Nucleophilic reactions hydroxy compounds

A diazonium salt is a weak electrophile, and thus reacts only with highly electron-rich species such as amino and hydroxy compounds. Even hydroxy compounds must be ionized for reaction to occur. Consequendy, hydroxy compounds such as phenols and naphthols are coupled in an alkaline medium (pH > of phenol or naphthol typically pH 7—11), whereas aromatic amines such as N,N diaLkylamines are coupled in a slightly acid medium, typically pH 1—5. This provides optimum stabiUty for the dia2onium salt (stable in acid) without deactivating the nucleophile (protonation of the amine). 

In many cases, substituents linked to a pyrrole, furan or thiophene ring show similar reactivity to those linked to a benzenoid nucleus. This generalization is not true for amino or hydroxyl groups. Hydroxy compounds exist largely, or entirely, in an alternative nonaromatic tautomeric form. Derivatives of this type show little resemblance in their reactions to anilines or phenols. Thienyl- and especially pyrryl- and furyl-methyl halides show enhanced reactivity compared with benzyl halides because the halogen is made more labile by electron release of the type shown below. Hydroxymethyl and aminomethyl groups on heteroaromatic nuclei are activated to nucleophilic attack by a similar effect. 

Hydroxy-L-prolin is converted into a 2-methoxypyrrolidine. This can be used as a valuable chiral building block to prepare optically active 2-substituted pyrrolidines (2-allyl, 2-cyano, 2-phosphono) with different nucleophiles and employing TiQ as Lewis acid (Eq. 21) [286]. Using these latent A -acylimmonium cations (Eq. 22) [287] (Table 9, No. 31), 2-(pyrimidin-l-yl)-2-amino acids [288], and 5-fluorouracil derivatives [289] have been prepared. For the synthesis of p-lactams a 4-acetoxyazetidinone, prepared by non-Kolbe electrolysis of the corresponding 4-carboxy derivative (Eq. 23) [290], proved to be a valuable intermediate. 0-Benzoylated a-hydroxyacetic acids are decarboxylated in methanol to mixed acylals [291]. By reaction of the intermediate cation, with the carboxylic acid used as precursor, esters are obtained in acetonitrile (Eq. 24) [292] and surprisingly also in methanol as solvent (Table 9, No. 32). Hydroxy compounds are formed by decarboxylation in water or in dimethyl sulfoxide (Table 9, Nos. 34, 35). 

Because of the presence of nitrogen in the aromatic ring, electrons in pyridine are distributed in such a way that their density is higher in positions 3 and 5 (the P-positions). In these positions, electrophilic substitutions such as halogenation, nitration, and sulfonation take place. On the contrary, positions 2, 4, and 6 (a- and y-positions, respectively) have lower electron density and are therefore centers for nucleophilic displacements such as hydrolysis or Chichibabin reaction. In the case of 3,5-dichlorotrifluoropyridine, hydroxide anion of potassium hydroxide attacks the a- and y-positions because, in addition to the effect of the pyridine nitrogen, fluorine atoms in these position facilitate nucleophilic reaction by decreasing the electron density at the carbon atoms to which they are bonded. In a rate-determining step, hydroxyl becomes attached to the carbon atoms linked to fluorine and converts the aromatic compound into a nonaromatic Meisenheimer complex (see Surprise 67). To restore the aromaticity, fluoride ion is ejected in a fast step, and hydroxy pyridines I and J are obtained as the products [58],... 

In mixed trifluoroacetic anhydrides, the strong electron-withdrawing tri-fluoroacetyl group polarizes the bonds to the anhydride oxygen in such a way that it tends to split to acylium cation and trifluoroacetate anion [/0/. Generally, the products of the reaction of hydroxy compounds with acyl trifluoroacetates are esters of carboxylic acids and trifluoroacetic acid, because the acyl carbonyl is better fit for a nucleophilic attack than the carbonyl next to the trifluoromethyl group [707]. 

However, the products may also be trifluoroacetates of the hydroxy compounds. Trifluoroacetates are favored with hydroxy compounds such as nonpolar alcohols, which are better nucleophiles than the more acidic alcohols containing polar groups such as trifluoromethyl, or phenols whose acidity is higher than that of nonpolar alcohols by as much as six or seven orders of magnitude. In addition, formation of trifluoroacetates is enhanced by addition of carbon tetrachloride, trifluoroacetic acid, or both. The presence of trifluoracetic acid may affect the reaction equilibrium between the trifluoroacetate of the hydroxy compound and the carboxylic acid by reacting with the byproduct of the reaction, carboxylic acid, and thus increase the formation of the trifluoroacetate (Guldberg-Waage s law). 

Positions marked P show reactivity similar to those of the 2- and 4-positions in pyridine. The substituents can be introduced by very strong nucleophiles (Section 3.4.1.6) hydroxy compounds exist in the oxo form and can be converted (Section 3.4.3.7) into chloro compounds which are reactive (Section 3.4.3.9.1). Alkyl groups can be deprotonated giving anions which undergo various substitution reactions (Section 3.4.3.3). 

Reactions with Water, Alcohols, Phenols and Other Hydroxy Compounds. Car-bodiimides undergo nucleophilic reactions with a wide variety of nucleophiles. The polar forms of carbodiimides 431 and 432 demonstrate the nucleophilicity of the N-atoms as well as the electrophilicity of the center carbon atom. 

The diols (97) from asymmetric dil droxylation are easily converted to cyclic sii e esters (98) and thence to cyclic sulfate esters (99).This two-step process, reaction of the diol (97) with thionyl chloride followed by ruthenium tetroxide catalyzed oxidation, can be done in one pot if desired and transforms the relatively unreactive diol into an epoxide mimic, ue. the 1,2-cyclic sulfate (99), which is an excellent electrophile. A survey of reactions shows that cyclic sulfates can be opened by hydride, azide, fluoride, thiocyanide, carboxylate and nitrate ions. Benzylmagnesium chloride and thie anion of dimethyl malonate can also be used to open the cyclic sulfates. Opening by a nucleophile leads to formation of an intermediate 3-sidfate aiuon (100) which is easily hydrolyzed to a -hydroxy compound (101). Conditions for cat ytic acid hydrolysis have been developed that allow for selective removal of the sulfate ester in the presence of other acid sensitive groups such as acetals, ketals and silyl ethers. 

Racemic or achiral a-azido acids are synthesized by direct azide substitution on commercially available a-bromo carboxylic acids or by radical bromination of carboxylic acids followed by azide substitution. In general, azido acids are stored in the dark to avoid photolytic degradation with loss of nitrogen temperatures above 50 °C should be avoided. Radical a-bromination of a-branched carboxylic acids as required for the synthesis of a,a-dialkyl or a,a-diaryl amino acids is performed with A-bromosuccinimide. This is followed by nucleophilic substitution with sodium azide or other azide donors, e.g. tetrabutylannmonium azide, to produce achiral or racemic a-azido-a,a-diaIkyl or a-azido-a,a-diaryl carboxylic acids (Scheme 74).Synthesis of more sterically hindered a,a-disubstituted azido acids leads to hydroxy compounds when prolonged reaction times are required and not sufficient care is taken to operate under dry conditions and an inert atmosphere.t ... 

The products of hydrolysis of the 1,3-benzodithiolium cation 152 depend upon the experimental conditions. In acetonitrile-water (3 1) or acetone-water (4 1), after I hour, 153 is obtained. In an acetonitrile-water mixture (4 1), after several hours, or in triethylamine-water (1 15), 154 is obtained in excellent yields. - The mechanism probably involves nucleophilic attack of 152 by water and tautomerism of the 2-hydroxy compound 155 with the open-chain derivative 156. Reaction of 156 with another mole of 152 affords 153, which can lose carbon monoxide to give 157. This last can, in turn, react with 152, giving 154. Intermediate 155 has not been isolated but was identified by NMR in the reaction mixture (Scheme 29). ... 

---