Isobutylene ferf-butyl reaction with

Solutions of nitric acid in chlorinated solvents can add to some alkenes to give nitrate esters. Some tertiary nitrate esters can be prepared in this way isobutylene (49) reacts with fuming nitric acid of 98.6 % concentration in methylene chloride to give ferf-butyl nitrate (50). However, the products obtained depend on both the substrate and the reaction conditions /3-nitro-nitrate esters, vic-dinitrate esters, /3-nitroalcohols and nitroalkenes have been reported as products with other alkenes. Oxidation products like carboxylic acids are also common, especially at elevated temperatures and in the presence of oxygen. The reaction of alkenes with fuming nitric acid is an important route to unsaturated nitrosteroids, which assumedly arise from the dehydration of /3-nitroalcohols or the elimination of nitric acid from /3-nitro-nitrate... 

Because the reaction is catalytic in ferf-butyl cation and the deprotonation/ reprotonation steps are very fast, extensive regioselective deuteriation of the isoalkane is observed at room temperature as shown by GC-MS analysis. The absence of mass 68 (d10-isobutane) and the presence of mass 64 due to S02 formation in the oxidative process are typical features in accord with the oxidative activation of the alkane and the Markovnikov-type addition of deuterons on the intermediate isobutylene (14). However, the exchange process does not take place in the presence of carbon monoxide, which traps the ferf-butyl cation and prevents deprotonation (Scheme 5.7). 

Superacid-catalyzed alkylation of adamantane with lower alkenes (ethene, propene, isomeric butenes) has been investigated by Olah et al.151 in triflic acid and triflic acid-B(0S02CF3)3. Only trace amounts of 1 -ferf-butyladamantane (37) were detected in alkylation with 1- and 2-butenes, whereas isobutylene gave consistently relatively good yield of 37. Since isomerization of isomeric 1-butyladamantane under identical conditions did not give even traces of 37, its formation can be accounted for by (r-alkylation, that is, through the insertion of the ferf-butyl cation into the C—H bond (Scheme 5.22). This reaction is similar to that between ferf-butyl cation and isobutane to form 2,2,3,3-tetramethylbutane discussed above (Scheme 5.21). In either case, the pentacoordinate carbocation intermedate, which may also lead to hydride transfer, does not attain a linear geometry, despite the unfavorable steric interactions. 

Another common ester for protecting amino acids is the ferf-butyl ester, which may be prepared as exemplified by the reaction of L-valine with isobutylene in the presence of acid to give fert-butyl L-valinate. Using curved arrows to symbolize the flow of electrons, write a stepwise mechanism for this reaction. 

Olah et al. reported the triflic acid-catalyzed isobutene-iso-butylene alkylation, modified with trifluoroacetic acid (TEA) or water. They found that the best alkylation conditions were at an acid strength of about Ho = —10.7, giving a calculated research octane number (RON) of 89.1 (TfOH/TFA) and 91.3 (TfOH/HzO). Triflic acid-modified zeolites can be used for the gas phase synthesis of methyl ferf-butyl ether (MTBE), and the mechanism of activity enhancement by triflic acid modification appears to be related to the formation of extra-lattice Al rather than the direct presence of triflic acid. A thermally stable solid catalyst prepared from amorphous silica gel and triflic acid has also been reported. The obtained material was found to be an active catalyst in the alkylation of isobutylene with w-butenes to yield high-octane gasoline components. A similar study has been carried out with triflic acid-functionalized mesoporous Zr-TMS catalysts. Triflic acid-catalyzed carbonylation, direct coupling reactions, and formylation of toluene have also been reported. Triflic acid also promotes transalkylation and adaman-tylation of arenes in ionic liquids. Triflic acid-mediated reactions of methylenecyclopropanes with nitriles have also been investigated to provide [3 + 2] cycloaddition products as well as Ritter products. Triflic acid also catalyzes cyclization of unsaturated alcohols to cyclic ethers. ... 

In the case of acid catalysis or transesterification, it is possible to push the reaction to the right by removal of water (azeotropic distillation) or the volatile methanol. Alternatively, preparation of the tert-butyl ester confers resistance to alkali, but allows removal of the protecting group under mildly acidic conditions. The ester, which for steric reasons cannot be prepared from fert-butanol, may be synthesized from isobutylene gas in the presence of acid, or by transesterification with ferf-butyl acetate. 

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