Hydroxyl groups nucleophilicity

Methoxy olefination of cyclobutanone 188, which was followed by hydrolysis of the enol ether and isomerization of the resulting formyl group (13 1, transxis), afforded aldehyde 189 in 65% yield over the three steps. An eight-step sequence from aldehyde 189 including Stericol cleavage, triflation of the free hydroxyl groups, nucleophilic substitution with a purine salt, and hydrolysis furnished cyclobut-G 192 (Scheme 16.28). ... 

The benzylidene derivative above is used, if both hydroxyl groups on C-2 and C-3 are needed in synthesis. This r/vzns-2,3-diol can be converted to the sterically more hindered a-cpoxide by tosylation of both hydroxy groups and subsequent treatment with base (N.R. Williams, 1970 J.G. Buchanan, 1976). An oxide anion is formed and displaces the sulfonyloxy group by a rearside attack. The oxirane may then be re-opened with nucleophiles, e.g. methyl lithium, and the less hindered carbon atom will react selectively. In the following sequence starting with an a-glucoside only the 2-methyl-2-deoxyaltrose is obtained (S. Hanessian, 1977). 

STMP reacts with other nucleophiles such as aqueous ammonia to yield amidophosphates, which contains a P—N bond. STMP is used for the modification of the physical properties of starch and proteins by reaction with the amino and hydroxyl groups. 

This addition is general, extending to nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and sulfur nucleophiles. This reactivity of the quinone methide (23) is appHed in the synthesis of a variety of stabili2ers for plastics. The presence of two tert-huty groups ortho to the hydroxyl group, is the stmctural feature responsible for the antioxidant activity that these molecules exhibit (see Antioxidants). 

The antitumor activity of geldanamycin and its derivatives appears to result from inhibition of DNA synthesis whereas RNA synthesis is not affected (261). The antitumor activity of the maytansinoids also appears to result from the inhibition of DNA synthesis. The mechanism of action of maytansine (104) has been hypothesized to be the acid catalyzed loss of water from the C-9 hydroxyl group of the carbinolamide to form a reactive acyl imine intermediate, which reacts rapidly with nucleophiles on the bases of DNA (262). 

Hydroxyl Group. Reactions of the phenohc hydroxyl group iaclude the formation of salts, esters, and ethers. The sodium salt of the hydroxyl group is alkylated readily by an alkyl hahde (WiUiamson ether synthesis). Normally, only alkylation of the hydroxyl is observed. However, phenolate ions are ambident nucleophiles and under certain conditions, ring alkylation can also occur. Proper choice of reaction conditions can produce essentially exclusive substitution. Polar solvents favor formation of the ether nonpolar solvents favor ring substitution. 

Etherification. The accessible, available hydroxyl groups on the 2, 3, and 6 positions of the anhydroglucose residue are quite reactive (40) and provide sites for much of the current modification of cotton ceUulose to impart special or value-added properties. The two most common classes into which modifications fall include etherification and esterification of the cotton ceUulose hydroxyls as weU as addition reactions with certain unsaturated compounds to produce ceUulose ethers (see Cellulose, ethers). One large class of ceUulose-reactive dyestuffs in commercial use attaches to the ceUulose through an alkaH-catalyzed etherification by nucleophilic attack of the chlorotriazine moiety of the dyestuff ... 

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. 

Azirines react with enolate anions. Initial nucleophilic attack on phenyl 1-azirine by the enolate anion derived from acetophenone gives intermediate (223) which undergoes 1,2-bond cleavage, cyclization and hydroxyl group elimination to give pyrrole (226). 

AC2O, BF3 Et20, THE, 0°. These conditions give good chemoselectivity for the most nucleophilic hydroxyl group. Alcohols are acetylated in the presence of phenols. 

The effect of conformation on reactivity is intimately associated with the details of the mechanism of a reaction. The examples of Scheme 3.2 illustrate some of the w s in which substituent orientation can affect reactivity. It has been shown that oxidation of cis-A-t-butylcyclohexanol is faster than oxidation of the trans isomer, but the rates of acetylation are in the opposite order. Let us consider the acetylation first. The rate of the reaction will depend on the fiee energy of activation for the rate-determining step. For acetylation, this step involves nucleophilic attack by the hydroxyl group on the acetic anhydride carbonyl... 

Like the un-ionized hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group is a weak nucleophile. Nevertheless, it can operate as a neighboring nucleophile. For example, solvolysis of the isomeric p-bromobenzenesulfonate esters 6 and 7 leads to identical prxKluct nuxtures, suggesting the involvement of a common intermediate. This can be explained by involvement of the cyclic oxonium icai which would result from intramolecular participation. ... 

Like simple alkenes, enols are nucleophilic by virtue of their n electrons. Enols are much more reactive than simple alkenes, however, because the hydroxyl group can participate as an electron donor during the reaction process. The strong C—O bond is re-formed, providing a favorable energy contribution. 

Amino substituents on a carbon-carbon double bond enhance the nucleophilicity of the p carbon to an even greater extent flian the hydroxyl group in enols. This is because of the greater electron-donating power of nitrogen. Such compounds are called enamines. ... 

Because the pK s of the aldehyde and water are similar, the solution contains significant quantities of both the aldehyde and its enolate. Moreover, their reactivities are complementary. The aldehyde is capable of undergoing nucleophilic addition to its carbonyl group, and the enolate is a nucleophile capable of adding to a carbonyl group. And as shown in Figure 18.4, this is exactly what happens. The product of this step is an alkoxide, which abstracts a proton from the solvent (usually water or ethanol) to yield a (3-hydroxy aldehyde. A compound of this type is known as an aldol because it contains both an aldehyde function and a hydroxyl group (aid + ol = aldol). The reaction is called aldol addition. 

Dehydrogenation of amino alcohols of type 40 affords even bicyclic compounds 41, the formation of which can be explained by nucleophilic attack of the hydroxyl group on the formed enamine salt (133,134). 

FIGURE 16.27 A mechanism for the aspartic proteases. In the first step, two concerted proton transfers facilitate nucleophilic attack of water on the substrate carbonyl carbon. In the third step, one aspartate residue (Asp" " in pepsin) accepts a proton from one of the hydroxyl groups of the amine dihydrate, and the other aspartate (Asp" ) donates a proton to the nitrogen of the departing amine. 

A nitrophenylsulfenate, cleaved by nucleophiles under very mild conditions, was developed as protection for a hydroxyl group during solid-phase nucleotide synthesis. The sulfenate ester is stable to the acidic hydrolysis of acetonides. ... 

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