NITRILES, alkylation FROM KETONES

The alkylation of activated halogen compounds is one of several reactions of trialkylboranes developed by Brown (see also 15-16,15-25,18-31-18-40, etc.). These compounds are extremely versatile and can be used for the preparation of many types of compounds. In this reaction, for example, an alkene (through the BR3 prepared from it) can be coupled to a ketone, a nitrile, a carboxylic ester, or a sulfonyl derivative. Note that this is still another indirect way to alkylate a ketone (see 10-105) or a carboxylic acid (see 10-106), and provides an additional alternative to the malonic ester and acetoacetic ester syntheses (10-104). 

Nitrilium salts, e.g., 66, prepared from the alkylation of nitriles, react with sodium azide to yield 1,5-disubstituted tetrazoles, e.g., 67 (Scheme 7).121 The Schmidt reaction,122 a versatile method for the preparation of 1,5-disubstituted tetrazoles from ketones and hydrazoic acid, can now be regarded as a special case of azide addition to nitrilium salts.123... 

Nickel, dichloro [ethylenebis(dimethyl-phosphine)], 58, 133 Nickel, dichloro[ethj lenebis(diphenyl-phosphine)], 58,133 [Ni (-)-diop Cl2 ], (-)-diop=2,3-0-iso-propylidene-2,3-dihydroxy-l,4-bis(di-phenylphosphino)butane, 58, 133 Nickel, dichloro [ trimethylenebis(diphenyl-phosphine)], 58,133 NITRILES, alkylation of, 55, 91 NITRILES FROM KETONES, 58, 101 NITRILES, a vinyl, 55, 99, 101 p-Nitrobenzenesulfonyl cyanide, 57, 89 p-Nitrobenzyl alcohol, 57, 72 p-NITROBENZYL FLUORIDE, 57, 72 Nitro compounds, 56, 36 Nitronates, 56, 36... 

Crystalline derivatives of aliphatic nitriles may be prepared by an application of the Hoesch reaction. Equimolecular proportions of phloroglucinol and the nitrile react in dry ethereal solution in the presence of anhydrous zinc chloride and hydrogen chloride to give an imine hydrochloride, which is converted into a solid alkyl trihydroxyphenyl ketone by hydrolysis. The alkyl 2,4,6-trihydroxy-phenyl ketones are usually highly crystalline solids of sharp melting point and are purified by recrystallisation from hot water. Many contain water of crystallisation which can be removed by drying in vacuo at about 100 °C the melting points of both the hydrated and anhydrous compound should be determined. 

Enolate anions generated from ketones, esters, and nitriles can be used as nucleophiles in Sn2 reactions. This results in the attachment of an alkyl group to the a-carbon in a process termed alkylation. Aldehydes are too reactive and cannot usually be alkylated in this manner. Alkylation of cyclohexanone is illustrated in the following equation ... 

From a historical perspective, the a-(dialkylamino)nitrile anions were the first acyl anion equivalents to undergo systematic investigation. More recent studies indicate that anions of a-(dialkylamino)nitriles derived from aliphatic, aromatic or heteroaromatic aldehydes intercept an array of electrophiles including alkyl halides, alkyl sulfonates, epoxides, aldehydes, ketones, acyl chlorides, chloroformates, unsaturated ketones, unsaturated esters and unsaturated nitriles. Aminonitriles are readily prepared and their anions are formed with a variety of bases such as sodium methoxide, KOH in alcohol, NaH, LDA, PhLi, sodium amide, 70% NaOH and potassium amide. Regeneration of the carbonyl group can be achieved... 

Kawano Y, Togo H (2009) lodoarene-catalyzed one-pot preparation of 2,4,5-trisubstituted oxazoles from alkyl aryl ketones with mCPBA in nitriles. Tetrahedron 65 6251-6256 Jarikote DV, Siddiqui SA, Rajagopal R, Daniel T, Lahoti RJ, Srinivasan KV (2003) Room temperature ionic liquid promoted synthesis of 1,5-benzodiazepine derivatives under ambient conditions. Tetrahedron Lett 44 1835-1838... 

The classification is unaffected by allylic, vinylic, or acetylenic unsaturation appearing in both starting material and product, or by increases or decreases in the length of carbon chains for example, the reactions f-BuOH f-BuCOOH, PhCHgOH PhCOOH, and PhCH=CHCH20H PhCH=CHCOOH would all be considered as preparations of carboxylic acids from alcohols. Conjugate reduction and alkylation of unsaturated ketones, aldehydes, esters, acids, and nitriles have been placed in Sections 74D and 74E (Alkyls from Alkenes), respectively. 

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