Lewis acid-catalyzed reactions decomposition

The hydrocarbon resins can be produced by a simple thermal polymerization process (48-50) or by Lewis acid catalyzed reaction (51). The thermal process is carried out at a high temperature in the range of 200-280°C and a reactor pressure above 300 psig. At temperatures below 200°C, the Diels-Alder polymers are formed. They are not desirable in most resins because they are insoluble in aromatic solvents. If reaction temperature exceeds 280°C, decomposition of the resins would occur. 

The Nazarov cyclization of vinyl aryl ketones involves a disruption of the aromaticity, and therefore, the activation barrier is significantly higher than that of the divinyl ketones. Not surprisingly, the Lewis acid-catalyzed protocols [30] resulted only in decomposition to the enone derived from 46,47, and CO. Pleasingly, however, photolysis [31] readily delivered the desired annulation product 48 in 60 % yield. The photo-Nazarov cyclization reaction of aryl vinyl ketones was first reported by Smith and Agosta. Subsequent mechanistic studies by Leitich and Schaffner revealed the reaction mechanism to be a thermal electrocyclization induced by photolytic enone isomerization. The mildness of these reaction conditions and the selective activation of the enone functional group were key to the success of this reaction. 

Several authors have studied the reaction products in the Lewis acid catalyzed decomposition of phenyl and alkyl azides.179-185 Hoegerlee and Butler have found that phenyl azide forms a hydrocarbon-soluble complex at —70° with triethylaluminum, diethylchloroaluminum, and ethyldichloro-aluminum. 1 Upon warming to room temperature, this complex slowly decomposes into an intermediate phenylimine-aluminum compound (25) which then rearranges into a variety of amidoalkylaluminum reaction products (RP) (eq 4). 

Lewis acids have been widely used to catalyze Diels-Alder reactions when thermal conditions were not efficient [43]. A limitation of the Lewis acid catalyzed Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction has often been found to be due to the sensitivity of the substrates to the strongly acidic media. For instance, when considering the addition of phenylacetylene derivatives to 1-silyloxypyrrole, it was found that the Lewis acids (AICI3, BF3, TiCU) led to decomposition of starting materials, while the thermal processes afforded only negligible amounts of the desired cycloadduct [44]. The successful preparation of the cycloadduct product was achieved with lithium perchlorate in ether. This approach did not produce a very acidic reaction medium, but considerably lowered the LUMO pyrrole energy, almost as much as protonation by itself (Table 14). The final effect was that the reaction became a strongly LUMO diene controlled Diels-Alder reaction. 

The oxygenation of aromatic compounds by Lewis acid-catalyzed decomposition of peroxydicarbonates (19-21) may be formulated as indicated in the following reaction. Saville s rule is applicable to these reactions. 

According to Figure 3, hydroperoxides are reduced to alcohols, and the sulfide group is oxidized to protonic and Lewis acids by a series of stoichiometric reactions. The sulfinic acid (21), sulfonic acid (23), sulfur trioxide, and sulfuric acid are capable of catalyzing the decomposition of hydroperoxides to nonradical species. 

An alternative approach in the asymmetric catalysis in 1,3-dipole cycloaddition has been developed by Suga and coworkers. The achiral 1,3-dipole 106 was generated by intramolecular reaction of an Rh(ii) carbene complex with an ester carbonyl oxygen in the Rh2(OAc)4-catalyzed diazo decomposition of <9-methoxycarbonyl-o -diazoacetophenone 105 (Scheme 12). The asymmetric induction in the subsequent cycloaddition to G=G and G=N bond was achieved by chiral Lewis acid Sc(iii)-Pybox-/-Pr or Yb(iii)-Pybox-Ph, which can activate the dipolarophile through complexation. With this approach, up to 95% ee for G=0 bond addition and 96% ee for G=G bond addition have been obtained, respectively. ... 

Two factors are important in determining the relative values of kd and fce-the oxidation potential of the catalyst and its Lewis acidity. In general, the ease with which transition metal complexes catalyze the decomposition of hydroperoxides is related to their redox potentials (see Table V). Hydroperoxides are strong oxidants but weak reducing agents. Hence, reaction (312) is the slower,... 

This reaction is catalyzed by Lewis acids such as acidic metal oxides.448 Electron-attracting substituents in the aromatic ring, in addition to enhancing the rate of epoxidation, decrease the rate of heterolytic decomposition of the hydroperoxide.434... 

Decomposition potential (voltage) — The onset voltage for electrochemical decomposition of the electrolytic solution or the electrodes. The decomposition can take place due to either oxidation or reduction, or both. The decomposition potentials define the electrochemical window of the system. Its value depends on the salt, solvent, electrode material, temperature, and the existence of materials that can catalyze decomposition reactions, such as Lewis acids. Exact decomposition voltages are hard to reproduce as the onset current of the process is very sensitive to the experimental conditions (e.g., scan rate, temperature, type of electrode, etc.). Decomposi-... 

The reaction of divalent metals, such as copper, nickel, and so on, with dioxetanes in methanol leads to clean catalytic decomposition into carbonyl fragments/ The reaction rates increase with increasing Lewis acidity of the divalent metal and indicate, therefore, typical electrophilic cleavage of the dioxetane. On the other hand, univalent rhodium and iridium complexes catalyze the decomposition of dioxetanes into carbonyl fragments via oxidative addition. 

As above, the driving force for both reactions is ammonia removal. Both reactions (10a) and (10b) are catalyzed by a combination of a weak Lewis acid and a weak Lewis base, such as equimolar amounts of A1(/-Bu)2H and PPh3. These bifunctional catalysts reduce the formation of by-products from carbamate decomposition. The above reactions could be carried out in two separate steps or in one pot when in the presence of tin(IV) compounds as catalysts for the second reaction. 

The same anchor group is realized on a 5-(4 -chloromethylphenyl)-pentyl-PS/DVB (CMPP resin). R is introduced as R-COSK. Lewis acids can be used during synthesis without decomposition or deactivation (e.g. Sc(OTf)3-catalyzed imino aldol reaction) [322]... 

Mg-Al mixed oxides obtained by thermal decomposition of anionic clays of hydrotalcite structure, present acidic or basic surface properties depending on their chemical composition [1]. These materials contain the metal components in close interaction thereby promoting bifunctional reactions that are catalyzed by Bronsted base-Lewis acid pairs. Among others, hydrotalcite-derived mixed oxides promote aldol condensations [2], alkylations [3] and alcohol eliminations reactions [1]. In particular, we have reported that Mg-Al mixed oxides efficiently catalyze the gas-phase self-condensation of acetone to a,P-unsaturated ketones such as mesityl oxides and isophorone [4]. Unfortunately, in coupling reactions like aldol condensations, basic catalysts are often deactivated either by the presence of byproducts such as water in the gas phase or by coke build up through secondary side reactions. Deactivation has traditionally limited the potential of solid basic catalysts to replace environmentally problematic and corrosive liquid bases. However, few works in the literature deal with the deactivation of solid bases under reaction conditions. Studies relating the concerted and sequential pathways required in the deactivation mechanism with the acid-base properties of the catalyst surface are specially lacking. 

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