6-Methyl-3-hydroxypyridines, tautomerism

Table 11 summarizes the main results on the tautomerism of mono-hydroxy-, -mercapto-, -amino- and -methyl-azines and their benzo derivatives, in water. At first sight the equilibrium between 2-hydroxypyridine (71) and pyridin-2-one (72) is one between a benzenoid and a non-benzenoid molecule respectively (71a 72a). However, the pyridinone evidently... 

Many of the properties oj -hydroxypyridines are typical of phenols. It was long assumed that they existed exclusively in the hydroxy form, and early physical measurements seemed to confirm this. For example, the ultraviolet spectrum of a methanolic solution of 3-hydroxypyridine is very similar to that of the 3-methoxy analog, and the value of the dipole moment of 3-hydroxypyridine obtained in dioxane indicates little, if any, zwitterion formation. However, it has now become clear that the hydroxy form is greatly predominant only in solvents of low dielectric constant. Comparison of the pK values of 3-hydroxypyridine with those of the alternative methylated forms indicated that the two tautomeric forms are of comparable stability in aqueous solution (Table II), and this was confirmed using ultraviolet spectroscopy. The ratios calculated from the ultraviolet spectral data are in good agreement with those de-... 

The pKa values of 4-hydroxypyridine 1-oxide (51 52) and the methylated derivatives of both tautomeric forms indicate that the parent compound exists as a mixture containing comparable amounts of both forms in aqueous solution. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra support this conclusion, but the ultraviolet spectra of the tautomeric compound and both alkylated derivatives are too similar to give information concerning the structural nature of the former. ... 

Table 11 summarizes the main results on the tautomerism of mono-hydroxy-, -mercapto-, -amino- and -methyl-azines and their benzo derivatives, in water. At first sight the equilibrium between 2-hydroxypyridine (71) and pyridin-2-one (72) is one between a benzenoid and a non-benzenoid molecule respectively (71a 72a). However, the pyridinone evidently has a continuous cyclic p- orbital system, containing six it- electrons, the usual aromatic count, if the carbonyl group contributes none. This assumption implies the formula (72b), from which by redistribution of electrons we arrive at (72c), which has the same benzenoid system as (71a). Further canonical forms (71b, 71c) can be drawn of (71) which correspond to the non-benzenoid forms of (72). The elusive property of aromaticity is therefore possessed by both tautomers, although not necessarily by both equally. When the carbonyl oxygen of (72) is replaced by less electronegative atoms, as in the imine tautomers of amino heterocycles, or the methylene tautomers of methyl derivatives, the tendency towards polarization in forms corresponding to (72b) and (72c) is considerably less, and the amino and methyl tautomers are therefore favoured in most instances. 

The PE spectra of hydroxy- and mercapto-pyridines have been examined, together with the model iV-alkyl and S- or O-alkyl compounds, to elucidate the tautomeric equilibria in the vapor phase (77JCS(P2)1652) (Section 2.04.4.2). Figure 21 and Table 13 show details of the PE spectra of l-methylpyridin-2-one, 2-methoxypyridine and the tautomeric mixture at equilibrium of pyridin-2-one and 2-hydroxypyridine. This indicates that there is approximately 25% of oxo form present once adjustment has been made for the expected influence of methylation, similar measurements reveal ca. 10% of the thione form in the mercapto-thione equilibrium. Other spectra indicate that 3- and 4-hydroxy- and 3- and 4-mercapto-pyridine exist in the vapor phase with less than 5% of the alternative tautomer present. 

Application of pulsed ion gas-phase cyclotron resonance (ICR) spectroscopy to proton affinities of the derivatives 2-methoxypyridine and N- methylpyridin-2-one confirm previous deductions on the enthalpy of 2-hydroxypyridine-pyridin-2-one tautomerism (76JA6048), provided that the difference between the influences of O-methylation on 2-hydroxypyridine and A-me thy lat ion in pyridin-2-one are taken into account. These measurements have been further clarified and extended to other gas phase basicity measurements (79JA1361). A similar estimation of the gas phase basicities of 2- and 4-pyridinethiols and 2- and 4-pyridinethiones confirms that the thiol form is predominant in the gas phase (77TL1777), in line with previous studies involving mass spectrometric deuterium isotope studies (75BSB465). Photoelectron spectroscopy has also been employed in such studies (see Section 2.04.3.6 and Figure 21 for details) <77JCS(P2)1652>. 

The tautomerism of 2-pyridones 25 that are favored over 2-hydroxypyridines 24 (and conversely, 2-aminopyridines 26 that are favored over 2-imino-derivatives 27) plays a central role in the chemistry and biochemistry of all azines [146-148], A comparison between A-methyl-2-pyridone and 2-methoxypyridine shows that the magnetic susceptibility of the former is about 20% greater than that of the latter [149],... 

The tautomeric 6-hydroxy-7-azaindole shows a shift to longer wavelength, which is characteristic of 2-hydroxypyridine as the neutral molecule or of l-methyl-2-pyridone. The degree of tauto-merization is solvent-dependent, and Yakhontov et have determined the lactam/lactim R = Me) ratio from the position of... 

Proton resonance spectroscopy has been used to study the tautomerism of 4-hydroxypyridine and its 1-oxide, with results in agreement with those obtained by other physical methods discussed here. Resonance spectroscopy also indicated that the cations of 4-hydroxypyridine, 1-methyl-4-pyridone and 4-methoxypyridine are of the type (32), that of 4-hydroxy-pyridine 1-oxide as (33), and that 2-pyridone cation is protonated on... 

In an Initio study of the tautomerism of 2- and -hydroxy-pyridines, 4 -hydroxypyridine was calculated to be 2.4 kcal/mol more stable than 4-pyridone. 2-Pyridone was calculated to be 0.3 kcal /mol more stable than 2-hydroxypyridine and this is in good agreement with experimental values obtained from tautomeric studies in the gas phase.A study of the bromination of the 2-pyridone/2-hydroxypyridine system has revealed that reaction occurs via the principal "one" tautomer at pH<6 and via the conjugate anion at pH>6. Attack on the "one" occurs preferentially at the 3-position, whereas on the anion it probably occurs mainly at the 5-position. The facile formation of 3f5-dibromo-2-pyridone results from the comparable reactivity of the monobromopyridones at pH<1 and pH>4- Practical procedures have been reported for the preparation of 3-bromo-2-pyridone and 3,5-dibromo-2-pyridone Cycloaddition of 2-substituted pyridinium betaines with unsymmetrical alkenes gives products of mixed orientation for example, treatment of (40) with methyl... 

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