Isonitriles from chloroform

Isonitrile synthesis from primary amines and dichlorocarbene (from chloroform) or dibromocarbene (see 1st edition). 

The mechanism of the condensation in Part D probably involves thioformylation of the metallated isocyanoacetate followed by intramolecular 1,1-addition of the tautomeric enethiol to the isonitrile. This thi2izole synthesis is analogous to the formation of oxazoles from acylation of metallated isonitriles with acid chlorides or anhydrides. " Interestingly, ethyl formate does not react with isocyanoacetate under the conditions of this procedure. Ethyl and methyl isocyanoacetate have been prepared in a similar manner by dehydration of the corresponding N-formylglycine esters with phosgene and trichloromethyl chloroformate, respectively. The phosphoryl chloride method described here was provided to the submitters by Professor U. Schollkopf and is based on the procedure of Bohme and Fuchs. The preparation of O-ethyl thioformate in Part C was developed from a report by Ohno, Koi/.uma, and Tsuchihaski. " ... 

We have used the Kupchan scheme successfully in the separation of the multifunctional diterpenoid kalihinols from various Acanthella species (cf. Sect. 4.2.2). These compounds were distributed between the carbon tetrachloride and chloroform layers [19, 25], No isocyanosesquiterpenes were present in the hexane layer. By contrast, separate experiments with the Australian A. klethra revealed that sesquiterpenoid isonitriles were found exclusively in the hexane extract. No kalihinols were present in the carbon tetrachloride or chloroform extracts [26],... 

Along with epi-eudesmanes, 25-27, alloaromadendranes 58-60 were separated from the chloroform solubles of a methanol extract of A. cannabina [36], As was the case with axisonitrile-2 (53), extensive spectroscopic analyses including Eu(fod)3 shift reagent experiments in XH- and 13C NMR permitted assignment of relative stereochemistry. Acanthella pulcherrima was also a source of isothiocyanate 59, although both isonitrile and formamido compounds appear to be absent [20],... 

Although the extraction of primary amines from a basic medium with chloroform is an inadvisable procedure, on account of the formation of trace amounts of the pungent isonitriles, the specific synthesis of isonitriles by the two-phase reaction of primary amines with chloroform is unreliable. However, the application of the phase-transfer technique [e.g. 1 -5] for the controlled release of dichlorocarbene facilitates the synthesis of isonitriles in relatively high yields (Table 7.12). 

Phosgene, as well as the easier to handle diphosgene (chloroformic acid trichloromethyl ester) or triphosgene (carbonic acid bis(trichloromethyl) ester) transform primary, secondary and tertiary amides and thioamides to chloromethyleneiminium chlorides (25 equation 15), whereby the reaction with thioamides is of broader scope and proceeds with fewer side reactions. The amide chlorides derived from primary and secondary amides can lose HCl, giving nitriles or imidoyl halides, respectively. /V-Sub-stituted formamides can be converted to isonitriles via amide halides. ... 

The compound reacts with alcohols, phenols and amines to form products similar to those obtained from the corresponding reaction with COCI [1358]. Depending upon the conditions and stoicheiometry, carbonates and chloroformates [612,1380], carbamates [1380], isocyanates [1184] and ureas [938] can be obtained with diphosgene, in addition to more complicated products such as carbamoyl chlorides, imidic chlorides, carboxylic acid chlorides, isonitriles and IV-carboxy-Q-amino acid anhydrides [1358]. 

This reaction was first reported by Hofmann in 1868. It is the synthesis of isonitriles (also known as isocyanides) from primary amines and chloroform in the presence of alkali and is known as the Hofmann isonitrile synthesis, Hofmann carbylamine reaction, or Hofmann carbylamine synthesis. This reaction has been used to test the presence of primary amines from the order of isocyanides. Alternatively, the isonitriles can be prepared by means of the treatment of formamide of primary amines with toluenesulfonyl chloride" or phosphorus oxychloride (POCls)." Currently, the isonitriles have gained much attention in organic synthesis because of their application as versatile building blocks for heterocycles and in multicomponent reactions to generate combinatorial libraries, such as that in the Passerini reaction and Ugi reaction ... 

Chloroformic thiolimino esters from sulfenylchlorides and isonitriles... 

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