Nitro compounds Nitroalkenes

Formic acid is a good reducing agent in the presence of Pd on carbon as a catalyst. Aromatic nitro compounds are reduced to aniline with formic acid[100]. Selective reduction of one nitro group in 2,4-dinitrotoluene (112) with triethylammonium formate is possible[101]. o-Nitroacetophenone (113) is first reduced to o-aminoacetophenone, then to o-ethylaniline when an excess of formate is used[102]. Ammonium and potassium formate are also used for the reduction of aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds. Pd on carbon is a good catalyst[103,104]. NaBH4 is also used for the Pd-catalyzed reduction of nitro compounds 105]. However, the ,/)-unsaturated nitroalkene 114 is partially reduced to the oxime 115 with ammonium formate[106]... 

Allylic nitro compounds are obtained by the reacdon of cyclic ketones with nitromethane in the presence of 1,2-diaminoethane fl mol% as catalyst. Because exa-cyclic nitroalkenes are rearranged to the fi)iifo-cyclic fi,Y-nitroalkenes, allylic nitro compounds are selecdvely produced fEq. 3.21. ... 

The reaction of conjugated nitroalkenes v/ith a,fi-unsaturated esters, ketones, nitnles, and sulfones is catalyzed by TMG to give the Michael adduct of allyiic nitro compounds fEq. 4.108. -... 

Interesdng intramolecular cycllzadon of Tnitroalkyl radicals generated by one-electron oxidadon of nci-nitro anions vrith CAN is reported. As shown in Eq. 5.44, stereoselecdve formadon of 3,4-funcdonalized tetrahydroflrtans is observed. TNitro-6-heptenyl radicals generated by one electron oxidadon of aci-nitroanions vrith CAN afford 2,3,4-trisnbsdtuted tetrahydropyrans. The requisite nitro compounds are prepared by the Michael addidon of 3-buten-Tal to nitroalkenes. 

Nitro compounds have been converted into various cyclic compounds via cycloaddidon reactions. In particular, nitroalkenes have proved to be nsefid in Diels-Alder reactions. Under thermal conditions, they behave as electron-deficient alkenes ind react v/ith dienes to yield 3-nitrocy-clohexenes. Nitroalkenes c in also act as heterodienes ind react v/ith olefins in the presence of Lewis acids to yield cyclic alkyl nkronates, which undergo [3- 2 cycloaddidon. Nitro compounds are precursors for nitnie oxides, alkyl nitronates, and trialkylsilyl nitronates, which undergo [3- 2 cycloaddldon reacdons. Thus, nitro compounds play important roles in the chemistry of cycloaddidon reacdons. In this chapter, recent developments of cycloaddinon chemistry of nitro compotmds and their derivadves are summarized. 

Chiu et al. developed the first example of a reductive intramolecular Henry reaction induced by Stryker s reagent (Scheme 30) [53]. The conjugate reduction of keto-nitroalkenes with [Ph3PCuH]6 (150 mol%) triggers spontaneous nitro-aldol reaction at - 40 °C to produce (f-hydroxy nitro compounds in moderate yield. 

Oxidation of oximes to nitro compounds with m-CPBA has been applied to the synthesis of dialkyl 1-nitroalkanephosphonates (Eq. 2.63),124 which are useful reagents for conversion of carbonyl compounds to nitroalkenes.125... 

Conjugated nitroalkenes are isomerized to allylic nitro compounds under basic conditions. Reactions of a,P-unsaturated nitro compounds with aldehydes under basic conditions lead directly to y,8-unsaturated P-nitro alcohols (Eq. 3.24). 3 This reaction is very useful for preparing allylic nitro compounds. 

The addition-elimination reaction of hetero-atom-substituted nitroalkenes provides functionalized derivatives of unsaturated nitro compounds.26 Nitroenamines are generally prepared from a-nitro ketones and amines (see Chapter 5 regarding acylation of nitro compounds).26... 

The conversion of primary or secondary nitro compounds into aldehydes or ketones is normally accomplished by use of the Nef reaction, which is one of the most important transformations of nitro compounds. Various methods have been introduced forthis transformation (1) treatment of nitronates with acid, (2) oxidation of nitronates, and (3) reduction of nitroalkenes. Although a comprehensive review is available,3 important procedures and improved methods published after this review are presented in this chapter. The Nef reaction after the nitro-aldol (Henry reaction), Michael addition, or Diels-Alder reaction using nitroalkanes or nitroalkenes has been used extensively in organic synthesis of various substrates, including complicated natural products. Some of them are presented in this chapter other examples are presented in the chapters discussing the Henry reaction (Chapter 3), Michael addition (Chapter 4), and Diels-Alder reaction (Chapter 8). 

In recent years, the importance of aliphatic nitro compounds has greatly increased, due to the discovery of new selective transformations. These topics are discussed in the following chapters Stereoselective Henry reaction (chapter 3.3), Asymmetric Micheal additions (chapter 4.4), use of nitroalkenes as heterodienes in tandem [4+2]/[3+2] cycloadditions (chapter 8) and radical denitration (chapter 7.2). These reactions discovered in recent years constitute important tools in organic synthesis. They are discussed in more detail than the conventional reactions such as the Nef reaction, reduction to amines, synthesis of nitro sugars, alkylation and acylation (chapter 5). Concerning aromatic nitro chemistry, the preparation of substituted aromatic compounds via the SNAr reaction and nucleophilic aromatic substitution of hydrogen (VNS) are discussed (chapter 9). Preparation of heterocycles such as indoles, are covered (chapter 10). 

Perekalin VV, Lipina ES, Berestovitskaja VM, Efremov DA. Nitroalkenes Conjugated Nitro Compounds, John Wiley Sons, New-York, 131-149, 1994. 

Conjugate alkylation of nitroalkenes. R3A1 or the etherate reacts rapidly with a,p-unsaturated nitro compounds to form products of 1,4-addition.1 Example ... 

Under basic conditions, a-nitroalkenes function as synthetic equivalents of allylic nitro compounds 3-nitro-3-hexene, for instance, reacts with piperidine in the presence of Pd(PPh3)4, to give 2-piperidinyl-3-hexene (equation 139)459. 

V. V. Perekalin, E. S. Lipina, V. M. Berestovitskaya and D. A. Efremov, Nitroalkenes Conjugated Nitro Compounds, Wiley, Chichester, 1994. 

Viologen salts act as one-electron phase-transfer agents and, in conjunction with sodium dithionite which regenerates the bipyridinium radical cation, they have been used for the debromination of 1,2-dibromoalkanes to yield alkenes in variable yields [13-15]. Nitroarenes are reduced to anilines in high yield (>90%) under similar conditions [16], whereas conjugated nitroalkenes are converted into the oximes of the saturated ketones [17] saturated aliphatic nitro compounds are not reduced by this process. 

Nitroalkanols are intermediate compounds that are used extensively in many important syntheses 142). They can be converted by hydrogenation into / -aminoalcohols, which are intermediates for pharmacologically important chemicals such as chloroamphenicol and ephedrine. They are obtained by Henry s reaction by the condensation of nitroalkanes with aldehydes. The classical method for this transformation involves the use of bases such as alkali metal hydroxides, alkoxides, Ba(OH)2, amines, etc. 142-144). However, these catalysts give predominantly dehydrated products—nitroalkenes— which are susceptible to polymerization (Scheme 16). The reaction proceeds by the nucleophilic addition of the carbanion formed by the abstraction of a proton from the nitro compound to the carbon atom of the carbonyl group, finally forming the nitroaldol by abstraction of a proton from the catalyst. 

Reduction of nitroalkenes. a, p-Unsaturated nitro compounds can be reduced to hydroxylamines by BH3 THF in the presence of a catalytic amount of sodium borohydride (equation I).1... 

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