Liberated reaction intermediates, nucleophilic

Nucleophilic Substitution at Benzyl Derivatives. The sharp break from a stepwise to a concerted mechanism that is observed for nucleophilic substitution of azide ion at X-l-Y (Figs. 2.2 and 2.5) is blurred for nucleophilic substitution at the primary 4-methoxybenzyl derivatives (4-MeO,H)-3-Y. For example, the secondary substrate (4-MeO)-l-Cl reacts exclusively by a stepwise mechanism through the liberated carbocation intermediate (4-MeO)-T, which shows a moderately large selectivity toward azide ion ( az/ s = 100 in 50 50 (v/v) water/ trifluoroethanol). The removal of an a-Me group from (4-MeO)-l-Cl to give (4-MeO,H)-3-Cl increases the barrier to ionization of the substrate in the stepwise reaction relative to that for the concerted bimolecular substitution of azide ion. The result is that both of these mechanisms are observed concurrently for nucleophilic substitution of azide ion at (4-MeO,H)-3-Cl in water/acetone solvents. These concurrent stepwise and concerted nucleophilic substitution reactions of azide ion with (4-MeO,H)-3-Cl show that there is no sharp borderline between mechanisms for substitution at primary benzylic carbon, but instead a region of overlap where both mechanisms are observed. 

The use of iodotrimethylsilane for this purpose provides an effective alternative to known methods. Thus the reaction of primary and secondary methyl ethers with iodotrimethylsilane in chloroform or acetonitrile at 25—60° for 2—64 hours affords the corresponding trimethylsilyl ethers in high yield. The alcohols may be liberated from the trimethylsilyl ethers by methanolysis. The mechanism of the ether cleavage is presumed to involve initial formation of a trimethylsilyl oxonium ion which is converted to the silyl ether by nucleophilic attack of iodide at the methyl group. tert-Butyl, trityl, and benzyl ethers of primary and secondary alcohols are rapidly converted to trimethylsilyl ethers by the action of iodotrimethylsilane, probably via heterolysis of silyl oxonium ion intermediates. The cleavage of aryl methyl ethers to aryl trimethylsilyl ethers may also be effected more slowly by reaction with iodotrimethylsilane at 25—50° in chloroform or sulfolane for 12-125 hours, with iodotrimethylsilane at 100—110° in the absence of solvent, " and with iodotrimethylsilane generated in situ from iodine and trimcthylphenylsilane at 100°. ... 

The reaction of complex hydrides with carbonyl compounds can be exemplified by the reduction of an aldehyde with lithium aluminum hydride. The reduction is assumed to involve a hydride transfer from a nucleophile -tetrahydroaluminate ion onto the carbonyl carbon as a place of the lowest electron density. The alkoxide ion thus generated complexes the remaining aluminum hydride and forms an alkoxytrihydroaluminate ion. This intermediate reacts with a second molecule of the aldehyde and forms a dialkoxy-dihydroaluminate ion which reacts with the third molecule of the aldehyde and forms a trialkoxyhydroaluminate ion. Finally the fourth molecule of the aldehyde converts the aluminate to the ultimate stage of tetraalkoxyaluminate ion that on contact with water liberates four molecules of an alcohol, aluminum hydroxide and lithium hydroxide. Four molecules of water are needed to hydrolyze the tetraalkoxyaluminate. The individual intermediates really exist and can also be prepared by a reaction of lithium aluminum hydride... 

Breslow and co-workers elucidated the currently accepted mechanism of the benzoin reaction in 1958 using thiamin 8. The mechanism is closely related to Lapworth s mechanism for cyanide anion catalyzed benzoin reaction (Scheme 2) [28, 29], The carbene, formed in situ by deprotonation of the corresponding thiazolium salt, undergoes nucleophilic addition to the aldehyde. A subsequent proton transfer generates a nucleophilic acyl anion equivalent known as the Breslow intermediate IX. Subsequent attack of the acyl anion equivalent into another molecule of aldehyde generates a new carbon - carbon bond XI. A proton transfer forms tetrahedral intermediate XII, allowing for collapse to produce the a-hydroxy ketone accompanied by liberation of the active catalyst. As with the cyanide catalyzed benzoin reaction, the thiazolylidene catalyzed benzoin reaction is reversible [30]. 

Since formamide is a weak nucleophile, the use of imidazole or 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) is necessary for acyl transfer to formamide via an activated amide (imidazolide) or acylpyridinium ion. As Scheme 22 illustrates, the reaction starts with the oxidative addition of aryl bromide 152 to Pd(0) species, followed by CO insertion to form acyl-Pd complex 154. Imidazole receives the aroyl group to form imidazolide 155 and liberates HPdBr species. Then, imidazolide 155 reacts with formamide to form imide 156. Finally, decarbonylation of imide 156 gives amide 157. In fact, the formations of imidazolide intermediate 155 and imide 156 as well as the subsequent slow transformation of imide 156 to amide 157 by releasing CO were observed. This mechanism can accommodate the CO pressure variations observed during the first few hours of aminocarbonylation. When the reaction temperature (120 °C) was reached, a fast drop of pressure occurred. This corresponds to the formation of the intermediary imide 156. Then, the increase of pressure after 3 h of reaction was observed. This phenomenon corresponds to the release of CO from imide 156 to form amide 157. ... 

The platinum-catalysed intramolecular domino annulation reaction of o-alkynylben-zaldehydes has been described as a versatile approach to naphthalenes with annulated carbocycles or heterocycles of various sizes (Scheme 32).94 A plausible mechanism for the platinum(II)-catalysed annulation reaction shows that the double annulation process most probably proceeds through the benzopyrylium cation (117), which results from the nucleophilic attack of the carbonyl oxygen at the alkyne, activated by the Lewis-acidic platinum salt. A subsequent intramolecular Huisgen-type 3 + 2-cycloaddition of the second alkyne is assumed to generate intermediate (118). Rearrangement to (119) and the formal 4 + 2-cycloaddition product (118) leads to the aromatized final (116), liberating the active catalyst. In the case of FeCl3 as the Lewis acid, we assume that intermediate (118) is oxidatively transformed to (121). 

Meanwhile, PPS liberated phenol in a Tris buffer solution (16). Ethanolamine works similarly and the reaction proceeded first with the expulsion of sulfate by nucleophilic attack of amine followed by liberation of phenol, presumably through the formation of a five-membered cyclic intermediate (Figure 8). Both steps of S042- and phenolate liberation were found to be catalyzed by Mg2+ ion. In Figures 9 and 10 the data are shown for the liberation of phenol. Figure 9 indicates clear rate saturation attributable to complexation in acetonit-... 

Reaction of the intermediate 2c, X = H, with electrophiles E+ can give interesting cydo-hexadienes 13 (Scheme 2, path c). Indeed, if addition of the nucleophile is irreversible, carbon monoxide can be incorporated into the product, resulting in dearomatization accompanied by the introduction of an acyl group (Scheme 4). For example, complex 9 reacts with an electrophile E+ to give the 18e complex 10a, which can insert CO. A reductive elimination then affords the // -cyclohexadiene 12a, which liberates the free cydohexadiene 13 [li]. 

The SN reaction under consideration is not terminated until water, a dilute acid, or a dilute base is added to the crude reaction mixture. The tetrahedral intermediate B is then protonated to give the compound E. Through an El elimination it liberates the carbonyl compound C (cf. discussion of Figure 6.4). Fortunately, at this point in time no overreaction of this aldehyde with the nucleophile can take place because the nucleophile has been destroyed during the aqueous workup by protonation or hydrolysis. In Figure 6.32 this process for chemoselective acylation of hydride donors, organometallic compounds, and heteroatom-stabilized carbanions has been included as strategy 1. ... 

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