Lewis acids, reaction with phenolic esters

Phenolic esters (1) of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids, when treated with a Lewis acid as catalyst, do undergo a rearrangement reaction to yield ortho- and para-acylphenols 2 and 4 respectively. This Fries rearrangement reaction is an important method for the synthesis of hydroxyaryl ketones. 

The scope of this reaction is similar to that of 10-21. Though anhydrides are somewhat less reactive than acyl halides, they are often used to prepare carboxylic esters. Acids, Lewis acids, and bases are often used as catalysts—most often, pyridine. Catalysis by pyridine is of the nucleophilic type (see 10-9). 4-(A,A-Dimethylamino)pyridine is a better catalyst than pyridine and can be used in cases where pyridine fails. " Nonbasic catalysts are cobalt(II) chloride " and TaCls—Si02. " Formic anhydride is not a stable compound but esters of formic acid can be prepared by treating alcohols " or phenols " with acetic-formic anhydride. Cyclic anhydrides give monoesterified dicarboxylic acids, for example,... 

Hoesch reaction. In most cases, a Lewis acid is necessary zinc chloride is the most common. The reaction is generally useful only with phenols, phenolic ethers, and some reactive heterocyclic compounds (e.g., pyrrole), but it can be extended to aromatic amines by the use of BCls. Acylation in the case of amines is regioselectively ortho. Monohydric phenols, however, generally do not give ketones " but are attacked at the oxygen to produce imino esters. Many nitriles... 

Fries rearrangement.1 Rearrangement of phenyl esters with Lewis acids results in a mixture of ortho- and para-phenolic ketones. In contrast, reaction of an o-bromophenyl ester with sec-butyllithium results in exclusive formation of the orf/jo-phenolic ketone by an intramolecular acyl rearrangement.2... 

Of key importance in the Lewis acid promoted living anionic polymerization of methacrylic esters with aluminum porphyrin is how to suppress the undesired reaction between the nucleophile (2j ) and the Lewis acid, leading to termination of polymerization (Fig. 11). As mentioned in previous sections, one of our approaches was to make use of sterically crowded Lewis acids such as methyla-luminum bis(ort/zo-substituted phenolates). This section focuses attention on the steric bulk of the nucleophile component (2 ), by using strategically designed aluminum porphyrins and some other methacrylates, for the purpose of understanding the scope and limitation of this method (Fig. 12). 

Support-bound C-nucleophiles have also been successfully added to imines. Poly-styrene-bound thiol esters can be converted into ketene acetals by O-silylation, and then alkylated with imines in the presence of Lewis acids. Further examples include Mannich reactions of support-bound alkynes and indoles (Table 10.10). Some Man-nich-type products (e.g. 3-(aminomethyl)indoles, 2-(aminomethyl)phenols, (3-amino ketones) are unstable and can decompose upon treatment with acids. 3-(Amino-... 

Under acidic conditions, furfuryl alcohol polymerizes to black polymers, which eventually become crosslinked and insoluble in the reaction medium. The reaction can be very violent and extreme care must be taken when furfuryl alcohol is mixed with any strong Lewis acid or Brn nstad acid. Copolymer resins are formed with phenolic compounds, formaldehyde and/or other aldehydes. In dilute aqueous acid, the predominant reaction is a ring opening hydrolysis to form levulinic acid [123-76-2] (52). In acidic alcoholic media, levulinic esters are formed. The mechanism for this unusual reaction in which the hydroxymethyl group of furfuryl alcohol is converted to the terminal methyl group of levulinic acid has recendy been elucidated (53). 

The reaction between acyl halides and alcohols or phenols is the best general method for the preparation of carboxylic esters. It is believed to proceed by a Sn2 mechanism.As with 16-57, the mechanism can be S l or tetrahedral. ° Pyridine catalyzes the reaction by the nucleophilic catalysis route (see 16-58). Lewis acids such as lithium perchlorate can be used. 

Acetylation, formylatlon, and benzoylation of a variety of primary and secondary alcohols with the respective acids (acetic acid or anhydride, ethyl formate, and benzoic anhydride) can be achieved under the catalysis of BiCls, Bi(OCOCF3)3, or Bi(OTf)3 (Scheme 14.97) [194—196]. The O-acylahon of phenols is also promoted by these Lewis acids. Among the bismuth(III) salts employed, Bi(OTf)3 is the most effechve in terms of reaction condihons and yields of the esters. The Bi(OTf)3-acid anhydride procedure is apphcable to the acylahon of sterically demanding or tertiary alcohols and phenols. Treatment of terhary or benzylic bromides with Bi(OCOR)3 (R=Me, Ph) affords the corresponding esters [197]. In the presence of a catalytic amount of 612(804)3, the esterificahon of cis-(-)-thujopsene with a series of C2-C8 acids proceeds in moderate yield [198]. 

Triphenylsilyl ethers are typically prepared by the reaction of the alcohol with triphenylsilyl chloride (mp 92-94 °C) and imidazole in DMF at room temperature. The dehydrogenative silylation of alcohols can be accomplished with as little as 2 mol% of the commercial Lewis acid tris(pentaf1uorophenyl)borane and a silane such as triphenylsilane or triethylsilane [Scheme 4.98]. Primary, secondary, tertiary and phenolic hydroxyls participate whereas alkenes, alkynes, alkyl halides, nitro compounds, methyl and benzyl ethers, esters and lactones are inert under the conditions. The stability of ether functions depends on the substrate. Thus, tetrahydrofurans appear to be inert whereas epoxides undergo ring cleavage. 1,2- and 1,3-Diols can also be converted to their silylene counterparts as illustrated by the conversion 983 98.4. Hindered silanes such as tri-... 

The rearrangement of phenolic esters to either o-and/or p-phenolic ketones on being heated upon with anhydrous aluminium chloride or other Lewis acid catalysts is known as Fries Reaction or Rearrangement, as depicted below ... 

In the absence of a catalytic amount of Lewis acids such as Mg(OTf)2, weak Bronsted acids, such as thioureas, BINOL, and BINOL-derived phosphoric acids, could not promote this reaction alone. The reaction could not proceed with phosphoric acid salts, suggesting that the use of free acid is essential for effective catalysis. The combination of chiral phosphoric acid 13e and Lewis acid Mgp2 (4 1 ratio) was identified to be the optimal catalyst for the AFC alkylation reactions of phenols with p,y-unsaturated a-keto esters, affording the alkylation product in good yields with up to 99% ee. Not only free phenols but also indoles could be successfully applied in AFC reactions with P,y-unsaturated a-keto esters under the binary-acid catalysis (82-94% ee). 

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