Ketone epoxidations

Other substitution reactions have been described with ketones, epoxides, anhydrides, acyl haUdes, amides, and imidates, among others (4). 

Dichlorodicyanoquinone (DDQ), CH2CI2, H2O, 40 min, it, 84-93% yield.This method does not cleave simple benzyl ethers. This method was found effective in the presence of a boronate. The following groups are stable to these conditions ketones, epoxides, alkenes, acetonides, to-sylates, MOM ethers, THP ethers, acetates, benzyloxymethyl (BOM) ethers, and TBDMS ethers. 

A recent publication describes the protection of a S-keto-A" system via its eniminium salt, permitting enol acetylation of a 20-ketone, epoxidation, hydrolysis and finally removal of the A-ring protecting group. 

Pd Ketones, epoxides (hydrogen transfer from formic acid)... 

Tertiary butylhydroperoxide (TBHP) is a popular oxidizing agent used with certain catalysts. Because of its size, TBHP is most effective with catalysts containing large pores however, it can also be used with small-pore catalysts. Using first-row transition metals, Cr and V, impregnated into pillared clays, TBHP converts alcohols to ketones, epoxidizes alkenes, and oxidizes allylic and benzylic positions to ketones.83-87... 

On the other hand, an electronically stabilized heavy ketone by the coordination of the nitrogen atom shows extremely low reactivity. It does not react with phosphanes, phosphates, ketones, epoxides, Mel, HC1, etc., although it undergoes methanolysis and hydrolysis (Scheme 21).168... 

S Darzen s 1 a-Halo ester XCH — COOR Aldehyde, ketone Epoxidation (Sn reaction) follows... 

The order of reactivities of various functional groups determined under standard conditions (using externally generated diborane, and tetrahydrofuran as solvent) is acid > alkene > ketone > nitrile > epoxide > ester > acid chloride.33 Acids, aldehydes, ketones, epoxides, nitriles, lactones and azo compounds are reduced rapidly, esters more slowly and chloral, acid chlorides and nitro compounds are inert. Double bonds undergo the hydroboration reaction,25 nitriles and azo compounds are reduced to amines, and the remaining groups to alcohols. Ketones can be reduced selectively in the presence of epoxides. Contrary to the order of reactivities given above, it has been claimed that nitriles are reduced more rapidly than ketones.223... 

The acidity difference of hydrogen atoms adjacent to divalent sulfur compared to oxygen stems from the greater polarizability of sulfur and the longer C-S-bond length d-orbitals are not involved. In most cases treatment of dithianes with w-BuLi at temperatures of -30 °C is sufficient for the preparation of the lithio-derivatives. With pKA values of approximately 30, lithiated dithianes can react with aldehydes or ketones, epoxides and acid derivatives, but also with alkyl halides without competing elimination reactions. 

A number of methods have been used to stereoselectively introduce a hydroxy group adjacent to a ketone. Epoxidation of an enol ether or ester can be used (see Chapter 10). Chiral auxiliaries have also been used to lead to the introduction of the hydroxy group.213 Another method is the reaction of nitrosobenzene with an aldehyde in the presence of L-proline as catalyst (Scheme 9.37).214... 

Peptide aldehydes constitute a rather general example of protease inhibitors. The electrophilic carbonyl group is attacked reversibly by the cleaving nucleophile, forming a covalent acetal or thioacetal intermediate. With cysteine proteases the preferred inhibitors are strong electrophiles, for example ketones, chloromethyl ketones, epoxides, or vinyl sulfones. Many cysteine protease inhibitors form an enzyme-inhibitor complex irreversibly these are therefore denoted suicide-inhibitors . 

The use of numerous polymer-supported optically active phase transfer catalysts was further extended by Kelly and Sherrington11351 in a range of phase transfer reactions including a variety of displacement reactions, such as sodium borohydride reductions of prochiral ketones, epoxidation of chalcone, addition of nitromethane to chalcone and the addition of thiophenol to cyclohexanone. Except in the chalcone epoxidation, all the examined resin catalysts proved to be very effective. However, with none of the chiral catalyst system examined was any significant ee achieved. The absence of chiral induction is a matter of debate, in particular over the possible reversibility of a step and the minimal interaction within an ion pair capable of acting as chiral entities in the transition state and/or the possible degradation of catalysts and leaching. 

Trifluoroacetimidoyllithiums 75 have been prepared from imidoyl iodides by reaction with n-BuLi at — 78 °C and have been trapped with aldehydes, ketones, epoxides,... 

These nucleophilic reagents react with most common electrophiles such as organohalides, tosylates, aldehydes, ketones, epoxides, and activated alkenes. It should be noted that many workers have found much higher yields if the phosphides are protected as phosphine oxide or borane anions (see Section 3). Phosphide reagents also react with activated arenes to give mixed aryl phosphines (Protocol 2). Metal phosphides therefore provide an alternative, complementary tertiary phosphine synthesis to the electrophilic routes outlined in Section 2.1. 

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