1-nitro-1-alkene nitroalkane

A few years later, Hass reported an alternative synthesis of racemic amphetamine, which exemplifies the use of a nitroalkane as the source of the nitrogen atom (Scheme 17.4) (Hass et al., 1950). In this route, calcium-hydroxide-promoted Henry reaction of nitroethane and benzaldehyde (12) afforded an 86% yield of the nitro alkene 13. Simultaneous hydrogenation... 

The condensation of neat carbonyl compounds with nitroalkanes to afford nitro-alkenes (Henry reaction) also proceeds rapidly via this MW approach in the presence of only catalytic amounts of ammonium acetate, thus avoiding use of a large excess of polluting nitrohydrocarbons normally employed (Scheme 8.27) [81]. 

Amri and co-workershave successfully transformed the acetates of the MBH adducts obtained from various activated alkenes into p-nitro-alkene derivatives via treatment with nitroalkanes. The resulting nitroalkane derivatives 234 and 235 were further transformed into the corresponding 1,4-diketones 236 and keto alkene derivatives 237 via a Nef reaction (Scheme 3.92). 

Reduction of 1-nitro-1-alkenes with fermenting Baker s yeast proceeds enantioselectively to give optically active nitroalkanes (Eq. 3.53).81... 

The addition of alkoxides to 2-nitro-l-phenylthio-l-alkenes affords P-nitro-aldehyde acetals.276 The reaction of the same nitroalkenes with amines gives nitroenamines.270 They are important intermediates for organic synthesis and are generally prepared by the reaction of nitroalkanes with triethylorthoformate in the presence of alcohols or secondary amines.2"1 0 The methods of Eqs. 4.20 and 4.21 have some merits over the conventional methods, for variously substituted (3-nitro-aldehydes acetals or nitroenamines are readily prepared by these methods. 

The Michael addition of nitroalkanes to election-deficient alkenes provides a powerful synthetic tool in which it is perceived that the nitro group can be transformed into various functionalities. Various kinds of bases have been used for this transformation in homogeneous solutions, or, alternatively, some heterogeneous catalysts have been employed. In general, bases used in the Henry reaction are also effective for these additions (Scheme 4.18).133... 

The conversion of nitroalkanes to ketoximes can be achieved by the reduction with Zn in acetic acid,112 or Fe in acetic acid.113 Nitroalkenes are direcdy reduced into saturated ketoximes by these reagents, which are precursors for ketones (see Section 6.1.4 Nef reaction). Reduction of 3-O-ace-ty lated sugar 1 -nitro-1 -alkenes with Zn in acetic acid gives the corresponding 2,3-unsaturated sugar oximes in high yield, which is a versatile route to 2,3-unsaturated sugar derivatives (Eq. 6.58).114... 

Nitroalkanes react with Jt-deficient alkenes, for example, p-nitro ketones are produced from a,P-unsaturated ketones [41], whereas allylic nitro compounds have been prepared via the Michael-type addition of nitroalkanes with electron-deficient alkynes (Table 6.19). The reaction in either dimethylsulphoxide [42] or dimethyl-formamide [43] is catalysed by potassium fluoride in the presence of benzyltriethyl-ammonium chloride the reaction with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate is only successful in dimethylsulphoxide [42], Primary nitroalkanes produce double Michael adducts [42,44], A-Protected a-aminoacetonitriles react with alkynes under catalysed solidiliquid conditions to produce the Michael adducts [45] which, upon treatment with aqueous copper(Il) sulphate, are converted into a,p-unsaturated ketones. 

Solutions of acetyl nitrate, prepared from fuming nitric acid and acetic anhydride, can react with alkenes to yield a mixture of nitro and nitrate ester products, but the /3-nitroacetate is usually the major product. ° Treatment of cyclohexene with this reagent is reported to yield a mixture of 2-nitrocyclohexanol nitrate, 2-nitrocyclohexanol acetate, 2-nitrocyclohexene and 3-nitrocyclohexene. °/3-Nitroacetates readily undergo elimination to the a-nitroalkenes on heating with potassium bicarbonate. /3-Nitroacetates are also reduced to the nitroalkane on treatment with sodium borohydride in DMSO. ... 

Cyclization of nitro-stabilized radicals provides another method for the generation of cyclic nitronates (221). Oxidation of the aci-foim of nitroalkanes with ceric ammonium nitrate generates the ot-carbon centered radical, which in the presence of an alkene, leads to the homologation of the a-radical. In the case of a tethered alkene of appropriate length, radical addition leads to a cyclic nitronate (Scheme 2.20). 

Cyclic alkyl nitronates may be used in tandem [4+2]/[3+2] cycloadditions of nitroalkanes, and this reaction has been extensively studied by Denmark et al. (64,333-335). In recent work, they developed the silicon-tethered heterodiene-alkene 219 (Scheme 12.63). Steric hindrance and the fact that both the nitroalkene and the a,p-unsaturated ester in 219 are electron deficient renders the possibility of self-condensation. Instead, 219 reacts with the electron-rich chiral vinyl ether 220 in the presence of the catalyst 224 to form the intermediate chiral nitronate 221. The tandem reaction proceeds from 221 with an intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to form 222 with 93% de. Further synthetic steps led to the formation of ( )-detoxinine 223 (333). A similar type of tandem reaction has also been applied by Chattopadhyaya and co-workers (336), using 2, 3 -dideoxy-3 -nitro-2, 3 -didehydrothymidine as the starting material (336). 

Hydrogenation catalyst. C,ePd catalyzes hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds to anilines and of nitroalkanes to amines (both quantitative). It is also effective for hydrogenation of alkynes to (Z)-alkenes in 90-99% yield, particularly when cthylcnediamine is also present. In fact it is superior to palladium on carbon in the presence of EDA, even though the rate is somewhat slower. 

Nitroalkanes are a good source of carbanions for the conjugate addition to electron-poor alkenes (Ballini et al 2005a), providing polyfnnctionalized adducts that still retain the nitro gronp, and therefore, a snitable transformation of the nitro group very often follows the main addition process. 

Aminomcthylation of hctcroatoms (X-aminomcthylation in Table 6) is generally the easiest, whereas C-aminomethylation requires a great variety of experimental conditions. Indeed, the C—H moiety bound to a carboxyl group is among the less reactive systems, so that alkyl ketones require conditions A alkyl esters, which would be unstable under such conditions, have to be allowed to react with methyleneimmonium salts. Alkenes, as well as ferrocenyl derivatives, are also barely reactive. By contrast, the nitro group of nitroalkanes behaves as a very good activator of aminomcthylation, and phenols are readily aminomethylated. 

Reduction of the double bonds in niiroalkenes without the reduction of the nitro group can he carried out with sodium borohydride when applied to niiro-alkenes the nitroalkanes can be obtained (the method of. Severin [ lOSbj). 

Condensations. Alumina promotes the formation of a-hydroxyphosphonate esters from aromatic aldehydes and dialkyl phosphonates, and the adducts are converted to a-aminophosphonate esters on reaction with ammonia. A solvent-free synthesis of a-nitro ketones comprises mixing nitroalkanes, aldehydes, and neutral alumina and oxidizing the adducts with wet, alumina-supported CrOj (15 examples, 68-86%). The Knoevenagel reaction, the Michael addition of nitromethane to gcm-diactivated alkenes, and the formation of iminothiazolines from thioureas and a-halo ketones are readily effected with alumina under microwave irradiation. 

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