Nitro compounds reductive alkylation

In reaction of aliphatic nitro compounds with alkyl radicals 6 7 generated from ethers or alcohols aminyloxides 69b could be detected79. Moreover dialkylaminyl-oxides 74b are formed, 67 being trapped from the corresponding nitroso compound. Reduction of nitro compound to nitroso compound probably occurs by electron transfer from alkyl radical 67 to nitro compound, subsequent dissociation of the resulting complex 68b giving nitro anion radical which finally disproportionates. 

The N,]S -dialkyl-/)-PDAs are manufactured by reductively alkylating -PDA with ketones. Alternatively, these compounds can be prepared from the ketone and -lutroaruline with catalytic hydrogenation. The /V-alkyl-/V-aryl- -PDAs are made by reductively alkylating -nitro-, -nitroso-, or /)-aminodipheny1 amine with ketones. The AijAT-dialkyl- PDAs are made by condensing various anilines with hydroquinone in the presence of an acid catalyst (see Amines-aromatic,phenylenediamines). 

The reductive alkylation of aromatic nitro compounds using H +Pd/G in the presence of 40% aqueous formaldehyde gives directly dimethylamino derivatives in good yield (Tq. 6.43. ... 

Reductive alkylations have been carried out successfully with compounds that are not carbonyls or amines, but which are transformed during the hydrogenation to suitable functions. Azides, azo, hydrazo, nitro and nitroso compounds, oximes, pyridines, and hydroxylamines serve as amines phenols, acetals, ketals, or hydrazones serve as carbonyls 6,7,8,9,12,17,24,41,42,58). Alkylations using masked functions have been successful at times when use of unmasked functions have failed (2). In a synthesis leading to methoxatin, a key... 

Cyclohexanones may serve as precursors to aromatic amines in a reductive alkylation, the source of hydrogen being aromatization of the cyclohexanone (66). In a variation, an aromatic nitro compound acts as both an amine precursor and a hydrogen acceptor (64). 

Nitro functions are easily reductively alkylated and a number of alkylated anilines are made industrially starting with the appropriate nitroaromatic in the ketone as solvent. The addition reaction can occur at the hydroxylamine intermediate as well as the aniline. A process step is saved by beginning with the nitro compound. 

Notable examples of general synthetic procedures in Volume 47 include the synthesis of aromatic aldehydes (from dichloro-methyl methyl ether), aliphatic aldehydes (from alkyl halides and trimethylamine oxide and by oxidation of alcohols using dimethyl sulfoxide, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, and pyridinum trifluoro-acetate the latter method is particularly useful since the conditions are so mild), carbethoxycycloalkanones (from sodium hydride, diethyl carbonate, and the cycloalkanone), m-dialkylbenzenes (from the />-isomer by isomerization with hydrogen fluoride and boron trifluoride), and the deamination of amines (by conversion to the nitrosoamide and thermolysis to the ester). Other general methods are represented by the synthesis of 1 J-difluoroolefins (from sodium chlorodifluoroacetate, triphenyl phosphine, and an aldehyde or ketone), the nitration of aromatic rings (with ni-tronium tetrafluoroborate), the reductive methylation of aromatic nitro compounds (with formaldehyde and hydrogen), the synthesis of dialkyl ketones (from carboxylic acids and iron powder), and the preparation of 1-substituted cyclopropanols (from the condensation of a 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol derivative and ethyl-... 

Reductive alkylation has also been carried out on nitro, nitroso, azo, and other compounds that are reduced in situ to primary or secondary amines. 

The isolated double bonds in the dihydro product are much less easily reduced than the conjugated ring, so the reduction stops at the dihydro stage. Alkyl and alkoxy aromatics, phenols, and benzoate anions are the most useful reactants for Birch reduction. In aromatic ketones and nitro compounds, the substituents are reduced in preference to the Dissoiving-Memi... 

The hydrogenation in the presence of Pd/C is also effective for the conversion of nitro compounds to amines.94 The Michael addition of nitromethane to 2-alkenoic esters followed by catalytic hydrogenation using 10% Pd/C in acetic acid and hydrolysis is a convenient method for the preparation of 3-alkyl-4-aminobutanoic acids, which are important y-amino acids for biological study (Eq. 6.48).94b The reduction can be carried out at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. 

Because reductive cleavage of aliphatic nitro compounds with Bu3SnH proceeds via alkyl radicals, nitro compounds are also used as precursors to alkyl radicals. Reactions using nitro compounds may have some advantages over other ones, since aliphatic nitro compounds are available from various sources. For example, the sequence of the Michael additions of nitro compounds provides an excellent method for the construction of quaternary carbon compounds (Eq. 7.79).126 Newkome has used this strategy for the construction of dendritic polymers (Eq. 7.80).127... 

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). 

Ir-catalyzed alkylation with a nitro compound was applied in a synthesis of flS,2R)-tra s-2-phenylcyclopentanamine, a compound with antidepressant activity (Scheme 9.41) [45]. The reaction of cinnamyl methyl carbonate with 4-nitro-l-butene gave the substitution product with 93% ee in 82% yield. A Grubbs I catalyst sufficed for the subsequent RCM. Further epimerization with NEts yielded a trans-cyclopentene in 83% yield via the two steps, while additional reduction steps proceeded in 90% yield. 

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