Highly activated disubstituted aromatic compounds

Methylene ( CH2) generated photochemically or thermally from diazomethane is highly reactive and is prone to incur side reactions to a substantial extent. In order to avoid these undesirable complexities, the cyclopropanation of multiple bonds with diazomethane has usually been carried out under catalytic conditions The catalysts most frequently employed are copper salts and copper complexes as well as palladium acetate. The intermediate produced in the copper salt-catalyzed reactions behaves as a weak electrophile and exhibits a preference to attack an electron-rich double bond. It is also reactive enough to attack aromatic nuclei. In contrast, the palladium acetate-catalyzed decomposition of diazomethane cyclopropanates a,a- or a,jS-disubstituted a,jS-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in high yields (equation 47). The trisubstituted derivatives, however, do not react. The palladium acetate-catalyzed reaction has been applied also for the cyclopropanations of some strained cyclic alkenesstyrene derivatives and terminal double bondsHowever, the cyclopropanation of non-activated, internal double bonds occurs only with difficulty. The difference, thereby. 

Dimethylcarbonate (DMC) is an environmentally friendly substitute for dimethylsulfate (DMS) and methyl halides in methylation reactions. It is also a very selective reagent. The reactions of DMC with methylene-active compounds produce monomethylated derivatives with a selectivity not previously observed. The batchwise monomethylation of arylacetonitriles, arylacetoesters, aroxyacetonitriles, methyl aroxyacetates, ben larylsulfones and alkylarylsulfones with DMC achieve >99% selectivity at 180-220°C in the presence of K2CO3. Mono- -methylation of primary aromatic amines at 120-150 °C in the presence of Y- and X-type zeolites, achieved selectivities up to 97%. At high temperature (200°C) and in the presence of potassium carbonate as the catalyst, DMC splits benzylic and aliphatic ketones into two methyl esters in contrast, DMC converts ketone oximes bearing a methylene group to 3-methyl-4,5-disubstituted-4-oxazolin-2-ones. Dibenzylcarbonate... 

---