Neber

This method is suitable only for the preparation of 4-substituted and/or 3,4-disubstituted derivatives, the substituents being only alkyl, aryl or heteroaryl groups. The presence of electron-withdrawing groups in the unsaturated side chain prevents the cyclization step. This is understandable if the influence of such groups on the stability of the intermediate carbonium ion is considered. Of more limited application is the analogous cyclization of diazotized o-aminophenylpropiolic acids, the reaction being referred to as the Richter synthesis (Scheme 70). A related synthesis (also referred to as the Neber-Bossel synthesis)... 

Important synthetic paths to azirines and aziridines involve bond reorganization, or internal addition, of vinylnitrenes. Indeed, the vinylnitrene-azirine equilibrium has been demonstrated in the case of trans-2-methyl-3-phenyl-l-azirine, which at 110 °C racemizes 2000 times faster than it rearranges to 2-methylindole (80CC1252). Created in the Neber rearrangement or by decomposition of vinyl azides, the nitrene can cyclize to the p -carbon to give azirines (Scheme 4 Section 5.04.4.1). 

One of the more important approaches to 1-azirines involves a similar base-induced cycloelimination reaction of a suitably functionalized ketone derivative (route c. Scheme 1). This reaction is analogous to route (b) (Scheme 1) used for the synthesis of aziridines wherein displacement of the leaving group at nitrogen is initiated by a -carbanionic center. An example of this cycloelimination involves the Neber rearrangement of oxime tosylate esters (357 X = OTs) to 1-azirines and subsequently to a-aminoketones (358) (71AHC-(13)45). The reaction has been demonstrated to be configurationally indiscriminate both syn and anti ketoxime tosylate esters afforded the same product mixture of a-aminoketones... 

In addition to the present method, 2H-azirines can be prepared by using a modified Neber reaction,or by heating 4,5-dihydro-l,2,5-oxazaphospholes. 1... 

The aminoketone 1, required as starting material, can be obtained by a Neber rearrangement from a A -tosylhydrazone. Another route to a-aminoketones starts with the nitrosation of an a-methylene carbonyl compound—often in situ—to give the more stable tautomeric oxime 7, which is then reduced in a subsequent step to yield 1 ... 

A ketoxime tosylate 1 can be converted into an a-amino ketone 2 via the Neber rearrangement by treatment with a base—e.g. using an ethoxide or pyridine. Substituent R is usually aryl, but may as well be alkyl or H substituent R can be alkyl or aryl, but not H. 

Unlike the Beckmann rearrangement, the outcome of the Neber rearrangement does not depend on the configuration of the starting oxime derivative E- as well as Z-oxime yield the same product. If the starting oxime derivative contains two different a-methylene groups, the reaction pathway is not determined by the configuration of the oxime, but rather by the relative acidity of the a-methylene protons the more acidic proton is abstracted preferentially. ... 

An a-amino ketone, obtained by the Neber rearrangement, can be further converted into an oxime tosylate, and then subjected to the Neber conditions a ,a -diamino ketones can be prepared by this route. 

The Neber rearrangement has for example found application in natural product synthesis. 

Azirines (three-membered cyclic imines) are related to aziridines by a single redox step, and these reagents can therefore function as precursors to aziridines by way of addition reactions. The addition of carbon nucleophiles has been known for some time [52], but has recently undergone a renaissance, attracting the interest of several research groups. The cyclization of 2-(0-tosyl)oximino carbonyl compounds - the Neber reaction [53] - is the oldest known azirine synthesis, and asymmetric variants have been reported. Zwanenburg et ah, for example, prepared nonracemic chiral azirines from oximes of 3-ketoesters, using cinchona alkaloids as catalysts (Scheme 4.37) [54]. 

Aziridine sind auch einer reduktiven Neber-Umlagerung Zuganglich. Aus 10-Hydroximino-10,ll-dihy-dro-5H- dibenzo-[a d]-cyclohepten) erhalt man z. B. mit Lithiumalanat in siedendem Tetrahydrofuran 38%... 

Isolation of an Intermediate. It is sometimes possible to isolate an intermediate from a reaction mixture by stopping the reaction after a short time or by the use of very mild conditions. For example, in the Neber rearrangement (18-12)... 

Neber oxime tosylate-amino ketone rearrangement... 

Reid and Shah (2007) have provided evidence supporting pre-laboratory exercises. However, pre-experimental activities constitute a phase that most often is missing from laboratory irrstruction. According to research findings, only about 3% of the laboratory time is applied to developing research questions for experiments (Tobin Capie, 1982 Neber Heumarm-Ruprecht, 2006). 

To develop such questiorrs, and hence to realize the pre-experimental phase as a meaningful learning activity, students need to activate their domain-specific knowledge (Klahr, 2000 Neber Anton, 2008). Neben and Anton have cortsidered a sequence of five procedural steps that are necessary for the pre-experimental phase Observation/phenomenon Access to prior knowledge Epistemic question(s) Anticipated answer(s) Planning for evidence. 

Neber, H., Anton, M.-A. (2008). Promoting pre-experimental activities in high-school chemistry Focusing on the role of students epistemic questions. International Journal of Science Education, 509(13), 1801-1822. 

---