Methoxy-substituted methyl benzoates

The authors chose pyruvic acid as their model compound this C3 molecule plays a central role in the metabolism of living cells. It was recently synthesized for the first time under hydrothermal conditions (Cody et al., 2000). Hazen and Deamer carried out their experiments at pressures and temperatures similar to those in hydrothermal systems (but not chosen to simulate such systems). The non-enzymatic reactions, which took place in relatively concentrated aqueous solutions, were intended to identify the subsequent self-selection and self-organisation potential of prebiotic molecular species. A considerable series of complex organic molecules was tentatively identified, such as methoxy- or methyl-substituted methyl benzoates or 2, 3, 4-trimethyl-2-cyclopenten-l-one, to name only a few. In particular, polymerisation products of pyruvic acid, and products of consecutive reactions such as decarboxylation and cycloaddition, were observed the expected tar fraction was not found, but water-soluble components were found as well as a chloroform-soluble fraction. The latter showed similarities to chloroform-soluble compounds from the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite (Hazen and Deamer, 2007). 

Another example of enhanced sensitivity to substituent effects in the gas phase can be seen in a comparison of the gas-phase basicity for a series of substituted acetophenones and methyl benzoates. It was foimd that scnsitivtiy of the free energy to substituent changes was about four times that in solution, as measured by the comparison of A( for each substituent. The gas-phase data for both series were correlated by the Yukawa-Tsuno equation. For both series, the p value was about 12. However, the parameter r" ", which reflects the contribution of extra resonance effects, was greater in the acetophenone series than in the methyl benzoate series. This can be attributed to the substantial resonance stabilization provided by the methoxy group in the esters, which diminishes the extent of conjugation with the substituents. 

The Hammett p-value for cleavage of the exocyclic bond of 2-methoxy-2-substituted-phenyl-l,3-dioxolans (—1.58 + 0.06) is a little larger than that for cleavage of the endocyclic C— bond of 2-hydroxy-2-substituted-phenyl-l,3-dioxolans (—1.24 + 0.04) (Table 9) (Chiang et al., 1983). A direct comparison between the p-values for C—OMe bond cleavage of trimethyl orthobenzoates and dimethyl hemiorthobenzoates is not possible at present since they have not been measured in the same solvent. However, that based on H+ for the breakdown of the hemiorthobenzoates (— 1.58) is less than that based on the equilibrium constants for their conversion into methyl benzoates and methanol which is —1.9 (derived from the equilibrium constants for formation of the hemiorthobenzoates, McClelland and Patel, 1981b). This implies that the development of positive charge in the transition state is less than in the final product, the ester. 

If we compare the acid strengths Ka) of a series of substituted benzoic acids with the strength of benzoic acid itself (Table 26-4), we see that there are considerable variations with the nature of the substituent and its ring position, ortho, meta, or para. Thus all three nitrobenzoic acids are appreciably stronger than benzoic acid in the order ortho para > meta. A methoxy substituent in the ortho or meta position has a smaller acid-strengthening effect, and in the para position decreases the acid strength relative to benzoic acid. Rate effects also are produced by different substituents, as is evident from the data in Table 26-5 for basic hydrolysis of some substituted ethyl benzoates. A nitro substituent increases the rate, whereas methyl and methoxy substituents decrease the rate relative to that of the unsubstituted ester. 

Scheme 9.140. A representation of the process of ester interchange. The methoxy group of methyl benzenecarboxylate (methyl benzoate) is replaced by an ethyoxy group from ethanol (ethyl alcohol, CH3CH20H).The reaction is depicted as the acid-catalyzed substitution of an ethoxy for a methoxy.

In general terms, 5-HT4 agonists can be divided Into several different categories (Fig. 14.17) (90) tryptamlnes (e.g., 5-HT and 5-CT, with 2-methyl 5-HT and 5-methoxy-N, N-dImethyltryptamlne being nearly Inactive), benzamides (particularly those bearing a 2-methoxy-4-amlno-5-chloro substitution pattern, e.g., SC 53116, renzapride, zacopride, and cisapride), benzimidazolones (e.g., BIMU 8), quinolines (e.g., SDZ 216,908), naphthallmides (e.g., S-RS 56532), benzoates (ML-10302), and ketones (e.g., RS 67333). 

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