Nitrile nucleophilic additions

The most general methods for the syntheses of 1,2-difunctional molecules are based on the oxidation of carbon-carbon multiple bonds (p. 117) and the opening of oxiranes by hetero atoms (p. 123fl.). There exist, however, also a few useful reactions in which an a - and a d -synthon or two r -synthons are combined. The classical polar reaction is the addition of cyanide anion to carbonyl groups, which leads to a-hydroxynitriles (cyanohydrins). It is used, for example, in Strecker s synthesis of amino acids and in the homologization of monosaccharides. The ff-hydroxy group of a nitrile can be easily substituted by various nucleophiles, the nitrile can be solvolyzed or reduced. Therefore a large variety of terminal difunctional molecules with one additional carbon atom can be made. Equally versatile are a-methylsulfinyl ketones (H.G. Hauthal, 1971 T. Durst, 1979 O. DeLucchi, 1991), which are available from acid chlorides or esters and the dimsyl anion. Carbanions of these compounds can also be used for the synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds (p. 65f.). 

The carbon-nitrogen triple bond of nitriles is much less reactive toward nucleophilic addition than is the carbon-oxygen double bond of aldehydes and ketones Strongly basic nucleophiles such as Gngnard reagents however do react with nitriles in a reaction that IS of synthetic value... 

The mine formed by nucleophilic addition of the Gngnard reagent to the nitrile is nor mally not isolated but is hydrolyzed directly to a ketone The overall sequence is used as a means of preparing ketones... 

Cycloahphatics capable of tertiary carbocation formation are candidates for nucleophilic addition of nitriles. HCN in strong sulfuric acid transforms 1-methyl-1-cyclohexanol to 1-methyl-1-cyclohexylamine through the formamide (47). The terpenes pinene (14) [2437-95-8] and limonene [5989-27-5] (15) each undergo a double addition of HCN to provide, after hydrolysis, the cycloahphatic diamine 1,8-menthanediamine (16) (48). 

Nitrile A-oxides, under reaction conditions used for the synthesis of isoxazoles, display four types of reactivity 1,3-cycloaddition 1,3-addition nucleophilic addition and dimerization. The first can give isoxazolines and isoxazoles directly. The second involves the nucleophilic addition of substrates to nitrile A-oxides and can give isoxazolines and isoxazoles indirectly. The third is the nucleophilic addition of undesirable nucleophiles to nitrile A-oxides and can be minimized or even eliminated by the proper selection of substrates and reaction conditions. The fourth is an undesirable side reaction which can often be avoided by generating the nitrile A-oxide in situ and by keeping its concentration low and by using a reactive acceptor (70E1169). 

Nitriles are susceptible to nucleophilic addition. In their hydrolysis, water adds to the carbon-nitrogen triple bond. In a series of proton-transfer steps, an anide is produced ... 

Nucleophiles other than water can also add to the carbon-nitrogen triple bond of nitriles. In the following section we will see a synthetic application of such a nucleophilic addition. 

In acid, the nitrile is protonated on nitrogen. Nucleophilic addition of water yields an imino acid. 

Like a carbonyl group, a nitrile group is strongly polarized and has an electrophilic carbon atom. Nitriles therefore react with nucleophiles to yield 5p2-hybridized imine anions in a reaction analogous to the formation of an sp3-hybridized alkoxide ion by nucleophilic addition to a carbonyl group. 

Base catalyzed nitrile hydrolysis involves nucleophilic addition of hydroxide ion to the polar C N bond to give an imine anion in a process similar to nucleophilic addition to a polar C=0 bond to give an alkoxide anion. Protonation then gives a hydroxy imine, which tautomerizes (Section 8.4) to an amide in a step similar to the tautomerization of an enol to a ketone. The mechanism is shown in Figure 20.4. 

Reduction Conversion of Nitriles into Amines Reduction of a nitrile with LiAIH4 gives a primary amine, RNH . The reaction occurs by nucleophilic addition of hydride ion to the polar C=N bond, yielding an imine anion, which still contains a C=N bond and therefore undergoes a second nucleophilic addition of hydride to give a dianion. Both monoanion and dianion intermediates are undoubtedly stabilized by Lewis acid-base complexafion to an aluminum species, facilitating the second addition that would otherwise be difficult Protonation of the dianion by addition of water in a subsequent step gives the amine. 

The reaction is similar to the reduction of a nitrile to an amine, except that only one nucleophilic addition occurs rather than two, and the attacking nucleophile is a carbanion (R ) rather than a hydride ion. For example ... 

Nitriles are similar in some respects to carboxylic acids and are prepared either by SN2 reaction of an alkyl halide with cyanide ion or by dehydration of an amide. Nitriles undergo nucleophilic addition to the polar C=N bond in the same way that carbonyl compounds do. The most important reactions of nitriles are their hydrolysis to carboxylic acids, reduction to primary amines, and reaction with organometallic reagents to yield ketones. 

Acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of a nitrile to give a carboxylic acid occurs by initial protonation of the nitrogen atom, followed by nucleophilic addition of water. Review the mechanism of base-catalyzed nitrile hydrolysis in Section 20.7, and then write all the steps involved in the acicl-catalyzed reaction, using curved arrows to represent electron flow in each step. 

Just as the Kiliani-Fischer synthesis lengthens an aldose chain by one carbon, the Wohl degradation shortens an aldose chain by one carbon. The Wohl degradation is almost the exact opposite of the Kiliani-Fischer sequence. That is, the aldose aldehyde carbonyl group is first converted into a nitrile, and the resulting cyanohydrin loses HCN under basic conditions—the reverse of a nucleophilic addition reaction. 

Treatment of a-lithionitriles with vinylic sulfones resulted in the formation of cyclized products, i.e., 3-oxothian-l, 1-dioxides 346 or cyclopropane derivatives 348. When a-lithiated aliphatic nitriles were used, carbanions 343, formed by the nucleophilic addition,... 

Kostic et al. reported the use of various palladium(II) aqua complexes as catalysts for the hydration and alcoholysis of nitriles,435,456 decomposition of urea to carbon dioxide and ammonia, and alcoholysis of urea to ammonia and various carbamate esters.457 Labile aqua or other solvent ligands can be displaced by a substrate. In many cases, the coordinated substrate thus becomes activated toward nucleophilic addition of water or alcohols. 

Kostic et al. recently reported the use of various palladium(II) aqua complexes as catalysts for the hydration of nitriles.456 crossrefil. 34 Reactivity of coordination These complexes, some of which are shown in Figure 36, also catalyze hydrolytic cleavage of peptides, decomposition of urea to carbon dioxide and ammonia, and alcoholysis of urea to ammonia and various carbamate esters.420-424, 427,429,456,457 Qggj-jy palladium(II) aqua complexes are versatile catalysts for hydrolytic reactions. Their catalytic properties arise from the presence of labile water or other solvent ligands which can be displaced by a substrate. In many cases the coordinated substrate becomes activated toward nucleophilic additions of water/hydroxide or alcohols. New palladium(II) complexes cis-[Pd(dtod)Cl2] and c - Pd(dtod)(sol)2]2+ contain the bidentate ligand 3,6-dithiaoctane-l,8-diol (dtod) and unidentate ligands, chloride anions, or the solvent (sol) molecules. The latter complex is an efficient catalyst for the hydration and methanolysis of nitriles, reactions shown in Equation (3) 435... 

The selectivity of RNH2 on M/A1203 and Raney catalysts decreased in the order Co Ni Ru>Rh>Pd>Pt. This order corresponds to the opposite sequence of reducibility of metal-oxides [8] and standard reduction potentials of metalions [9], The difference between Group VIII metals in selectivity to amines can probably been explained by the difference in the electronic properties of d-bands of metals [3], It is interacting to note that the formation of secondary amine, i.e. the nucleophilic addition of primary amine on the intermediate imine can also take place on the Group VIII metal itself. Therefore, the properties of the metal d-band could affect the reactivity of the imine and its interaction with the amine. One could expect that an electron enrichment of the metal d-band will decrease the electron donation from the unsaturated -C=NH system, and the nucleophilic attack at the C atom by the amine [3], Correlation between selectivity of metals in nitrile hydrogenation and their electronic properties will be published elsewhere. 

A series of 3-substituted-2-isoxazoles are prepared by the following simple procedure in situ conversion of nitroalkane to the silyl nitronate is followed by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to produce the adduct, which undergoes thermal elimination during distillation to furnish the isoxazole (Eq. 8.74). 5 Isoxazoles are useful synthetic intermediates (discussed in the chapter on nitrile oxides Section 8.2.2). Furthermore, the nucleophilic addition to the C=N bond leads to new heterocyclic systems. For example, the addition of diallyl zinc to 5-aryl-4,5-dihydroi-soxazole occurs with high diastereoselectivity (Eq. 8.75).126 Numerous synthetic applications of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitronates are summarized in work by Torssell and coworker.63a... 

Aminoisoxazoles 22 have been synthesized by nucleophilic addition of lithiated alkyl nitriles to a-chloroximes <06OL3679>. The cyclization of oxime dianions with diethyl oxalate afforded isoxazole-5-carboxylates 23 by acid-mediated dehydration of intermediate hydroxyisoxazolines <06S2515>. 

Nucleophiles react with nitrile oxides in a 1,3-nucleophilic addition pattern. The carbon atom of the CNO group is being attacked by the negatively polarized part... 

Interesting examples of the addition of N-nucleophiles to nitrile oxides are syntheses of chelated Z-amidoxime, N-[2-(dimethylaminomethyl)phenyl]mesitylene-carboamidoxime (118), and pyranosyl amidoximes (119) from the respective nitrile oxides and amines. Aromatic aldoximes undergo unusual reactions with chloramine-T (4 equiv, in refluxing MeOH). N-(p-toly 1 )-N-(p-tosy 1 )benzamides are formed via addition of 2 equiv of chloramine-T to the intermediate nitrile oxide followed by elimination of sulfur dioxide (120). 

Addition of ammonia as a model nucleophile to nitrile oxides was studied by a semiempirical MNDO method, for fulminic acid and acetonitrile oxide (121). The reaction is exothermic and proceeds in two steps. The first (and rate-determining) step is the formation of a zwitterionic structure as intermediate. The second step, which involves transfer of a proton, is very fast and leads to the formation of Z-amidoximes in accordance with experimental data. Similar results were... 

Addition of C-nucleophiles to nitrile oxides is of special interest. There are examples of reactions with both carbanions and neutral carbon nucleophiles. To the former group belong reactions of nitrile oxides with organometallic... 

Reactions of stable mesito- and duronitrile oxides with 1-chloroalkyl isocyanates R R2CC1NC0 (R1 = CF3, R2 = Ph, 4-MeC6H4 R1 = CC13, R2 = H) gave oxadiazolones 176. The double adducts are formed by the cycloaddition of one nitrile oxide molecule at the isocyanate C=N bond and the nucleophilic addition of the chloroalkyl moiety to a second nitrile oxide molecule (344). 

The 1,3-dipolar addition to terminal alkenes of nitrile oxides, generated from nitromethylene derivatives of bicycloheptane, provides 9,ll-ethano-13,15-isoxazolinoprostanoids, PGH analogs, with alkyl, phenyl, or additional heterocyclic fragment in the oo-chain (461). Chemical transformations of 9,11-ethano-13,15-isoxazolinoprostanoids furnish prostanoids with bifunctional fragments of P-hydroxyketone and a-aminoalcohol in the oo-chain. The reaction of P-hydroxy ketones with methanesulfonyl chloride gives rise to prostanoids with an enone component in the oo-chain. 9,ll-Ethano-16-thiaprostanoids have been prepared, for the first time, by nucleophilic addition of thiols to the polarized double bond in the oo-chain. The 1,3-dipolar addition to terminal alkenes of nitrile oxides, generated from nitromethylene derivatives of bicycloheptane provides 9,ll-ethano-13,15-isoxazolinoprostanoids with an alkyl, phenyl, or additional heterocyclic fragment in the oo-chain (462). 

I.4.2.2. Cross-linldng of Polymers Among applications of nitrile oxides, cross-linking of polymers is of main importance. Both nucleophilic addition and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition are the pertinent reactions. 

Nucleophilic additions of titanium nucleophiles to nitriles or isonitriles are relatively rare. Eisch et al. recently reported the formation of three-membered ring titanacycles of type 84 and their reactions with benzonitrile and carbon dioxide, respectively (Scheme 34).119,120... 

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