Methyl halides, dimethyl carbonate

The Williamson reaction, discovered in 1850, is still the best general method for the preparation of unsymmetrical or symmetrical ethers.The reaction can also be carried out with aromatic R, although C-alkylation is sometimes a side reaction (see p. 515). The normal method involves treatment of the halide with alkoxide or aroxide ion prepared from an alcohol or phenol, although methylation using dimethyl carbonate has been reported. It is also possible to mix the halide and alcohol or phenol directly with CS2CO3 in acetonitrile, or with solid KOH in Me2SO. The reaction can also be carried out in a dry medium,on zeolite-or neat or in solvents using microwave irradiation. Williamson ether synthesis in ionic liquids has also been reported. The reaction is not successful for tertiary R (because of elimination), and low yields are often obtained with secondary R. Mono-ethers can be formed from diols and alkyl halides. Many other... 

Comparison of the configuration of the stannane with the prodncts of reaction reveals that primary alkyl halides that are not benzyhc or a to a carbonyl react with inversion at the lithium-bearing carbon atom. In the piperidine series, the best data are for the 3-phenylpropyl compound, which was shown to be >99 1 er. In the pyrrolidine series, the er of the analogous compound indicates 21-22% retention and 78-79% inversion of configuration. Activated alkyl halides such as benzyl bromide and teri-butyl bromoacetate afford racemic adducts. In both the pyrrolidine and piperidine series, most carbonyl electrophiles (i.e. carbon dioxide, dimethyl carbonate, methyl chloroformate, pivaloyl chloride, cyclohexanone, acetone and benzaldehyde) react with virtually complete retention of configuration at the lithium-bearing carbon atom. The only exceptions are benzophenone, which affords racemic adduct, and pivaloyl chloride, which shows some inversion. The inversion observed with pivaloyl chloride may be due to partial racemization of the ketone product during work-up. 

Other theoretical studies discussed above include investigations of the potential energy profiles of 18 gas-phase identity S 2 reactions of methyl substrates using G2 quantum-chemical calculations," the transition structures, and secondary a-deuterium and solvent KIEs for the S 2 reaction between microsolvated fluoride ion and methyl halides,66 the S 2 reaction between ethylene oxide and guanine,37 the complexes formed between BF3 and MeOH, HOAc, dimethyl ether, diethyl ether, and ethylene oxide,38 the testing of a new nucleophilicity scale,98 the potential energy surfaces for the Sn2 reactions at carbon, silicon, and phosphorus,74 and a natural bond orbital-based CI/MP through-space/bond interaction analysis of the S 2 reaction between allyl bromide and ammonia.17... 

The lithiated species 120, also obtainable by metal exchange of the tin analogues, reacts with electrophiles such as methyl halides, benzaldehyde, or dimethyl carbonate to give products such as 123-125, respectively. ... 

Cesium-exchanged zeolite X was used as a solid base catalyst in the Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehyde or benzyl acetone with ethyl cyanoacetate [121]. The latter reaction is a key step in the synthesis of the fragrance molecule, citronitrile (see Fig. 2.37). However, reactivities were substantially lower than those observed with the more strongly basic hydrotalcite (see earlier). Similarly, Na-Y and Na-Beta catalyzed a variety of Michael additions [122] and K-Y and Cs-X were effective catalysts for the methylation of aniline and phenylaceto-nitrile with dimethyl carbonate or methanol, respectively (Fig. 2.37) [123]. These procedures constitute interesting green alternatives to classical alkylations using methyl halides or dimethyl sulfate in the presence of stoichiometric quantities of conventional bases such as caustic soda. 

In nonaqueous solution azomethine compounds are usually stable, and several types have been reductively coupled with alkyl halides or carbon dioxide. Benzophenone anil (III) gives thus on reduction in DMF-TBAI in the presence of methyl chloride a mixture of N- and C-methylated and N,C-dimethylated products [28] ... 

The classic reaction between alkylmagnesium halides and carbon disulphide has been used recently in connection with the preparation of some simple dithio-acids. Treibs and Friess have reported on the utility of carbon disulphide in Friedel-Crafts syntheses. Thus, treatment of 2-methyl-3-ethoxycarbonylpyrrole and 3,5-dimethyl-2-ethoxycarbonylpyr-role with carbon disulphide in the presence of excess aluminium chloride gave the dithio-acids (249) and (250), respectively, but in relatively low... 

Another environmentally friendly substance that is a promising candidate as a reagent or solvent is dimethyl carbonate, which has polar character and a relatively low boiling point (90°C). It could replace less environmentally friendly substances such as dimethyl sulfate and methyl halides as a reagent that supplies the methyl (CH3) group in reactions ... 

Relatively nontoxic dialkyl carbonates are very effective alkylating agents that promise to provide a safer alternative to alkyl halides or sulfates for some kinds of alkylation reactions. The promise of dimethyl carbonate for methylation (alkylation in which the methyl group, -CH3, is attached) has been enhanced by the straightforward synthesis of this compound from methanol and carbon monoxide in the presence of a copper salt ... 

Allenes also react with aryl and alkenyl halides, or triflates, and the 7r-allyl-palladium intermediates are trapped with carbon nucleophiles. The formation of 283 with malonate is an example[186]. The steroid skeleton 287 has been constructed by two-step reactions of allene with the enol trillate 284, followed by trapping with 2-methyl-l,3-cyclopentanedione (285) to give 286[187]. The inter- and intramolecular reactions of dimethyl 2,3-butenylmalonate (288) with iodobenzene afford the 3-cyclopentenedicarboxylate 289 as a main product) 188]. 

Notable examples of general synthetic procedures in Volume 47 include the synthesis of aromatic aldehydes (from dichloro-methyl methyl ether), aliphatic aldehydes (from alkyl halides and trimethylamine oxide and by oxidation of alcohols using dimethyl sulfoxide, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, and pyridinum trifluoro-acetate the latter method is particularly useful since the conditions are so mild), carbethoxycycloalkanones (from sodium hydride, diethyl carbonate, and the cycloalkanone), m-dialkylbenzenes (from the />-isomer by isomerization with hydrogen fluoride and boron trifluoride), and the deamination of amines (by conversion to the nitrosoamide and thermolysis to the ester). Other general methods are represented by the synthesis of 1 J-difluoroolefins (from sodium chlorodifluoroacetate, triphenyl phosphine, and an aldehyde or ketone), the nitration of aromatic rings (with ni-tronium tetrafluoroborate), the reductive methylation of aromatic nitro compounds (with formaldehyde and hydrogen), the synthesis of dialkyl ketones (from carboxylic acids and iron powder), and the preparation of 1-substituted cyclopropanols (from the condensation of a 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol derivative and ethyl-... 

Rh > Ir > Ni > Pd > Co > Ru > Fe A plot of the relation between the catalytic activity and the affinity of the metals for halide ion resulted in a volcano shape. The rate determining step of the reaction was discussed on the basis of this affinity and the reaction order with respect to methyl iodide. Methanol was first carbonylated to methyl acetate directly or via dimethyl ether, then carbonylated again to acetic anhydride and finally quickly hydrolyzed to acetic acid. Overall kinetics were explored to simulate variable product profiles based on the reaction network mentioned above. Carbon monoxide was adsorbed weakly and associatively on nickel-activated-carbon catalysts. Carbon monoxide was adsorbed on nickel-y-alumina or nickel-silica gel catalysts more strongly and, in part, dissociatively,... 

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