Isocyanic chloride

Urea derivadves are of general interest in medicinal chemistry. They may be obtained cither from urea itself (barbiturates, sec p. 306) or from amines and isocyanates. The latter are usually prepared from amines and phosgene under evolution of hydrogen chloride. Alkyl isocyanates are highly reactive in nucleophilic addidon reactions. Even amides, e.g. sulfonamides, are nucleophilic enough to produce urea derivatives. 

The nucleophilic reacbvity of the C-5 oxygen is well documented however, no quantitative data are available. A-2-Thiazoline-5-ones (212) react at oxygen with acetyl chloride or acetic anhydride (447. 452). benzoyl chloride (447). methyl or phenyl isocyanate (467). carbamoyl chloride (453, 467). or phosphorus derivatives (468, 428) in the presence of bases to give 213, 214, 215. or 216 (Scheme 109). Strong bases such as... 

Rea.ctlons, As with other tertiary alcohols, esterification with carboxyUc acids is difficult and esters are prepared with anhydrides (181), acid chlorides (182), or ketene (183). Carbamic esters may be prepared by treatment with an isocyanate (184) or with phosgene followed by ammonia or an amine (185). 

A number of methods such as ultrasonics (137), radiation (138), and chemical techniques (139—141), including the use of polymer radicals, polymer ions, and organometaUic initiators, have been used to prepare acrylonitrile block copolymers (142). Block comonomers include styrene, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, 4-vinylpyridine, acryUc acid, and -butyl isocyanate. 

Amides result from the reaction of aromatic hydrocarbons with isocyanates, such as phenyl isocyanate [103-71-9], ia the presence of aluminum chloride. Phenyl isothiocyanate [103-72-0] similarly gives thioanilides (136). 

In these reactions the active acylating agent is the carbamyl chloride, formed by the reaction of the isocyanate with hydrogen chloride (137) ... 

Year Vinyl chloride monomer b, r Isocyanates Fluorocarbons c C2 Other Total Chlorine and hydrogen Salt and sulfuric acid Total... 

Preparation from Amines. The most common method of preparing isocyanates, even on a commercial scale, involves the reaction of phosgene [75-44-5] and aromatic or aUphatic amine precursors. The initial reaction step, the formation of N-substituted carbamoyl chloride (1), is highly exothermic and is succeeded by hydrogen chloride elimination which takes place at elevated temperatures. 

Oligomers of phosgene, such as diphosgene [503-38-8] (COCl2)2, have found use in the laboratory preparation of isocyanates. Carbamoyl chlorides, A[,A/-disubstituted ureas, dimethyl- and diphenylcarbonates, and arylsulfonyl isocyanates have also been used to convert amines into urea intermediates, which are subsequendy pyroly2ed to yield isocyanates. These methods have found appHcations for preparation of low boiling point aUphatic isocyanates (2,9,17). 

A simpler nonphosgene process for the manufacture of isocyanates consists of the reaction of amines with carbon dioxide in the presence of an aprotic organic solvent and a nitrogeneous base. The corresponding ammonium carbamate is treated with a dehydrating agent. This concept has been apphed to the synthesis of aromatic and aUphatic isocyanates. The process rehes on the facile formation of amine—carbon dioxide salts using acid haUdes such as phosphoryl chloride [10025-87-3] and thionyl chloride [7719-09-7] (30). 

More recently, a commercial process has been introduced for the manufacture of methyl isocyanate (MIC) which involves the dehydrogenation of /V-m ethyl form am i de [123-39-7] in the presence of palladium, platinum [7440-06-4], or mthenium [7440-18-8], at temperatures between 50—300°C (31). Aprotic solvents, such as ben2ene [71-43-2], xylenes, or toluene [108-88-3], may optionally be used. A variation of this synthesis employs stoichiometric amounts of palladium chloride [7647-10-1], PdCl2. 

Low boiling isocyanates, such as methyl isocyanate [624-83-9] are difficult to prepare via conventional phosgenation due to the fact that the A/-alkyl carbamoyl chlorides are volatile below their decomposition poiat. Interestingly, A/-ethyl carbamoyl chloride decomposes at its boiling poiat whereas the A/-propyl carbamoyl chloride is thermoly2ed cleanly into isocyanate and hydrogen chloride. 

A convenient method for the synthesis of these low boiling materials consists of the reaction of /V,/V-dimethy1iirea [96-31-1] with toluene diisocyanate to yield an aUphatic—aromatic urea (84). Alternatively, an appropriate aUphatic—aromatic urea can be prepared by the reaction of diphenylcarbamoyl chloride [83-01-2] with methylamine. Thermolysis of either of the mixed ureas produces methyl isocyanate ia high yield (3,85). 

Monsanto has disclosed the use of carbon dioxide—amine complexes which are dehydrated, at low temperatures, with phosphoryl chloride [10025-87-3] or thionyl chloride [7719-09-7] as a viable route to a variety of aUphatic isocyanates. The process rehes on the facile formation of the intermediate salt (30).REPLACEVariations of this process, in which phosgene is used as a dehydrating agent, have been reported earlier (84). Table 2 Hsts commercially available aUphatic isocyanates. 

Specialty Isocyanates. Acyl isocyanates, extensively used in synthetic appHcations, caimot be direcdy synthesized from amides and phosgene. Reactions of acid haUdes with cyanates have been suggested. However, the dominant commercial process utilizes the reaction of carboxamides with oxalyl chloride [79-37-8]. CycHc intermediates have been observed in these reactions which generally give a high yield of the desired products (86). 

Commercially important arenesulfonyl isocyanates are not directly accessible from the corresponding sulfonamides via phosgenation due to lack of reactivity or by-product formation at elevated temperatures. A convenient method for their preparation consists of the reaction of alkyl isocyanates with sulfonamides to produce mixed ureas which, upon phosgenation, yield a mixture of alkyl and arenesulfonyl isocyanates. The desired product can be obtained by simple distillation (16). Optionally, the oxalyl chloride route has been employed for the synthesis of arenesulfonyl isocyanate (87). 

X5lenol is an important starting material for insecticides, xylenol—formaldehyde resins, disinfectants, wood preservatives, and for synthesis of a-tocopherol (vitamin E) (258) and i7/-a-tocopherol acetate (USP 34-50/kg, October 1994). The Bayer insecticide Methiocarb is manufactured by reaction of 3,5-x5lenol with methylsulfenyl chloride to yield 4-methylmercapto-3,5-xylenol, followed by reaction with methyl isocyanate (257). Disinfectants and preservatives are produced by chlorination to 4-chloro- and 2,4-dich1oro-3,5-dimethylpheno1 (251). 

Figure 4a represents interfacial polymerisation encapsulation processes in which shell formation occurs at the core material—continuous phase interface due to reactants in each phase diffusing and rapidly reacting there to produce a capsule shell (10,11). The continuous phase normally contains a dispersing agent in order to faciUtate formation of the dispersion. The dispersed core phase encapsulated can be water, or a water-immiscible solvent. The reactant(s) and coreactant(s) in such processes generally are various multihmctional acid chlorides, isocyanates, amines, and alcohols. For water-immiscible core materials, a multihmctional acid chloride, isocyanate or a combination of these reactants, is dissolved in the core and a multihmctional amine(s) or alcohol(s) is dissolved in the aqueous phase used to disperse the core material. For water or water-miscible core materials, the multihmctional amine(s) or alcohol(s) is dissolved in the core and a multihmctional acid chloride(s) or isocyanate(s) is dissolved in the continuous phase. Both cases have been used to produce capsules. 

Figure 5 illustrates the type of encapsulation process shown in Figure 4a when the core material is a water-immiscible Hquid. Reactant X, a multihmctional acid chloride, isocyanate, or combination of these reactants, is dissolved in the core material. The resulting mixture is emulsified in an aqueous phase that contains an emulsifier such as partially hydroly2ed poly(vinyl alcohol) or a lignosulfonate. Reactant Y, a multihmctional amine or combination of amines such as ethylenediamine, hexamethylenediamine, or triethylenetetramine, is added to the aqueous phase thereby initiating interfacial polymerisation and formation of a capsule shell. If reactant X is an acid chloride, base is added to the aqueous phase in order to act as an acid scavenger. 

Naphthalenesulfonic acid can be converted to l-naphthalenethiol/T25 -J6 - by reduction of the related sulfonyl chloride this product has some utihty as a dye intermediate, and is converted by reaction with alkyl isocyanates to 3 -naphthyl-A/-alkylthiocarbamates, which have pesticidal and herbicidal... 

Phosgene reacts with a multitude of nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and carbon centers. Reaction with primary alkyl and aryl amines yield carbamoyl chlorides which are readily dehydrohalogenated to isocyanates. Secondary amines also form carbamoyl chlorides. 

Primary cycloaUphatic amines react with phosgene to form isocyanates. Reaction of isocyanates with primary and secondary amines forms ureas. Dehydration of ureas or dehydrosulfuri2ation of thioureas results in carhodiimides. The nucleophilicity that deterrnines rapid amine reactivity with acid chlorides and isocyanates also promotes epoxide ring opening to form hydroxyalkyl- and dihydroxyalkylaniines. Michael addition to acrylonitrile yields stable cyanoethylcycloalkylarnines. 

V-Phenylsuccinimide [83-25-0] (succanil) is obtained in essentially quantitative yield by heating equivalent amounts of succinic acid and aniline at 140—150°C (25). The reaction of a primary aromatic amine with phosgene leads to formation of an arylcarbamoyl chloride, that when heated loses hydrogen chloride to form an isocyanate. Commercially important isocyanates are obtained from aromatic primary diamines. 

The most important commercial process is the reaction of MDA with an excess of phosgene to form the corresponding isocyanate, 4,4 -methylene-diphenyldiisocyanate, MDI, C H qN202- The reaction proceeds through the formation of a primary carbamyl chloride that is decomposed with heating and the removal of HQ. 

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