Methylene acetal carbonyl groups

When camphor (I) is heated with selenium dioxide in acetic acid, the methylene group next to the carbonyl group is oxidised also to a carbonyl group, to form camphorquinone (II). Note that the compound (II) is not a true quinone but a 1,2-diketone ... 

Isatin (190) is a compound with interesting chemistry. It can be iV-acetylated with acetic anhydride, iV-methylated via its sodium or potassium salt and O-methylated via its silver salt. Oxidation of isatins with hydrogen peroxide in methanolic sodium methoxide yields methyl anthranilates (81AG(E)882>. In moist air, O-methylisatin (191) forms methylisatoid (192). Isatin forms normal carbonyl derivatives (193) with ketonic reagents such as hydroxylamine and phenylhydrazine and the reactive 3-carbonyl group also undergoes aldol condensation with active methylene compounds. Isatin forms a complex derivative, isamic acid (194), with ammonia (76JCS(P1)2004). 

The ant Iridomyrmex pruinosus utilizes 2-heptanone as an alarm pheromone. Figure 17 illustrates the existence of a close correlation of the similarity between 2-heptanone and its analogs in molecular model silhouettes with their alarm activity45. It is noteworthy that the replacement of the methylene group in position 3 of 2-heptanone by the ether linkage yields n-butyl acetate which has the same activity as the natural pheromone. Considerable activity is still retained even when the carbonyl group is replaced by the hydroxyl group. 

The mechanism of the reaction, which is of the aldol type, involves the carbonyl group of the aldehyde and an active methylene group of the anhydride the function of the basic catalyst B (acetate ion CH3COO or triethylamine N(C3Hj)3) is to form the anion of the active hydrogen component, i.e., by the extraction of a proton from the anhydride ... 

Another important site of structural variation in cephalosporins is C(3) (Table 5.4.J). Electron-withdrawing substituents at C(3) such as a Cl-atom or a MeO group increase base-catalyzed hydrolysis of cephalosporins by both resonance and inductive effects [92], For cephalosporins carrying 3-methylene-linked substituents with leaving group ability (e.g., acetate, thiol, or pyridine), it has been postulated that a concerted expulsion of the substituent facilitates the nucleophilic attack on the /3-lactam carbonyl group [104][105]. However, there are also arguments for a stepwise process in which the ex-... 

Dave and co-workers have reported a successful synthesis of 2,2,4,4-tetranitroadamantane (117) which uses the mono-protected diketone (113) as a key intermediate. In this synthesis (113) is converted to the oxime (114) and then treated with ammonium nitrate and nitric acid in methylene chloride to yield the em-dinitro derivative (115). This nitration-oxidation step also removes the acetal-protecting group to leave the second ketone group free. Formation of the oxime (116) from ketone (115), followed by a similar nitration-oxidation with nitric acid and ammonium nitrate, yields 2,2,4,4-tetranitroadamantane (117). In this synthesis the protection strategy enables each carbonyl group to be treated separately and thus prevents the problem of internal nitroso dimer formation. 

Miscellaneous Compounds. A saturated spirocychc pyrrohdine serves as the nucleus for a diamine that has been described as a hypohpemic agent. Treatment of the carbanion of the substituted cylcohexane carboxyhc ester (20-1) with methyl bromoacetate leads to the alkylation and formation of the diester (20-2). Saponification of the ester groups followed by reaction with acetic anhydride leads to ring closure of the succinic anhydride (20-3). Condensation with ammonia leads to the succinimide (20-4). The side chain is then added by alkylation of the anion on nitrogen with l-bromo-4-dimethylaminobutane (20-5). Reaction of this last intermediate with lithium aluminum hydride leads to the reduction of the carbonyl groups to methylene. This affords the pyrrolidine (20-6) atiprimod [22]. 

Treatment of the reduced intermediate (23-6) with butyl hthium leads to the anion from the removal of a proton on the methylene group reaction of that with methyl acetate affords the methyl ketone (24-1), which contains two of the three required side chain carbon atoms. The additional carbon atom and the basic function are incorporated by means of a Mannich condensation. Thus, reaction of (24-1) with A-methylpiperazine and formaldehyde leads to the aminoketone (24-2). The carbonyl group is then reduced with sodium borohydride and the resulting alcohol is dehydrated by reaction with phosphoms oxychloride in pyridine. In this case, too, the Z isomer is responsible for most of the activity. This is isolated from the resulting mixture of olefins to afford thiothixene (24-3) [25]. 

Reaction XLIV. (b) Condensation of Alkyl and Aryl Halogen Compounds with the Sodio- and other Metallo-derivatives of Ethyl Aceto-acetate and its Homolognes. (A., 186, 214 201, 143 213, 143.)—Like malonic ester, acetoacetic ester contains two 1 3-carbonyl groups with a methylene group in position 2. It is only to be expected then that it yields with metallic sodium or sodium alcoholate sodio-derivatives from which mono- and di-, alkyl and aryl homologues can be obtained by treatment with a suitable halide, including halogen esters. Acetoacetic acid... 

The ether extract of cane molasses yields an acidic substance with the characteristic odor of raw sugar.128 The steam distillation of molasses is stated to yield a rum oil. 129 Fractionation of cane final molasses on fuller s earth clay produces a concentrate with a strong molasses odor.70 The infrared spectra of the volatile portion of this concentrate indicated the absence of hydroxyl and carbonyl and the presence of a substituted benzene structure, of paraffinic methylene and methyl groups, of an acetate group, and of the > C=C < and —C=C— linkages. The presence of a sulfur function is probable. Further chromatography indicated complexity in this volatile concentrate.180... 

It was noted that chromatography of Cephalotaxus alkaloid fractions over neutral alumina resulted in considerable losses (111). Further elution with dilute aqueous acetic acid resulted in the isolation of a new alkaloid, desmethylcephalotaxinone ([a]D +2.3°). The IR spectrum of this alkaloid was consistent with the presence of a vinylic hydroxyl group (3520 cm-1) and a conjugated carbonyl group (1690 cm 1). The NMR spectrum obtained in deuterochloroform contained features of the cephalotaxine structure, but included a singlet attributable to an isolated methylene (<5 2.54 ppm). In DMSO-c/6 this resonance appeared as an AB quartet. Acetylation... 

Since these products are, therefore, readily available as starting materials we have studied their further use. The diazido compounds 38 are not very stable. They loose readily dinitrogen (usually on crystallization from alcohol) and give the tetrazolyl derivatives 39. Treatment of 39 with acetic anhydride leads in the usual way (cf. the conversion of 3 via 9-11 to 12) to the oxadiazolyl derivative 40. The carbonyl group in this structure can be reduced with sodium borohydride to the methylene group. Careful hydrolysis of this compound (41) with acid, yields the hydrazide 42, while alkaline hydrolysis of both affords the acid 43 [84JHC1881],... 

Clemmensen-type reduction.1 Aromatic ketones can be reduced to the corresponding methylene compounds with ammonium formate on transfer hydrogenation in acetic acid catalyzed by 10% Pd/C. The reduction is usually complete in 10-30 minutes at 110°. Halo and nitro substituents can be reduced under these conditions, and a,p-unsaturated carbonyl groups are reduced to saturated carbonyl groups. 

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