Furans hydroxy-, tautomerism

Benzo[b]furan, 2-ethyl-3-(4-hydroxy-3,5-diiodobenzyl)-applications, 4, 708 Benzo[b]furan, halo-reactions, 4, 650 Benzo[b]furan, 2-hydroxy-tautomerism, 4, 36 aromaticity and, 4, 595 Benzo[6]furan, 3-hydroxy-tautomerism aromaticity and, 4, 595 Benzo[b]furan, 5-hydroxy-synthesis, 4, 127... 

The corresponding tautomerism of 2-hydroxy thiophenes and 2- and 3-hydroxy selenophenes has been compared by Gronowitz [93]. The tautomerization rates were measured and compared with those of the hydroxy furan derivatives. Tautomerization is faster in the selenophenes than in thiophenes and especially when compared to the corresponding furans. 

The effect of substituents on the reactivity of heterocyclic nuclei is broadly similar to that on benzene. Thus mem-directing groups such as methoxycarbonyl and nitro are deactivating. The effects of strongly activating groups such as amino and hydroxy are difficult to assess since simple amino compounds are unstable and hydroxy compounds exist in an alternative tautomeric form. Comparison of the rates of formylation and trifiuoroacetylation of the parent heterocycle and its 2-methyl derivative indicate the following order of sensitivity to substituent effects furan > tellurophene > selenophene = thiophene... 

In many cases, substituents linked to a pyrrole, furan or thiophene ring show similar reactivity to those linked to a benzenoid nucleus. This generalization is not true for amino or hydroxyl groups. Hydroxy compounds exist largely, or entirely, in an alternative nonaromatic tautomeric form. Derivatives of this type show little resemblance in their reactions to anilines or phenols. Thienyl- and especially pyrryl- and furyl-methyl halides show enhanced reactivity compared with benzyl halides because the halogen is made more labile by electron release of the type shown below. Hydroxymethyl and aminomethyl groups on heteroaromatic nuclei are activated to nucleophilic attack by a similar effect. 

The 4- and 5-hydroxy-imidazoles, -oxazoles and -thiazoles (499, 501) and 4-hydroxy-pyrazoles, -isoxazoles and -isothiazoles (503) cannot tautomerize to an aromatic carbonyl form. However, tautomerism similar to that which occurs in hydroxy-furans, -thiophenes and -pyrroles is possible (499 500 503 504 501 502), as well as a zwitterionic... 

A tautomeric equilibrium of 4-hydroxy-benzo[c]furan-3(l//)-ones of type 199 has been reported [R, R = Me, (CH2)4, (CH2)5] (89KGS24). 

Heterocyclic compounds carrying hydroxyl groups may be compared with phenols. Thomson has reviewed the tautomeric behavior of phenols often both tautomeric forms of polycyclic compounds such as naphthols can be isolated. Early work on hydroxy-thiophenes and -furans was also reviewed by Thomsond but until recently their chemistry has been in a somewhat confused state. A pattern is now beginning to emerge, at least for the a-substituted compounds, which appear to exist as A -oxo derivatives and to attain equilibrium slowly with the corresponding A -oxo forms. For the a-hydroxy compounds, the equilibrium generally favors the A -oxo form. 

Recently, the hydroxy derivatives of furan, thiophene, and selenophene have been studied with regard to their physical properties and reactions. These compounds are tautomeric and if the oxygen function is placed in the 2-position they exist as unsaturated lactones and undergo carbon-carbon rearrangement, whereas the 3-hydroxy derivatives form oxo-enol tautomeric systems. By NMR the structures of the different tautomeric forms have been determined as well as the position of the tautomeric equilibrium and the rate of isomerization. 

This gives tautomeric mixtures119 when the tert-butyl group is removed. The methyl ether has been used to obtain 3-hydroxy-2-carbonyl derivatives in the selenophene series.120 The unsubstituted 2-hydroxyselenophene system has been prepared by hydrogen peroxide oxidation of 2-selenophene-boronic acid.121 However, in the 5-methyl-substituted system deboronation became such an important side reaction that 5-methyl-2-hydroxyselenophene had to be prepared by acid-catalyzed dealkylation of 5-methyl-2-fert-butoxy-selenophene. Both 2-hydroxy- and 5-methyl-2-hydroxyselenophene exist mainly as 3-selenolene-2-ones (93) and for the 5-methyl derivative it was possible to isolate the / ,y-unsaturated form (92) and follow the tautomeric isomerization. The activation parameters thus obtained were compared with those for the corresponding furan and thiophene systems. 

The ionization potentials, using mass spectrometry, for both 2-hydroxy-and 3-hydroxythiophenes have been compared with data for compounds derived from either tautomeric form in order to analyze the tautomeric composition.124 125 In the 2-hydroxy-substituted system the enol isomer could not be detected. Of the two possible unsaturated lactones the oc,/l-unsaturated form was the major isomer. In the 3-hydroxy-substituted case both the oxo form and the enol form are important. The position of the equilibrium was compared with those of the corresponding furan and sele-nophene systems for both isomers. 

Hydroxy derivatives of thiophene, pyrrole and furan (240 and 243) are tautomeric with alternative non-aromatic carbonyl forms (241, 242 and 244), as discussed in Section 2.3.5.2. 

Hydroxy-furans exist, if at all, at undetectably low concentrations in tautomeric equilibria involving 2(5//)-furanone and 2(3 /)-furanone forms, for example the angelica lactones can be equilibrated via treatment with an organic base, the more stable being the P-isomer the chemistry of 2-oxy-furans, then, is that of unsaturated lactones. Less is known of 3-hydroxy-furans save again that the carbonyl tautomeric form (3(2ff)-furanone) predominates. 

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