Insertion reactions nitrogen

The main example of a category I indole synthesis is the Hemetsberger procedure for preparation of indole-2-carboxylate esters from ot-azidocinna-mates[l]. The procedure involves condensation of an aromatic aldehyde with an azidoacetate ester, followed by thermolysis of the resulting a-azidocinna-mate. The conditions used for the base-catalysed condensation are critical since the azidoacetate enolate can decompose by elimination of nitrogen. Conditions developed by Moody usually give good yields[2]. This involves slow addition of the aldehyde and 3-5 equiv. of the azide to a cold solution of sodium ethoxide. While the thermolysis might be viewed as a nitrene insertion reaction, it has been demonstrated that azirine intermediates can be isolated at intermediate temperatures[3]. 

Thorium compounds of anionic nitrogen-donating species such as [Th(NR2)4], where R = alkyl or sdyl, are weU-known. The nuclearity is highly dependent on the steric requirements of R. Amides are extremely reactive, readily undergoing protonation to form amines or insertion reactions with CO2, COS, CS2, and CSe2 to form carbamates. Tetravalent thorium thiocyanates have been isolated as hydrated species, eg, Th(NCS)4(H20)4 [17837-16-0] or as complex salts, eg, M4 Th(NCS)g] vvH20, where M = NH, Rb, or Cs. 

The photoelimination of nitrogen from diazo compounds provides a simple and versatile route for the generation of carbenes, and in certain instances, insertion reactions of carbenes can be employed in the synthesis of heterocycles. Carbenes are believed to be involved at least in part in the photochemically induced conversion of N,N-diethyldiazoacetamide (439) into the y-lactam 440 and the /Mactam 441,365 and a similar approach has been successfully employed in the synthesis of a carbapen-2-em366 and of 7-methylcephalosporin analogues.367 Carbene insertion of a different type has been observed on irradiation of the 6-anilino-5-diazouracils 442 to give the indolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines 443.368 Ring contractions in heterocycles... 

A germanium-nitrogen complex containing two Ge atoms disposed in an acyclic array was obtained via the formation of the intermediate germylene [(Me3Si)2N]GeCl, which was converted into a germanium(iv) adduct via an insertion reaction (Scheme 19).157... 

The properties of 5-azido and 5-diazomethyl-l,4-diphenyltriazole are unusual in that both compounds lose nitrogen under very mild conditions. The products derived from the azide are mainly those of ring cleavage (Section IV, G), but the diazoalkane gives a carbene which undergoes addition and insertion reactions with several solvents. These reactions are illustrated in Scheme 49. 

This reaction apparently proceeds by way of the normal phosphonate condensation product, the diazoalkylidene, which then spontaneously loses nitrogen to form the transient alkylidene car-bene. Careful work showed that, after statistical corrections were applied, the reactivity of a C-H bond toward insertion was approximately 0.003 for primary C-H bonds (methyl), 1.0 for secondary C-H bonds (methylene), 7.5 for benzylic (methylene) C-H bonds and 18.6 for tertiary C-H bonds. These relative reactivities are very similar to those previously observed for intramolecular C-H insertion by an alkylidene carbenoid generated from a vinyl bromide27. It was shown subsequently that the alkylidene carbene insertion reaction proceeds with retention of absolute configuration28. Using this approach, (l )-3-dimethyl-3-phenyl-l-cyclopentene and (i )-4-methyl-4-phenyl-2-cyclohexcnonc were prepared in high enantiomeric purity. 

Additional support for the carbon monoxide-alkoxycobalt insertion reaction is found in the reaction of tert-butyl hypochlorite with sodium cobalt carbonyl. This reaction, if carried out at — 80°C. in ether solution under nitrogen or carbon monoxide, leads to about a 10% yield of /er/-butoxycarbonylcobalt tetracarbonyl which has been isolated as the monotriphenylphosphine derivative. The major product seems to be cobalt octacarbonyl, possibly formed by decomposition of an intermediate JerJ-butoxycobalt tetracarbonyl (34). This reaction appears to be a true insertion reaction although a direct attack of a coordinated carbonyl group upon oxygen cannot be ruled out. 

Figure G shows some insertion reactions of carbonyl compounds. In the isocyanate and ketene cases, the addition takes place, not to the carbonyl double bond, but to the carbon—nitrogen or the carbon—carbon double bond.

Recently an arsenic amide derivative has reacted with an isocyanate, adding across the carbon—nitrogen double bond. I think this is the first example of a group V element which seems to be undergoing an insertion reaction. 

Cyclization-insertiort. Hegedus el a .4 have reported synthesis of some nitrogen-containing heterocycles by cyclization insertion reactions proceeding through a-alkylpalladium(II) intermediates. 

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