Methylimidazole-4-carboxylic acid

In an initial step, 2-chloroacetic acid ethyl ester is reacted with formamide to give 5-methylimidazole-4-carboxylic acid ethyl ester. Then sodium in ammonia is used to convert that to 4-hydroxymethyl-5-methylimidazole-hydrochloride. Cysteamine HCI (HSCH2CH2NH2-HCI) is then reacted to give 4-(2-aminomethyl)-thiomethyl-5-methyl-imidazole dihydrochloride. Then N-cyanamido-5,5-dimethyl-dithio-carbonate (from cyanamid, KOH, CS2 and ((CH3)2S04) is reacted to give a further intermediate which is finally reacted with methylamine to give cimetidine. 

A related convenient and mild method for the preparation of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes in high yield from carboxylic acids is the reductive cleavage of l-acyl-3-methylimidazole-2-thiones by tributylstannane. 

The l-acyl-3-methylimidazole-2-thiones are easily obtained either from bis-l-methyl-2-imidazole disulfide, a carboxylic acid, and triphenylphosphine, or from 2-mercapto-l-methylimidazole and a carboxylic acid chloride in the presence of triethylamine.[32 ... 

It was subsequently demonstrated that the formation of C-AIR (107) from AIR (106) required only bicarbonate and that an enzyme was unnecessary [67CC799 71JCS(C)1501]. A more detailed study of the carboxylation was undertaken using the model compound 5-amino-1-cyclohexylimidazole (96 R1 = cyclohexyl, R2 = H) [67CC799 71JCS(C)-1501]. It was found that the best yield (40%) of carboxylated compound (99 R1 = cyclohexyl, R2 = H) was obtained by treatment of the aminoimid-azole (96 R = cyclohexyl, R2 = H) with an saturated aqueous solution of potassium bicarbonate at 70°C for 15 min. Similar results were obtained for the carboxylation of 5-amino-l-cyclohexyl-2-methylimidazole (96 R = cyclohexyl, R2 = Me) to the corresponding carboxylic acid (99 ... 

In the case of manganese porphyrin catalyzed epoxidations, the axial ligands have been used alone or together with other additives like carboxylic acids (Banfi and coworkers) and soluble bases (Johnstone and coworkers). For example, Mansny and coworkers showed that in the presence of imidazole, 2-methylimidazole or 4-imidazole chloromanganese(tetra-2,6-dichlorophenylporphyrin) catalyzes the epoxidation of varions aUtenes including 1-alkenes by Under these conditions alkene conversion... 

Intense peaks also appear in the ultraviolet spectrum when a carbonyl function is conjugated with the imidazole ring as in the imidazole aldehydes,188-189 carboxylic acids,76,185 and acylimida-zoles.138 Thus, imidazole 2-aldehyde has Amax 285 m/x (emax = 12,500 in ethanol)189 imidazole-4-aldehyde (neutral molecule) has Amax 257 m/x (emax = 11,900), the corresponding cation has Amax 238 m/x (emax = 7300), and the anion has Amax 281 m/x(emax = 16,900),188and2-acetyl-4-methylimidazole has Amax 290 m/x (emax = 10,000 in methanol).35,138... 

Imidazole carboxylic acids are readily converted into hydrazides,436 acid halides,437 amides,437-439 and esters,439-440 and they may be reduced to alcohols with lithium aluminum hydride,441 and to aldehydes by controlled potential reduction.442 Anodic oxidation of l-methylimidazole-5-acetic acid (94) using cooled platinum electrodes yields l,2-bis(l-methylimidazol-5-yl)ethane (95).443... 

Triphenyloxazole (5g), formamide (40g) and liquid ammonia (lOOtnl) are heated in an autoclave at 200-210°C (5h). The brownish reaction product is poured into water, and the flocculent precipitate is filtered, washed with water and recrystallized from ethanol (4.3 g, 85%), m.p. 273°C. Similarly prepared are 2,5-diethyl-4-phenyl- (25%), 2-methyl-4,5-dipropyI-(70%) [41], 4-eihyl-5-phenyl- (50%), 4-phenyl-5-propyl- (40%) and4-benzyl-5-ethyl imidazoles (5%) [40]. From 2-methyloxazole-4-carboxylic acid boiled at 150°C in a sealed tube with aqueous ammonia is obtained 2-methylimidazole (22%) boiling with aniline gives 2-methyl-l-phenylimidazole (67%) [52]. 

Onium salts can also be used to support reagents that would transform a substrate. After reaction the IL phase can be recovered and the reagent regenerated for being reused in another cycle. For example, carboxylic acids have been supported on onium halides. Simply synthesized by quatemarisation of methylimidazole followed by acid hydrolysis, this compound can react with epoxides to afford halo-hydrines in 76-95% yields [58], Additionally, an OS supported version of TEMPO has been used in oxidation of alcohol into ketone [59] (Fig. 21). 

Carboxylic acids can be attached to these linkers using methods of ester bond formation such as carbodiimide/DMAP [23] and acid chloride/base. For the loading of N-protected-a-amino acids in particular, an array of different methods has been developed to minimize enantiomerizahon and dipeptide formation during the esterification reaction. These include the use of MSNT/N-methylimidazole [24], mixed anhydrides generated with 2,6-dichlorobenzoyl chloride [25], esters of 2,5-diphenyl-2,3-dihydro-3-oxo-4-hydroxythiophene [26] and acid fluorides [27]. Phenols and N-protected hydroxylamines have been immobilized using the Mitsunobu reaction [28, 29], The latter are particularly useful for the preparation of hydroxamates [29, 30],... 

Carbonylation and decarbonylation reactions of alkyl complexes in catalytic cycles have been reviewed . A full account of the carbonylation and homologation of formic and other carboxylic acid esters catalysed by Ru/CO/I systems at 200 C and 150-200 atm CO/H2 has appeared. In a novel reaction, cyclobutanones are converted to disiloxycyclopentenes with hydrosilane and CO in the presence of cobalt carbonyl (reaction 4) . The oxidative addition of Mel to [Rh(CO)2l2] in aprotic solvents (MeOH, CHCI3, THF, MeOAc), the rate determining step in carbonylation of methyl acetate and methyl halides, is promoted by iodides, such as Bu jN+I", and bases (eg 1-methylimidazole) . A further kinetic study of rhodium catalysed methanol carbonylation has appeared . The carbonylation of methanol by catalysts prepared by deposition of Rh complexes on silica alumina or zeolites is comparable with the homogeneous analogue . 

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