Ketones, reaction with TosMic

Reductive cyanation (5, 684 6, 600).1 The original conditions for conversion of ketones into nitriles give low yields when applied to aldehydes. Satisfactory results are obtained, however, if the initial reaction with TosMIC is conducted at 50° in DME before addition of methanol and reflux. Yields of 50-70% are then possible. 

Based on a known synthesis of spiro compounds with six-membered rings [63] we succeeded in the stepwise assembly of terminal substituted mono-[64] and dispiranes [65]. Hereby the cyclisation of the dibromide 35 with TOSMIC (Iter. 1) is the keystep of the reaction sequence as the initial ketone functional group (36) is recovered. Four subsequent reactions led to the spirodibromide 40 (Iter. 2). Final spirocyclisation afforded the dispirane 41, representing a precursor for new calamitic liquid crystals (Fig. 16) [66]. 

Tosylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) (75 R = H), a versatile reagent in synthesis, can also be used as an acyl anion equivalent. For instance symmetrical and unsymmetrical diketones were prepared by using this TosMIC synthon (equation 40). Ketones are homologated to enones by alkylating the condensation product derived from TosMIC, followed by acid hydrolysis (Scheme 46). 1-Isocyano-l-tosyl-l-alkenes (76), formed by the reaction of TosMIC with an aldehyde or ketone, react with a primary amine or ammonia to give 1,5-disubstituted (or 5-monosubstituted) imidazoles in high yield (Scheme 47). ... 

Various approaches have been used to prepare pyrroles on insoluble supports (Figure 15.1). These include the condensation of a-halo ketones or nitroalkenes with enamines (Hantzsch pyrrole synthesis) and the decarboxylative condensation of N-acyl a-amino acids with alkynes (Table 15.3). The enamines required for the Hanztsch pyrrole synthesis are obtained by treating support-bound acetoacetamides with primary aliphatic amines. Unfortunately, 3-keto amides other than acetoacetamides are not readily accessible this imposes some limitations on the range of substituents that may be incorporated into the products. Pyrroles have also been prepared by the treatment of polystyrene-bound vinylsulfones with isonitriles such as Tosmic [28] and by the reaction of resin-bound sulfonic esters of a-hydroxy ketones with enamines [29]. 

Benzotriazole-l-yl)methyl isocyanide (BetMIC) 813 can be used instead of TosMIC in pyrrole syntheses thus, C-alkylation on the methylene group using /-BuOK and then reaction of the resulting give isocyanide 814 with, -unsaturated ketones, esters, or nitriles produces pyrroles 815 (Scheme 173) <1997H67>. 

BetMIC is characterized by two key properties first, the good leaving ability of the benzotriazole (Bet) moiety and, second, the high acidity of the methylene protons. BetMIC is reactive with ketones to afford 4-ethoxy-2-oxazolines (94), which can be hydrolyzed to synthetically useful a-hydroxyaldehydes (95). It must be noted that unlike TosMIC, BetMIC forms 94/96 without the presence of highly toxic thallium alkoxides. The reaction works well in the absence of ethanol and provides better yields when using aliphatic ketones. With aromatic ketones, for example, ben-zophenone, partial conversion to oxazoline occurs probably due to steric effects. Reaction of BetMIC with aldehydes typically generates oxazoles 97 (Scheme 7.24) [43,44]. 

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