Nucleophilic substitution alcohol protonation

Some typical reactions of 1,1 -difluoroethene with nucleophiles are summarized in Scheme 2.18. Alkoxides [3], trialkylsilyl anion [4], ester enolates [5], and diphenylphosphinyl anion [6] attack the gem-difluorinated carbon of 5. However, it is noteworthy that nucleophilic substitution and proton abstraction are in some cases competitive, and thus s -butyl lithium abstracts the (3 -vinylic proton predominantly to generate vinyllithium. The lithium species can be trapped with an aldehyde, providing difluoroallyl alcohol, which is then hydrolyzed to a, (3-unsaturated carboxylic ester (11) [ 7 ] (Scheme 2.19). Some synthetically useful examples are shown in Schemes 2.20 and 2.21. Tetrathiafulvalene derivative (14) is prepared from difluorinated derivative (13) [8]. An elegant intramolecular version was demonstrated by Ichikawa, which provided a range of cyclized compounds (17), including dihydrofurans, thiophenes, pyrroles, and cyclopentenes, and also corresponding benzo derivatives (20) [2]. 

Step 3 This step is a fast acid base reaction that follows the nucleophilic substitution Water acts as a base to remove a proton from the alkyloxonium ion to give the observed product of the reaction tert butyl alcohol... 

This mechanism explains the observed formation of the more highly substituted alcohol from unsymmetrical alkenes (Markownikoff s rule). A number of other points must be considered in order to provide a more complete picture of the mechanism. Is the protonation step reversible Is there a discrete carbocation intermediate, or does the nucleophile become involved before proton transfer is complete Can other reactions of the carbocation, such as rearrangement, compete with capture by water ... 

Two kinds of starting materials have been examined in nucleophilic substitution reactions to this point. In Chapter 4 we saw that alcohols can be converted to alkyl halides by reaction with hydrogen halides and pointed out that this process is a nucleophilic substitution taking place on the protonated fonm of the alcohol, with water serving as the... 

Acidic ether cleavages are typical nucleophilic substitution reactions, either SN1 or Sn2 depending on the structure of the substrate. Ethers with only primary and secondary alkyl groups react by an S 2 mechanism, in which or Br attacks the protonated ether at the less hindered site. This usually results in a selective cleavage into a single alcohol and a single alkyl halide. For example, ethyl isopropyl ether yields exclusively isopropyl alcohol and iodoethane on cleavage by HI because nucleophilic attack by iodide ion occurs at the less hindered primary site rather than at the more hindered secondary site. 

Although halides are common leaving groups in nucleophilic substitution for synthetic purposes, it is often more convenient to use alcohols. Since OH does not leave from ordinary alcohols, it must be converted to a group that does leave. One way is protonation, mentioned above. Another is conversion to a reactive ester, most commonly a sulfonic ester. The sulfonic ester groups tosylate, brosylate, nosylate, and mesylate are better leaving groups than... 

The mechanism for the reactions with phosphorus halides can be illustrated using phosphorus tribromide. Initial reaction between the alcohol and phosphorus tribromide leads to a trialkyl phosphite ester by successive displacements of bromide. The reaction stops at this stage if it is run in the presence of an amine which neutralizes the hydrogen bromide that is formed.9 If the hydrogen bromide is not neutralized the phosphite ester is protonated and each alkyl group is successively converted to the halide by nucleophilic substitution by bromide ion. The driving force for cleavage of the C—O bond is the... 

HO-OH2+.14 This reaction forms two water molecules and a carbenium ion, which is then hydrated to form the protonated alcohol. The degenerate gas-phase reactions between HF and protonated alkyl fluorides RFH+ (R = Me, Et, i-Pr, r-Bu) were investigated by ab initio methods.15 With the exception of MeFFi+, the protonated alkyl fluorides can be viewed as weak complexes of the carbocation R+ and FiF. Both frontside and backside substitutions occur, supporting the proposal (see Introduction)8 that nucleophilic substitution reactions are better understood through such a competition as opposed to the traditional S /S 2 competition. 

Alcohols react with carboxylic acids through nucleophilic substitution to form esters. A strong acid catalyzes the reaction by protonating the hydroxyl group on the carboxylic acid. 

Acidic reaction conditions can also lead to protonation of some leaving groups, thereby increasing their reactivity in nucleophilic substitutions. Such groups include, for instance, alcohols, ethers, amines, amides, or alkyl fluorides. 

Another factor affecting the nucleophilicity of these ions is their solvation, particularly in protic solvents. A protic solvent is one that has acidic protons, usually in the form of O—H or N—H groups. These groups form hydrogen bonds to negatively charged nucleophiles. Protic solvents, especially alcohols, are convenient solvents for nucleophilic substitutions because the reagents (alkyl halides, nucleophiles, etc.) tend to be quite soluble. 

But we want to use alcohols in nucleophilic substitution reactions because they are easily made. The simplest answer is to protonate the OH group with strong acid. This will work only if the nucleophile is compatible with strong acid, but many are. The preparation of f-BuCl from f-BuOH simply by shaking it with concentrated HC1 is a good example. This is obviously an SnI reaction with the t-butyl cation as intermediate. 

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