Ethyl diazoacetate epoxidation

Treatment of benzaldehydes with ethyl diazoacetate and a catalytic quantity of the iron Lewis acid [ -CpFe(CO)2(THF)]+BF4 yields the expected homologated ketone (80). However, the major product in most cases is the aryl-shifted structure (81a), predominantly as its enol tautomer, 3-hydroxy-2-arylacrylic acid (81b). This novel reaction occurs via a 1,2-aryl shift. Although the mechanism has not been fully characterized, there is evidence for loss of THF to give a vacancy for the aldehyde to bind to the iron, followed by diazoacetate attachment. The product balance is then determined by the ratio of 1,2-aryl to -hydride shift, with the former favoured by electron-donating substituents on the aryl ring. An alternative mechanism involving epoxide intermediates was ruled out by a control experiment. 

Niobia-supported MTO has been prepared either by the deposition of sublimed MTO onto the support, or by the impregnation of the support by a solution of MTO, and has been well characterised [54]. A large variety of oxidation reactions were efficiently performed with niobia-supported MTO, such as olefin metathesis catalysis [53,54], reactions of ethyl diazoacetate, heteroatom oxidation (amine and phosphine oxidations) and olefin epoxidation with hydrogen peroxide [55] (Scheme 13). 

In contrast to the epoxides, preparative routes to the aziridines are fairly evenly split between the [C=N + C] and the [C=C + N] routes. Among contributions in the former category, aziridine carboxylate derivatives 110 can be prepared through the lanthanide-catalyzed reaction of imines with diazo compounds, such as ethyl diazoacetate (EDA). In this protocol, iV-benzyl aryl aldimines and imines derived from aromatic amines and hindered aliphatic aldehydes are appropriate substrates <99T12929>. An intramolecular variant of this reaction (e.g.. Ill —> 112) has also been reported <990L667>. 

Homologation of ketones (1, 369-370 6, 252-253 8, 222). Ethyl diazoacetate is recommended as the most useful diazoalkane for monohomologation of cyclic and acyclic ketones without formation of epoxides as by-products. One advantage is that the usually slow reaction can be catalyzed by BF3 etherate (or triethyloxonium tetrafluoro-borate). 

Different competitive processes are dependent on the diazo compound, on the unsaturated system, and on the solvent. With 1,1,1-trifluorobutan-2-one and diazomethane, the corresponding oxirane is formed almost exclusively. While methyl trifluoropyruvatc reacts with diazomethane to provide a mixture of the oxiranes, reaction of the pyruvate with ethyl diazoacetate provides a stable [3-1-2] cycloadduct.Chiral fluoroalkyl-substituted /i-oxo sulfoxide (e.g., 1) readily react with diazomethane to provide the corresponding chiral epoxides. Use of methanol as solvent favors oxirane formation over the competitive enol ether formation. 

Analogous to epoxides, aziridines can be prepared by the methylenation of imines. In this case, ethyl diazoacetate is the most common source of carbenes. For example, the imine derived from p-chlorobenzaldehyde 148 is converted to the c/j-aziridinyl ester 149 upon treatment with ethyl diazoacetate in the presence of lithium perchlorate <03TL5275>. These conditions have also been applied to a reaction medium of the ionic liquid l-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (bmimPFe) with excellent results <03TL2409>. An interesting enantioselective twist to this protocol has been reported, in which a diazoacetate derived from (TJ)-pantolactone 150 is used. This system was applied to the aziridination of trifluoromethyl-substituted aldimines, which were prepared in situ from the corresponding aminals under the catalysis of boron trifluoride etherate <03TL4011>. 

Three-membered heterocycles. Decomposition of diazo compounds by the iron complex in the presence of imines leads to aziridines. An analogous reaction of diazoalkanes with aldehydes gives some epoxides and the rearrangement products (ketones) owing to the Lewis acidic nature of the catalyst. Ethyl diazoacetate behaves differently, as 1,2-aryl shift occurs during the reaction. ... 

Epoxides and aziridines. The rhei decomposition of ethyl diazoacetate underet with carbonyl compounds. The yields of excellent. 

Reactions of ethyl diazoacetates. D can insert into O-H, S-H, and N-H bom I alkenes, carbonyl compounds, and im cyclopropanes, epoxides, and aziridines. i N< presence of MTO and PhjP). 

More epoxides (1) with juvenile hormone activity (Vol. 2, p. 7) have been made by epoxidizing the Wittig products of citronellal (2), and some of these substances also increase silk production.Reduction of the double bond sometimes increases the activity against Oncopeltus fasciatus. Insecticidal activity is also reported for certain terpenoid cyclopropanes [e.g. (3), made from limonene and ethyl diazoacetate] and for isobornyl thiocyanoethyl ether (made from cam-phene and ethylene chlorohydrin followed by treatment with potassium thiocyanate). The insect-repelling activity shown by thujic acid amides (4) is... 

There has also been a renewal of interest in reactions catalyzed by ru-thenium(II) porphyrin complexes, simultaneously with the development of new chiral ruthenium porphyrins [175-178]. Although these reactions focus mainly on asymmetric epoxidation of olefins [179,180], in some cases asymmetric cyclopropanations were very successful As a recent example, the intermolecular cyclopropanation of styrene and its derivatives with ethyl diazoacetate afforded the corresponding cyclopropyl esters in up to 98% ee with high trans/cis ratios of up to 36 and extremely high catalyst turnovers of up to 1.1 X 10 [140]. The structure of the metalloporphyrin is given in Fig. 2. Asymmetric intramolecular cyclopropanations were also reported with the same catalyst [140]. hi this case, the decomposition of a series of aUyhc diazoacetates afforded the cyclopropyl lactones in up to 85% ee. Both the inter-and intramolecular cyclopropanation were proposed to proceed via a reactive chiral ruthenium carbene intermediate. The enantioselectivities in these processes were rationahzed on the basis of the X-ray crystal structures of closely related stable chiral carbene complexes obtained from the reaction of the chiral complex with N2CPh2 and N2C(Ph)C02CH2CH = CH2. 

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