Halogenated compounds, activated reduction

Two types of electrogenerated carbon bases have commonly been used (1) dianions derived from activated alkenes, and (2) carbanions formed by reductive cleavage of halogen compounds or by direct reduction of weak carbon acids. In both cases, the efficiency of the proton transfer reaction relies on a thermodynamically favored proton transfer or a fast follow-up reaction of the deproto-nated substrate. 

It was found that certain substituents render nitrobenzene inert to reduction by potassium borohydride, whereas other substituents activate the reduction to azoxy compounds. The substituents which favored this reduction all had positive Hammett sigma constants (e.g., p-C 1, p-Br, p-I, p-COOH, m-C 1, m-Br, m-1, m-CHO reduced to m-azoxybenzyl alcohol and m-OC2H5). Among the by-products of the reaction of a p-halogen compound, when carried out in ethanol solution, was p-nitrophenetole. The reduction ofp-fluoronitrobenzene afforded only p-nitrophenetole [48]. 

Reduction by lithium aluminum deuteride provides another method for direct replacement of halogen by deuterium, especially aliphatically bonded halogen for example, methylene dibromide is converted into deuterated methane in 93% yield.58 A mixture of LiD and LiAlD4, usually in tetrahydro-furan, is recommended59,60 especially for difficultly reducible compounds. This reduction is an SN 2 reaction, with the result that configuration is inverted at optically active centers, e.g., (R)-(+)-[2-D]butane is obtained from ( )-(+)-2-bromobutane in 82% yield 61... 

The introduction of tritium into molecules is most commonly achieved by reductive methods, including catalytic reduction by tritium gas, PH2], of olefins, catalytic reductive replacement of halogen (Cl, Br, or I) by H2, and metal pH] hydride reduction of carbonyl compounds, eg, ketones (qv) and some esters, to tritium-labeled alcohols (5). The use of tritium-labeled building blocks, eg, pH] methyl iodide and pH]-acetic anhydride, is an alternative route to the preparation of high specific activity, tritium-labeled compounds. The use of these techniques for the synthesis of radiolabeled receptor ligands, ie, dmgs and dmg analogues, has been described ia detail ia the Hterature (6,7). 

Two different sets of experimental conditions have been used. Buu-Hoi et al. and Hansen have employed the method introduced by Papa et using Raney nickel alloy directly for the desulfurization in an alkaline medium. Under these conditions most functional groups are removed and this method is most convenient for the preparation of aliphatic acids. The other method uses Raney nickel catalysts of different reactivity in various solvents such as aqueous ammonia, alcohol, ether, or acetone. The solvent and activity of the catalyst can have an appreciable influence on yields and types of compounds formed, but have not yet been investigated in detail. In acetic anhydride, for instance, desulfurization of thiophenes does not occur and these reaction conditions have been employed for reductive acetylation of nitrothiophenes. Even under the mildest conditions, all double bonds are hydrogenated and all halogens removed. Nitro and oxime groups are reduced to amines. 

A thioamide of isonicotinic acid has also shown tuberculostatic activity in the clinic. The additional substitution on the pyridine ring precludes its preparation from simple starting materials. Reaction of ethyl methyl ketone with ethyl oxalate leads to the ester-diketone, 12 (shown as its enol). Condensation of this with cyanoacetamide gives the substituted pyridone, 13, which contains both the ethyl and carboxyl groups in the desired position. The nitrile group is then excised by means of decarboxylative hydrolysis. Treatment of the pyridone (14) with phosphorus oxychloride converts that compound (after exposure to ethanol to take the acid chloride to the ester) to the chloro-pyridine, 15. The halogen is then removed by catalytic reduction (16). The ester at the 4 position is converted to the desired functionality by successive conversion to the amide (17), dehydration to the nitrile (18), and finally addition of hydrogen sulfide. There is thus obtained ethionamide (19)... 

A phenyl ethanol amine in which the nitrogen is alkylated by a long chain alphatic group departs in activity from the prototypes. This agent, suloctidil (43) is described as a peripheral vasodilator endowed with platelet antiaggregatory activity. As with the more classical compounds, preparation proceeds through bromination of the substituted propiophen-one ( ) and displacement of halogen with octyl amine. Reduction, in this case by means of sodium borohydride affords suloctidil (43). ... 

In marked contrast to the majority of activated metals prepared by the reduction process, cobalt showed limited reactivity toward oxidative addition with carbon halogen bonds. Iodopentafluorobenzene reacted with 2 to give the solvated oxidative addition products CoL and Co(C,F5)2 or Co(C F )L The compound CoiOJF 2PEt, was isolated in 54% yield by addition of triethylphosphine to tne solvated materials. This compound was also prepared in comparable yield from 1 by a similar procedure. This compound had previously been prepared by the reaction of cobalt atom vapor with C6F5I(81). 

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