presence of alcohols provides an even more versatile approach to the corresponding ethers than the acid-catalyzed process. This reaction has been extensively studied and thoroughly reviewed recently.415 The reaction of alkenes is best carried out using meicury(II) acetate or, for more highly substituted alcohols or alkenes, mercury(II) trifluoroacetate (equation 257).416,417... 

One major advantage of the alkoxymercuration-demercuration approach to ethers over the acid-catalyzed process is the fact that carbon skeleton rearrangements are seldom observed. Only unsaturated cyclopropanes,42S>426 or aryl-substituted alkenes427 428 in the presence of highly electrophilic mercury salts afford rearranged products. 

Synthesis of Ethers by Alkoxymercuration-Demercuration 636 14-7 Industrial Synthesis Bimolecular Condensation of Alcohols 637 Summary Syntheses of Ethers (Review) 638 14-8 Cleavage of Ethers by HBr and HI 638... 

When mercuration takes place in an alcohol solvent, the alcohol serves as a nucleophile to attack the mercurinium ion. The resulting product contains an alkoxy (—O—R) group. In effect, alkoxymercuration-demercuration converts alkenes to ethers by adding an alcohol across the double bond of the alkene. 

The alkoxymercuration-demercuration process adds a molecule of an alcohol across the double bond of an alkene (Section 8-6). The product is an ether, as shown here. 

Show how the following ethers might be synthesized using (1) alkoxymercuration-demercuration and (2) the Williamson synthesis. (When one of these methods cannot be used for the given ether, point out why it will not work.)... 

Ethers are prepared either by a Williamson synthesis or by alkoxymercuration/demercuration sequence. The Williamson ether sy thesis involves S -2 attack of an alkoxide ion on a primary alkyl halide. The alkoxymercuration reaction involves the formation of an intermediate organomercury compound, followed by NaBH4 reduction of the C-Hg bond. The net result is Markovnikov addition of an alcohol to an alkene. 

Alkoxymercuration-demercuration is another method for synthesizing ethers. 

The Williamson Ether Synthesis is not the only ether preparation available, and it is not suitable for sterically crowded ethers. Ethers can also be synthesized by the addition of an alcohol to an alkene. Just as hydration of an alkene gives an alcohol product (water as a nucleophile installs an OH group), addition reactions in the presence of an alcohol gives an ether product (alcohol as a nucleophile installs an OR group). Two examples are shown below the alkene can react initially with either a strong acid or a mercury cation (alkoxymercuration-demercuration). 

If an alcohol (ROH) is used in place of water, then the result is a Markovnikov addition of the alcohol (RO and H) across the alkene. This process is called alkoxymercuration-demercuration, and it can be used as another way of preparing ethers. 

Show what reagents you would use to prepare each of the following ethers via an alkoxymercuration-demercuration. 

Ethers can be prepared from alkenes via alkoxymercuration-demercuration, which results in a Markovnikov addition of RO and H across an alkene. 

Alkoxymercuration-demercuration converts the alkene into an ether, which is then cleaved into two alkyl halides upon treatment with excess HI ... 

Addition of alcohol to alkenes hy alkoxymercuration-reduction produces ethers via Markovnikov addition. This addition is similar to the acid-catalysed addition of an alcohol. For example, propene reacts with mercuric acetate in aqueous THF, followed hy reduction with NaBFl4, to yield methyl propyl ether. The second step is known as demercuration, where Flg(OAc) is removed hy NaBH4. Therefore, this reaction is also called alkoxymercura-tion-demercuration. The reaction mechanism is exactly the same as the oxymercuration-reduction of alkenes. 

Addition of mercury and an alkoxy group to a double bond, usually by a solution of mercuric acetate in an alcohol. Alkoxymercuration is usually followed by sodium borohydride reduction (demercuration) to give an ether, (p. 636)... 

We saw in Section 7.4 that alkenes react with water in the presence of mercuric acetate to yield a hydroxymercuration product. Subsequent treatment with NaBH4 breaks the C-Hg bond and yields the alcohol. A similar alkoxymercuration reaction occurs when an alkene is treated with an alcohol in the presence of mercuric acetate. (Mercuric trifluoroacetate, (CF3C02>4Hg, works even better.) Demercuration by reaction with NaBH4 then yields an ether. As indicated by the following examples, the net result is Markovnikov addition of the alcohol to the alkene. 

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