Ketones catalysis

In this section we will consider the asymmetric epoxidation of unactivated olefins. Three membered-rings containing two heteroatoms (dioxiranes, oxazidines, and oxaziridinium salts) are usually employed for the epoxidation of this type of olefin. Especially goods results in the field of the asymmetric epoxidation have been obtained with chiral ketone catalysis and iminium salts. In this section, the landmarks of these two significant areas and some applications of these methodologies will be presented. 

Inspired by the work of Burk and Feaster ) we attempted to use (2-pyridyl)hydrazine (4.36) as a coordinating auxiliary (Scheme 4.10). Hydrazines generally react effidently with ketones and aldehydes. Hence, if satisfactory activation of the dienophile can be achieved through coordination of a Lewis acid to the (2-pyridyl)hydrazone moiety in water. Lewis-add catalysis of a large class of ketone- and aldehyde-activated dienophiles is antidpated Subsequent conversion of the hydrazone group into an amine functionality has been reported previously by Burk and Feaster ... 

In a second attempt to extend the scope of Lewis-acid catalysis of Diels-Alder reactions in water, we have used the Mannich reaction to convert a ketone-activated monodentate dienophile into a potentially chelating p-amino ketone. The Mannich reaction seemed ideally suited for the purpose of introducing a second coordination site on a temporary basis. This reaction adds a strongly Lewis-basic amino functionality on a position p to the ketone. Moreover, the Mannich reaction is usually a reversible process, which should allow removal of the auxiliary after the reaction. Furthermore, the reaction is compatible with the use of an aqueous medium. Some Mannich reactions have even been reported to benefit from the use of water ". Finally, Lewis-acid catalysis of Mannich-type reactions in mixtures of organic solvents and water has been reported ". Hence, if both addition of the auxiliary and the subsequent Diels-Alder reaction benefit from Lewis-acid catalysis, the possibility arises of merging these steps into a one-pot procedure. 

As anticipated from the complexation experiments, reaction of 4.42 with cyclopentadiene in the presence of copper(II)nitrate or ytterbium triflate was extremely slow and comparable to the rate of the reaction in the absence of Lewis-acid catalyst. Apparently, Lewis-acid catalysis of Diels-Alder reactions of p-amino ketone dienophiles is not practicable. 

Finally, if there could be a way in which in water selective ri Jt-coordination to the carbonyl group of an a,P-imsatLirated ketone can be achieved, this would be a breakthrough, since it would subject monodentate reactants to catalysis by hard Lewis acids ". ... 

In contrast to oxidation in water, it has been found that 1-alkenes are directly oxidized with molecular oxygen in anhydrous, aprotic solvents, when a catalyst system of PdCl2(MeCN)2 and CuCl is used together with HMPA. In the absence of HMPA, no reaction takes place(100]. In the oxidation of 1-decene, the Oj uptake correlates with the amount of 2-decanone formed, and up to 0.5 mol of O2 is consumed for the production of 1 mol of the ketone. This result shows that both O atoms of molecular oxygen are incorporated into the product, and a bimetallic Pd(II) hydroperoxide coupled with a Cu salt is involved in oxidation of this type, and that the well known redox catalysis of PdXi and CuX is not always operalive[10 ]. The oxidation under anhydrous conditions is unique in terms of the regioselective formation of aldehyde 59 from X-allyl-A -methylbenzamide (58), whereas the use of aqueous DME results in the predominant formation of the methyl ketone 60. Similar results are obtained with allylic acetates and allylic carbonates[102]. The complete reversal of the regioselectivity in PdCli-catalyzed oxidation of alkenes is remarkable. 

On the other hand, the halohydrin (chloro and bromo) 908 is converted into a ketone via oxidative addition and //-elimination in boiling benzene with catalysis by Pd(OAc)2 and tri(o-tolyl)phosphine in the presence of K2C03[765,766],... 

Oxy-Cope rearrangement of 56 to form the cyclic ketone 57 can be carried out at room temperature with catalysis by PdCl2(PhCN)2(47]. 

Many of the most interesting and useful reactions of aldehydes and ketones involve trans formation of the initial product of nucleophilic addition to some other substance under the reaction conditions An example is the reaction of aldehydes with alcohols under con ditions of acid catalysis The expected product of nucleophilic addition of the alcohol to the carbonyl group is called a hemiacetal The product actually isolated however cor responds to reaction of one mole of the aldehyde with two moles of alcohol to give gem mal diethers known as acetals... 

Addition of HCN to unsaturated compounds is often the easiest and most economical method of making organonitnles. An early synthesis of acrylonitrile involved the addition of HCN to acetylene. The addition of HCN to aldehydes and ketones is readily accompHshed with simple base catalysis, as is the addition of HCN to activated olefins (Michael addition). However, the addition of HCN to unactivated olefins and the regioselective addition to dienes is best accompHshed with a transition-metal catalyst, as illustrated by DuPont s adiponitrile process (6—9). 

Reactions 33 and 35 constitute the two principal reactions of alkyl hydroperoxides with metal complexes and are the most common pathway for catalysis of LPOs (2). Both manganese and cobalt are especially effective in these reactions. There is extensive evidence that the oxidation of intermediate ketones is enhanced by a manganese catalyst, probably through an enol mechanism (34,96,183—185). 

Chromium compounds decompose primary and secondary hydroperoxides to the corresponding carbonyl compounds, both homogeneously and heterogeneously (187—191). The mechanism of chromium catalyst interaction with hydroperoxides may involve generation of hexavalent chromium in the form of an alkyl chromate, which decomposes heterolyticaHy to give ketone (192). The oxidation of alcohol intermediates may also proceed through chromate ester intermediates (193). Therefore, chromium catalysis tends to increase the ketone alcohol ratio in the product (194,195). 

A thkd method utilizes cooxidation of an organic promoter with manganese or cobalt-ion catalysis. A process using methyl ethyl ketone (248,252,265—270) was commercialized by Mobil but discontinued in 1973 (263,264). Other promoters include acetaldehyde (248,271—273), paraldehyde (248,274), various hydrocarbons such as butane (270,275), and others. Other types of reported activators include peracetic acid (276) and ozone (277), and very high concentrations of cobalt catalyst (2,248,278). 

Ketones with labile hydrogen atoms undergo enol acetylation on reaction with ketene. Strong acid catalysis is required. If acetone is used, isoptopenyl acetate [108-22-5] (10) is formed (82—85). Isopropenyl acetate is the starting material for the production of 2,4-pentanedione (acetylacetone) [123-54-6] (11). 

In typical processes, the gaseous effluent from the second-stage oxidation is cooled and fed to an absorber to isolate the MAA as a 20—40% aqueous solution. The MAA may then be concentrated by extraction into a suitable organic solvent such as butyl acetate, toluene, or dibutyl ketone. Azeotropic dehydration and solvent recovery, followed by fractional distillation, is used to obtain the pure product. Water, solvent, and low boiling by-products are removed in a first-stage column. The column bottoms are then fed to a second column where MAA is taken overhead. Esterification to MMA or other esters is readily achieved using acid catalysis. 

Reactions with Aldehydes and Ketones. An important use for alkylphenols is ia phenol—formaldehyde resias. These resias are classified as resoles or aovolaks (see Phenolic resins). Resoles are produced whea oae or more moles of formaldehyde react with oae mole of pheaol uader basic catalysis. These resias are thermosets. Novolaks are thermoplastic resias formed whea an excess of phenol reacts with formaldehyde under acidic conditions. The acid protonates formaldehyde to generate the alkylating electrophile (17). 

SuIfona.tlon, Sulfonation is a common reaction with dialkyl sulfates, either by slow decomposition on heating with the release of SO or by attack at the sulfur end of the O—S bond (63). Reaction products are usually the dimethyl ether, methanol, sulfonic acid, and methyl sulfonates, corresponding to both routes. Reactive aromatics are commonly those with higher reactivity to electrophilic substitution at temperatures > 100° C. Tn phenylamine, diphenylmethylamine, anisole, and diphenyl ether exhibit ring sulfonation at 150—160°C, 140°C, 155—160°C, and 180—190°C, respectively, but diphenyl ketone and benzyl methyl ether do not react up to 190°C. Diphenyl amine methylates and then sulfonates. Catalysis of sulfonation of anthraquinone by dimethyl sulfate occurs with thaHium(III) oxide or mercury(II) oxide at 170°C. Alkyl interchange also gives sulfation. 

MeOH, LaCl3, (MeO)3CH, 25°, 10 min, 80-100% yield/ Dimethyl acetals can be prepared efficlenlly under neutral conditions by catalysis with lanthanoid halides, but the results of the reaction with ketones are unpredictable. 

A number of studies of the acid-catalyzed mechanism of enolization have been done. The case of cyclohexanone is illustrative. The reaction is catalyzed by various carboxylic acids and substituted ammonium ions. The effectiveness of these proton donors as catalysts correlates with their pK values. When plotted according to the Bronsted catalysis law (Section 4.8), the value of the slope a is 0.74. When deuterium or tritium is introduced in the a position, there is a marked decrease in the rate of acid-catalyzed enolization h/ d 5. This kinetic isotope effect indicates that the C—H bond cleavage is part of the rate-determining step. The generally accepted mechanism for acid-catalyzed enolization pictures the rate-determining step as deprotonation of the protonated ketone ... 

Solutions of unstable enols of simple ketones and aldehydes can also be generated in water by addition of a solution of the enolate to water. The initial protonation takes place on oxygen, generating the enol, which is then ketonized at a rate that depends on the solution pH. The ketonization exhibits both acid and base catalysis. Acid catalysis involves C-protonation with concerted 0-deprotonation. 

In agreement with expectation for a rate-determining proton transfer, the reaction shows general acid catalysis. Base-catalyzed ketonization occurs by C-protonation of the enolate. 

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