Nucleophiles reactivity with acylating agents

For the reaction of hydride donors, organometallic compounds and heteroatom-stabilized carbanions with acylating agents or carbonyl compounds one encounters a universal reactivity order RC(=0)C1 > RC(=0)H > R2C=0 > RC(=0)0R > RC C NR It applies to both good and poor nucleophiles, but—in agreement with the reactivity/selectivity principle (Section 1.7.4)—the reactivity differences are far larger for poor nucleophiles. 

To set the stage for the crucial aza-Robinson annulation, a reaction in which the nucleophilic character of the newly introduced thiolactam function is expected to play an important role, it is necessary to manipulate the methyl propionate side chain in 19. To this end, alkaline hydrolysis of the methyl ester in 19, followed by treatment of the resulting carboxylic acid with isobutyl chlorofor-mate, provides a mixed anhydride. The latter substance is a reactive acylating agent that combines smoothly with diazomethane to give diazo ketone 12 (77 % overall yield from 19). 

In the first step, a resin-bound secondary amine is acylated with bromoacetic acid, in the presence of N,N-diisopropylcarbodiimide. Acylation of secondary amines is difficult, especially when coupHng an amino acid with a bulky side chain. The sub-monomer method, on the other hand, is facilitated by the use of bromoacetic acid, which is a very reactive acylating agent Activated bromoacetic acid is bis-reactive, in that it acylates by reacting with a nucleophile at the carbonyl carbon, or it can alkylate by reacting with a nucleophile at the neighboring ah-phatic carbon. Because acylation is approximately 1000 times faster than alkylation, acylation is exclusively observed. 

Acylation of carbon nucleophiles can also be carried out with more reactive acylating agents such as acid anhydrides and acyl chlorides. These reactions must... 

Acyl chlorides are highly reactive acylating agents and react very rapidly with alcohols and other nucleophiles. Preparative procedures often call for use of pyridine as a catalyst. Pyridine catalysis involves initial formation of an acyl pyridinium ion, which then reacts with the alcohol. Pyridine is a better nucleophile than the neutral alcohol, but the acyl pyridinium ion reacts more rapidly with the alcohol than the acyl chloride.103... 

Hydroxylamines and hydrazines can be acylated on insoluble supports using the same type of acylating agent as is used for the acylation of amines [146-149]. Because of their higher nucleophilicity, hydroxylamines or hydrazines can be acylated more readily than amines, and unreactive acylating agents such as carboxylic esters can sometimes be successfully employed (Table 13.10). Polystyrene-bound O-alkyl hydroxamic acids can be N-alkylated by treatment with reactive alkyl halides and bases such as DBU (Entry 5, Table 13.10). 

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