Lewis-acid

The term acid was extended by Lewis to include substances which are electron acceptors. Thus AICI3 can accept electrons from a chloride ion forming the [AICI4] ion and is a Lewis acid. 

The most widely used reactions are those of electrophilic substitution, and under controlled conditions a maximum of three substituting groups, e.g. -NO2 (in the 1,3,5 positions) can be introduced by a nitric acid/sul-phuric acid mixture. Hot cone, sulphuric acid gives sulphonalion whilst halogens and a Lewis acid catalyst allow, e.g., chlorination or brom-ination. Other methods are required for introducing fluorine and iodine atoms. Benzene undergoes the Friedel-Crafts reaction. ... 

C, b.p. 91 C, and has very similar properties to boron chloride but is a stronger Lewis acid. Diboron tetrabromide BjBr, is also known. 

Still another type of adsorption system is that in which either a proton transfer occurs between the adsorbent site and the adsorbate or a Lewis acid-base type of reaction occurs. An important group of solids having acid sites is that of the various silica-aluminas, widely used as cracking catalysts. The sites center on surface aluminum ions but could be either proton donor (Brpnsted acid) or Lewis acid in type. The type of site can be distinguished by infrared spectroscopy, since an adsorbed base, such as ammonia or pyridine, should be either in the ammonium or pyridinium ion form or in coordinated form. The type of data obtainable is illustrated in Fig. XVIII-20, which shows a portion of the infrared spectrum of pyridine adsorbed on a Mo(IV)-Al203 catalyst. In the presence of some surface water both Lewis and Brpnsted types of adsorbed pyridine are seen, as marked in the figure. Thus the features at 1450 and 1620 cm are attributed to pyridine bound to Lewis acid sites, while those at 1540... 

We have seen that a base can be defined as combining with a proton and, therefore, requires at least one lone pair of electrons. A more general definition of acids and bases, due to G. N. Lewis, describes a base as any species (atom, ion or molecule) which can donate an electron pair, and an acid as any species which can accept an electron pair— more simply, a base is an electron-pair donor, an acid an electron-pair acceptor. Some examples of Lewis acids and bases are ... 

Boron trioxide is not particularly soluble in water but it slowly dissolves to form both dioxo(HB02)(meta) and trioxo(H3B03) (ortho) boric acids. It is a dimorphous oxide and exists as either a glassy or a crystalline solid. Boron trioxide is an acidic oxide and combines with metal oxides and hydroxides to form borates, some of which have characteristic colours—a fact utilised in analysis as the "borax bead test , cf alumina p. 150. Boric acid. H3BO3. properly called trioxoboric acid, may be prepared by adding excess hydrochloric or sulphuric acid to a hot saturated solution of borax, sodium heptaoxotetraborate, Na2B407, when the only moderately soluble boric acid separates as white flaky crystals on cooling. Boric acid is a very weak monobasic acid it is, in fact, a Lewis acid since its acidity is due to an initial acceptance of a lone pair of electrons from water rather than direct proton donation as in the case of Lowry-Bronsted acids, i.e. 

The BF4 ion has a regular tetrahedral configuration. The most important property of boron trifluoride is its great capacity to act as an electron pair acceptor (Lewis acid). Some examples of adducts are ... 

Brominarion of the aromatic nucleus is now regarded as replacement of a hydrogen atom of the intact nucleus as a result of an attack by a polarised complex with a positive end. Iron acts as a carrier by forming FcBrj, which as a Lewis acid forms a polarised complex with one mol. of Bri ... 

Cl increases the Lewis acidity of boron making it a more reactive reagent... 

Lewis Acid Mediated Alkylation of Silyl Enolethers- SNi like alkylations... 

Lewis acid promoted condensation of silyl ketene acetals (ester enolate equiv.) with aldehydes proceeds via "open" transition state to give anti aldols starting from either E- or Z- enolates. 

Mukaiyarna-Johnson AJdoJ- Lewis acid promoted condensation of silyl enol ethers with acetals ... 

Ene reaction with aldehydes is catalyzed by Lewis Acids (Et2AlCl)... 

The D-A rxn is promoted by Lewis acids (T1CI4, BF3 AICI3, AIEt2CI, SnCLj,...)... 

Lewis acids can greatly effect the endo/exo ratio of IDA reactions especially when the olefin portion is E. The effects for Z-oIefins is much more subtle... 

This chapter introduces the experimental work described in the following chapters. Some mechanistic aspects of the Diels-Alder reaction and Lewis-acid catalysis thereof are discussed. This chapter presents a critical survey of the literature on solvent ejfects on Diels-Alder reactions, with particular emphasis on the intriguing properties of water in connection with their effect on rate and selectivity. Similarly, the ejfects of water on Lewis acid - Lewis base interactions are discussed. Finally the aims of this thesis are outlined. 

Desimoni et al. initially advocated the Acceptor Number (AN) as the dominant solvent parameter" The AN describes the ease with which a solvent can act as an electron pair acceptor (Lewis acid) and... 

Lewis-acid catalysis of Diels-Alder reactions... 

By far the most effective method, however, is catalysis by Lewis-acids. In organic solvents. 

The regioselectivity benefits from the increased polarisation of the alkene moiety, reflected in the increased difference in the orbital coefficients on carbon 1 and 2. The increase in endo-exo selectivity is a result of an increased secondary orbital interaction that can be attributed to the increased orbital coefficient on the carbonyl carbon ". Also increased dipolar interactions, as a result of an increased polarisation, will contribute. Interestingly, Yamamoto has demonstrated that by usirg a very bulky catalyst the endo-pathway can be blocked and an excess of exo product can be obtained The increased di as tereo facial selectivity has been attributed to a more compact transition state for the catalysed reaction as a result of more efficient primary and secondary orbital interactions as well as conformational changes in the complexed dienophile" . Calculations show that, with the polarisation of the dienophile, the extent of asynchronicity in the activated complex increases . Some authors even report a zwitteriorric character of the activated complex of the Lewis-acid catalysed reaction " . Currently, Lewis-acid catalysis of Diels-Alder reactions is everyday practice in synthetic organic chemistry. 

Unfortunately, the number of mechanistic studies in this field stands in no proportion to its versatility" . Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the beneficial effect of Lewis-acids on the rate of the Diels-Alder reaction can be primarily ascribed to a reduction of the enthalpy of activation ( AAH = 30-50 kJ/mole) leaving the activation entropy essentially unchanged (TAAS = 0-10 kJ/mol)" . Solvent effects on Lewis-acid catalysed Diels-Alder reactions have received very little attention. A change in solvent affects mainly the coordination step rather than the actual Diels-Alder reaction. Donating solvents severely impede catalysis . This observation justifies the widespread use of inert solvents such as dichloromethane and chloroform for synthetic applications of Lewis-acid catalysed Diels-Alder reactions. 

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