Isoxazoles, 4-hydroxy-, tautomerism

With 3- and 4-substituted isoxazoles the tautomeric form normally present is the XH tautomer, (13 X = O) and (14 X = O, N) respectively. However, other influences need to be considered as in cycloserine (IS), which exists as a zwitterion, as does 5-amino-3-hydroxy-isoxazole (16). 

Substituted isoxazoles, pyrazoles and isothiazoles can exist in two tautomeric forms (139, 140 Z = 0, N or S Table 37). Amino compounds exist as such as expected, and so do the hydroxy compounds under most conditions. The stability of the OH forms of these 3-hydroxy-l,2-azoles is explained by the weakened basicity of the ring nitrogen atom in the 2-position due to the adjacent heteroatom at the 1-position and the oxygen substituent at the 3-position. This concentration of electron-withdrawing groups near the basic nitrogen atom causes these compounds to exist mainly in the OH form. 

The 4- and 5-hydroxy-imidazoles, -oxazoles and -thiazoles (499, 501) and 4-hydroxy-pyrazoles, -isoxazoles and -isothiazoles (503) cannot tautomerize to an aromatic carbonyl form. However, tautomerism similar to that which occurs in hydroxy-furans, -thiophenes and -pyrroles is possible (499 500 503 504 501 502), as well as a zwitterionic... 

The application of spectroscopic methods to the study of tautom-erism proved especially fruitful. The tautomerism of hydroxy and amino derivatives of isoxazole is of great interest to the chemistry of isoxazole this subject, as well as the tautomerism of functional derivatives of other five-membered heterocycles, has been reviewed by Katritzky and Lagowski. We shall therefore only... 

Hydroxy-isoxazoles and -pyrazoles can tautomerize in both of the ways discussed in Sections 3.4.3.7.3 and 3.4.3.7.5 (654 655 656). The hydroxy form is generally the least stable the alternative azolinone forms coexist in proportions depending on the substituents and the solvent, with non-polar media favoring the CH form (656) and polar media the NH form (655). The derived amibident anion can react with electrophiles at N, C or O depending on the reagent and conditions. 

S. Woodcock, D. V. S. Green, M. A. Vincent, 1. H. Hillier, M. F. Guest, and P. Sherwood, ]. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 2, 2151 (1992). Tautomeric Equilibria in 3- and 5-Hydroxy-isoxazole in the Gas Phase and in Aqueous Solution A Test of Molecular Dynamics and Continuum Models of Solvation. 

The tautomeric composition in solution of 4-(arylmethyl)isoxazol-5-one derivatives has been determined on the basis of H NMR and infrared (IR) data. The CH form was predominant in chloroform solution, while the NH and OH forms are more common in polar solvents and in the solid state <1996T1443>. 5-Hydroxy- and 5-amino-2-isoxazo-lines show different tautomeric forms in solution. The presence of cyclic hemiacetal or hemiaminal moieties in such molecules allows the easy cleavage of the C-5-0 bond to form linear structures. Subsequent intramolecular addition of nucleophiles to the C=N bond gives rise to cyclic structures. Compounds 20 exist, in the crystalline state, as the isoxazoline form A. In solution, a ring-ring tautomeric equilibrium was observed between the isoxazoline form A and the pyrazoline form C. The tautomeric ratio depended on steric factors and on the solvent used. The tautomeric equilibrium was established after several days (Scheme 2) <2000CHE722>. 

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