Heterocyclic compounds formation from isocyanides

This silylene formation from 27 under mild conditions permits the synthesis of a variety of interesting carbo- and heterocycles, most of which are new types of compounds. The results are summarized in Schemes 5 and 6. The reactions with benzene and naphthalene represent the first examples of [2+1] cycloadditions of a silylene with aromatic C=C double bonds.59 623 The reactions with carbon disulfide and isocyanide (Scheme 6) are also of great interest because of their unusual reaction patterns.62b... 

The direct combination of selenium and acetylene provides the most convenient source of selenophene (76JHC1319). Lesser amounts of many other compounds are formed concurrently and include 2- and 3-alkylselenophenes, benzo[6]selenophene and isomeric selenoloselenophenes (76CS(10)159). The commercial availability of thiophene makes comparable reactions of little interest for the obtention of the parent heterocycle in the laboratory. However, the reaction of substituted acetylenes with morpholinyl disulfide is of some synthetic value. The process, which appears to entail the initial formation of thionitroxyl radicals, converts phenylacetylene into a 3 1 mixture of 2,4- and 2,5-diphenylthiophene, methyl propiolate into dimethyl thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate, and ethyl phenylpropiolate into diethyl 3,4-diphenylthiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate (Scheme 83a) (77TL3413). Dimethyl thiophene-2,4-dicarboxylate is obtained from methyl propiolate by treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide and thionyl chloride (Scheme 83b) (66CB1558). The rhodium carbonyl catalyzed carbonylation of alkynes in alcohols provides 5-alkoxy-2(5//)-furanones (Scheme 83c) (81CL993). The inclusion of ethylene provides 5-ethyl-2(5//)-furanones instead (82NKK242). The nickel acetate catalyzed addition of r-butyl isocyanide to alkynes provides access to 2-aminopyrroles (Scheme 83d) (70S593). 

The common impurities found in amines are nitro compounds (if prepared by reduction), the corresponding halides (if prepared from them) and the corresponding carbamate salts. Amines are dissolved in aqueous acid, the pH of the solution being at least three units below the pKg value of the base to ensure almost complete formation of the cation. They are extracted with diethyl ether to remove neutral impurities and to decompose the carbamate salts. The solution is then made strongly alkaline and the amines that separate are extracted into a suitable solvent (ether or toluene) or steam distilled. The latter process removes coloured impurities. Note that chloroform cannot be used as a solvent for primary amines because, in the presence of alkali, poisonous carbylamines (isocyanides) are formed. However, chloroform is a useful solvent for the extraction of heterocyclic bases. In this case it has the added advantage that while the extract is being freed from the chloroform most of the moisture is removed with the solvent. 

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