Functional group synthetic equivalents

The carbonyl group of CpMo(CO)2(7t-allyl) is easily replaced by the NOBF4 salt to give the cationic salt [CpMo(CO)(NO)(7I-allyl)] 5 which functions in synthetic equivalence as an allyl cation because of its... 

Akylsilanes are more reactive than vinylskanes in Friedel-Crafts reactions, as shown in the selective acylation of 2,3-disilylalkenes. The akylsilanes, a-skyloxyakyltrialkylsilanes, have been used as enolate equivalents in the preparation of 1,4-diketones (178). The mild reaction conditions required for these reactions tolerate many other functional groups, providing valuable synthetic routes. 

The synthetic utility of the D-A reaction can be expanded by the use of dienophiles that contain masked functionality and are the synthetic equivalents of unreactive or inaccessible compounds. (See Section 13.1.2 for a more complete discussion of the concept of synthetic equivalents.) For example, a-chloroacrylonitrile shows satisfactory reactivity as a dienophile. The a-chloronitrile functionality in the adduct can be hydrolyzed to a carbonyl group. Thus, a-chloroacrylonitrile can function as the equivalent of ketene, CH2=C=0,63 which is not a suitable dienophile because it has a tendency to react with dienes by [2 + 2] cycloaddition, rather than the desired [4 + 2] fashion. 

Vinyl sulfones are reactive as dienophiles. The sulfonyl group can be removed reductively with sodium amalgam (see Section 5.6.2). In this two-step reaction sequence, the vinyl sulfone functions as an ethylene equivalent. The sulfonyl group also permits alkylation of the adduct, via the carbanion. This three-step sequence permits the vinyl sulfone to serve as the synthetic equivalent of a terminal alkene.68... 

Retrosynthetic analysis may identify a need to use synthetic equivalent groups. These groups are synthons that correspond structurally to a subunit of the target structure, but in which the reactivity of the functionality is masked or modified. As an example, suppose the transformation shown below was to be accomplished. 

Many other examples of synthetic equivalent groups have been developed. For example, in Chapter 6 we discussed the use of diene and dienophiles with masked functionality in the Diels-Alder reaction. It should be recognized that there is no absolute difference between what is termed a reagent and a synthetic equivalent group. For example, we think of potassium cyanide as a reagent, but the cyanide ion is a nucleophilic equivalent of a carboxy group. This reactivity is evident in the classical preparation of carboxylic acids from alkyl halides via nitrile intermediates. 

The important point is that synthetic analysis and planning should not be restricted to the specific functionalities that appear in the target molecules. These groups can be incorporated as masked equivalents by methods that would not be possible for the functional group itself. 

Notwithstanding what has been stated above (generalisation 2), the construction of the molecular framework has priority over the oxidation levels of the functional groups and even of the carbon skeleton itself. This means that all the following compounds are synthetically equivalent ... 

Examples of this approach to the synthesis of ketones and carboxylic acids are presented in Scheme 1.6. In these procedures, an ester group is removed by hydrolysis and decarboxylation after the alkylation step. The malonate and acetoacetate carbanions are the synthetic equivalents of the simpler carbanions lacking the ester substituents. In the preparation of 2-heptanone (entries 1, Schemes 1.5 and 1.6), for example, ethyl acetoacetate functions as the synthetic equivalent of acetone. It is also possible to use the dilithium derivative of acetoacetic acid as the synthetic equivalent of acetone enolate.29 In this case, the hydrolysis step is unnecessary, and decarboxylation can be done directly on the alkylation product. 

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