Halo epoxides

The synthesis of epoxides proceeds in the presence of a variety of functional groups and is also applicable to cyclo steroids. Halo epoxides, e.g, (45), can... 

A synthesis of cyclopropanols exploiting C-C bond cleavage has been reported with a-halo epoxides as starting materials (Scheme 16). The diradical formed by reduction of the bromide and by direct epoxide opening via electron transfer (see below) has been postulated as the crucial intermediate [30]. 

The formation of vicinal halohydrms from alkenes was described m Section 6 17 Halo hydrins are readily converted to epoxides on treatment with base... 

Diazo compounds Diazoniiim sulfides and derivatives, Xanthates 1,2-epoxides Halo-aryl metals Haloarenemetal TC-complexes Halogen oxides Hydraziniiim salts Hyjiohalites... 

An a ,/3-epoxycarboxylic ester (also called glycidic ester) 3 is formed upon reaction of a a-halo ester 2 with an aldehyde or ketone 1 in the presence of a base such as sodium ethoxide or sodium amide. Mechanistically it is a Knoevenagel-type reaction of the aldehyde or ketone 1 with the deprotonated a-halo ester to the a-halo alkoxide 4, followed by an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction to give the epoxide 3 ... 

Another method for the synthesis of epoxides is through the use of halo-hydrins, prepared by electrophilic addition of HO-X to alkenes (Section 7.3). When a halohydrin is treated with base, HX is eliminated and an epoxide is produced. 

There have been two general approaches to the direct asymmetric epoxidation of carbonyl-containing compounds (Scheme 1.2) ylide-mediated epoxidation for the construction of aryl and vinyl epoxides, and a-halo enolate epoxidation (Darzens reaction) for the construction of epoxy esters, acids, amides, and sulfones. 

Epoxides bearing electron-withdrawing groups have been most commonly synthesized by the Darzens reaction. The Darzens reaction involves the initial addition of an ct-halo enolate 40 to the carbonyl compound 41, followed by ring-closure of the alkoxide 42 (Scheme 1.17). Several approaches for inducing asymmetry into this reaction - the use of chiral auxiliaries, reagents, or catalysts - have emerged. 

The method is quite useful for particularly active alkyl halides such as allylic, benzylic, and propargylic halides, and for a-halo ethers and esters, but is not very serviceable for ordinary primary and secondary halides. Tertiary halides do not give the reaction at all since, with respect to the halide, this is nucleophilic substitution and elimination predominates. The reaction can also be applied to activated aryl halides (such as 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene see Chapter 13), to epoxides, " and to activated alkenes such as acrylonitrile. The latter is a Michael type reaction (p. 976) with respect to the alkene. 

Sulfonate esters and halides can also migrate in this reaction. a-Halo and a-acyloxy epoxides undergo ready rearrangement to a-halo and a-acyloxy ketones,... 

The tosylatc must come from alcohol (44), Disconnection Lo an epoxide (45) is no good as the amine will attack the wrong atom. Change of oxidation level to (46) is more hopeful as the a-halo acid (47) is easily made. Another possibility is to use naturally occurring a 1 an ine ( 48),... 

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