Methylenative dimerization

The results for the nitroso compounds are very similar to those for the methylene dimerization. The different paths for cis- and trans-approach were explored, and optimized reaction paths similar to those shown in Fig. 8 were obtained. No activation barrier was found for any of the reactions studied. Experimental values of a few kcal/mole have been reported for the dimerization of nitroso compounds. One interesting result is that the EHT... 

Methylenative dimerization takes place when terminal alkynes are treated with the tita-nocene/methylidene/zinc halide complex generated from titanocene dichloride and CH2(ZnI)2. The process is believed to involve the formation of a titanacyclobutene intermediate [75],... 

DL-Hamamelose has been synthesized by alkaline treatment of a 2,2 -0-methylene dimer of D-glyeraldehyde, the D-form crystallizing preferentially from the mixture. At equilibrium in water, the free... 

Like butadiene, allene undergoes dimerization and addition of nucleophiles to give 1-substituted 3-methyl-2-methylene-3-butenyl compounds. Dimerization-hydration of allene is catalyzed by Pd(0) in the presence of CO2 to give 3-methyl-2-methylene-3-buten-l-ol (1). An addition reaction with. MleOH proceeds without CO2 to give 2-methyl-4-methoxy-3-inethylene-1-butene (2)[1]. Similarly, piperidine reacts with allene to give the dimeric amine 3, and the reaction of malonate affords 4 in good yields. Pd(0) coordinated by maleic anhydride (MA) IS used as a catalyst[2]. 

The a-methylene-/3-lactam 103 is obtained by the carbonylation of the inethyleneaziridine 102 under mild conditions[91]. The azirine 104 undergoes an interesting dimerization-carbonylation to form the fused )3-lactam 105[92]. 

At first, the dimeric nature of the base isolated from 3-ethyl-2-methyl-4-phenylthiazolium was postulated via a chemical route. Indeed the adduct of ICH, on a similar 2-ethylidene base is a 2-isopropylthiazolium salt in the case of methylene base it is an anilinovinyl compound identified by its absorption spectrum and chemical reactivity (45-47). This dimeric structure of the molecule has been definitively established by its NMR spectrum. It is very similar to the base issued from 2.3-dimethyl-benzo thiazolium (48). It corresponds to 2-(3 -ethyl-4 -phenyl-2 -methylenethiazolinilydene)2-methyl-3-ethyl-4-phenylthiazoline (13). There is only one methyl signal (62 = 2.59), and two series of signals (63= 1.36-3.90, 63= 1.12-3.78) correspond to ethyl groups. Three protons attributed to positions T,5,5 are shifted to a lower field 5.93, 6.58, and 8.36 ppm. The bulk of the ten phenyl protons is at 7.3 ppm (Scheme 22). 

Brown and Lin reported a quantitative method for methanol based on its effect on the visible spectrum of methylene blue. In the absence of methanol, the visible spectrum for methylene blue shows two prominent absorption bands centered at approximately 610 nm and 660 nm, corresponding to the monomer and dimer, respectively. In the presence of methanol, the intensity of the dimer s absorption band decreases, and that of the monomer increases. For concentrations of methanol between 0 and 30% v/v, the ratio of the absorbance at 663 nm, Asss, to that at 610 nm, Asio, is a linear function of the amount of methanol. Using the following standardization data, determine the %v/v methanol in a sample for which Agio is 0.75 and Ag63 is 1.07. 

Experiments with monoethyl and monocarbomethoxy di- -xyljlene (4) gave similar results. These experiments do not, however, shed any light on whether the mpture of the methylene—methylene bonds in the dimer upon pyrolysis is simultaneous or sequential. 

Only one exception to the clean production of two monomer molecules from the pyrolysis of dimer has been noted. When a-hydroxydi-Zvxyljlene (9) is subjected to the Gorham process, no polymer is formed, and the 16-carbon aldehyde (10) is the principal product in its stead, isolated in greater than 90% yield. This transformation indicates that, at least in this case, the cleavage of dimer proceeds in stepwise fashion rather than by a concerted process in which both methylene—methylene bonds are broken at the same time. This is consistent with the predictions of Woodward and Hoffmann from orbital symmetry considerations for such [6 + 6] cycloreversion reactions in the ground state (5). 

Acryhc esters dimerize to give the 2-methylene glutaric acid esters catalyzed by tertiary organic phosphines (37) or organic phosphorous triamides, phosphonous diamides, or phosphinous amides (38). Yields of 75—80% dimer, together with 15—20% trimer, are obtained. Reaction conditions can be varied to obtain high yields of trimer, tetramer, and other polymers. 

DimeriZa.tlon. A special case of the [2 + 2] cyclo additions is the dimerization of ketenes. Of the six possible isomeric stmctures, only the 1,3-cyclobutanediones and the 2-oxetanones (P-lactones) are usually formed. Ketene itself gives predominandy (80—90%) the lactone dimer, 4-methylene-2-oxetanone (3), called diketene [674-82-8], approximately 5% is converted to the symmetrical dimer, 1,3-cyclobutanedione [15506-53-3] (4) which undergoes enol-acetylation to so-called triketene [38425-52-4] (5) (44). 

The second step is a condensation reaction that involves the linking together of monomer units with the Hberation of water to form a dimer, a polymer chain, or a vast network. This is usually referred to as methylene bridge formation, polymerization, resinification, or simply cure, and is illustrated in the following equation ... 

Ethyl acetoacetate and hydroxylamine with a large excess of alkali produced (516) which on heating generated 4-methylene-2-isoxazoline (517), while limited base generated the dimer (518) (80JHC763). 

In the 19-nor series, the reaction with NOF is more complex and there is isolated in addition to the fluoro nitrimine corresponding to (31) a 20% yield of the nitroso dimer (34), which dissolves in methanol-methylene dichloride solution to give the pure blue color characteristic of the monomer (35). The latter then isomerizes to the oxime (36). 

On carbonylation in methylene chloride it undergoes the substitution of the diene ligands, rearrangement, and cis-trans isomerization to yield 64 (97JOM(530) 259). l,r-(l,2-Ethylene)-3,3 -imidazol-2,2 -diylidene and the dimer [(T -cod)Rh (ir-Cl)] form the dinuclear species 65. 

Unusual reactions occur between diazomethane and heterocyclic thiocarbonyl compounds. For example, pyran-4-thiones give methylene ethers of 1,2-dimercaptans formed by dimerization (cf. 115 —>116). 4-Thioflavones and 4-thiochromones react similarly. 

CN/CC replacements were also observed when the pyrimidine ring is part of a bicyclic system. Reaction of quinazoline with active methylene compounds, containing the cyano group (malonitrile, ethyl cyanoacetate, phenylacetonitrile) gave 2-amino-3-R-quinoline (R = CN, C02Et, Ph) (72CPB1544) (Scheme 12). The reaction has to be carried out in the absence of a base. When base is used, no ring transformation was observed only dimer formation and SnH substitution at C-4 was found. 

The next step in the calculations involves consideration of the allylic alcohol-carbe-noid complexes (Fig. 3.28). The simple alkoxide is represented by RT3. Coordination of this zinc alkoxide with any number of other molecules can be envisioned. The complexation of ZnCl2 to the oxygen of the alkoxide yields RT4. Due to the Lewis acidic nature of the zinc atom, dimerization of the zinc alkoxide cannot be ruled out. Hence, a simplified dimeric structure is represented in RTS. The remaining structures, RT6 and RT7 (Fig. 3.29), represent alternative zinc chloride complexes of RT3 differing from RT4. Analysis of the energetics of the cyclopropanation from each of these encounter complexes should yield information regarding the structure of the methylene transfer transition state. 

Examination of cyclopropanation through RT6 and RT7 reveals that a less conventional explanation may be required to rationalize the high reactivity of zinc car-benoids (Fig. 3.29). The structure of RT6 represents a pseudo-dimer as shown in RTS that has been further activated by coordination of zinc chloride to the oxygen of the chloromethylzinc alkoxide. This mode of activation is reminiscent of that observed in RTl. Cyclopropanation proceeding from RT6 through TS3 has an activation energy of 27.8 kcal mol . This represents a negligible decrease in the barrier to methylene transfer when compared to reaction from RTS. 

This reaction can also be used for the synthesis of substituted 1-benzoxepins with one modification instead of the 4/T-benzopyran the 2/7-isomer must be used. 2-[Diazo(phosphoryl)meth-yl]-2//-benzopyrans decompose in the presence of ))3-allylpalladium chloride dimer with elimination of nitrogen to give 1-benzoxepins 2.192 In some cases, the reaction takes a different course and gives 2-methylene-2//-benzopyrans 3.192 In this respect, the bicyclic system behaves differently to the monocyclic diazo(pyranyl)methane. The 2-isomers of the latter structure could not be isolated and gave l//-l,2-diazepines.190 The 4//-benzopyrans do not form benzoxepins but undergo an intramolecular [2+1] cycloaddition to 3,4-dihydro-2,3,4-metheno-2//-ben-... 

The synthesis of thiepins 14 was unsuccessful in the case of R1 = i-Pr,79 but if the substituents in the ortho positions to sulfur arc /erf-butyl, then thiepin 14 (R1 = t-Bu R2 = Me) can be isolated in 99% yield.80 Rearrangement of diazo compound 13 (R1 = t-Bu R2 = H), which does not contain the methyl group in position 4, catalyzed by dimeric ( y3-allyl)chloropalladium gives, however, the corresponding e.w-methylene compound. The thiepin 14 (R1 = t-Bu, R2 = H) can be obtained in low yield (13 %) by treatment of the diazo compound with anhydrous hydrogen chloride in diethyl ether at — 20 C.13 In contrast, the ethyl thiepin-3,5-or -4,5-dicarboxylates can be prepared by the palladium catalysis method in satisfying yields.81... 

The reaction of benzoxazine in die presence of 2,6-xylenol does not occur until 135 C, presumably because die hydrogen-bonded intermediate depicted for the 2,4-xylenol reaction (Fig. 7.19) cannot occur. All three types of linkages are obtained in diis case. Para-para methylene-linked 2,6-xylenol dimers, obtained from the reaction of 2,6-xylenol with formaldehyde, formed in the decomposition of the benzoxazine (or with other by-products of that process) dominate. Possible side products from benzoxazine decomposition include formaldehyde and CH2=NH, either of which may provide the source of methylene linkages. Hie amount of ortho-para linkages formed by reaction of 2,6-xylenol with benzoxazine is low. Ortho-ortho methylene-linked products presumably form by a decomposition pathway from benzoxazine (as in Fig. 7.18). 

The effect of the temperature on the polymerization of 53 in methylene chloride is presented in Table 3. The upper half of the data in the table shows the temperature effect on the products in the initial stage of the reaction, and the lower half is that for the middle to final stages of the reaction. Obviously there is a drastic change in the reaction products between -20 and -30 ° Below —30 °C, the cyclic dimer is the predominant or even sole product after the reaction of 48 hours, while above —20 °C, the low molecular weight polymer is exclusively formed. The cyclic oligomers once formed in the initial stage of the reaction are converted to the polymer in the later stage of the reaction above —20 °C. 

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