Nucleophilic substitution alkyl chlorides

In another development, the statin side chain en route to Atorvastatin (Lipitor , Pfizer) is synthesized via the key intermediate alkyl 3-hydroxy-4-cyanobutyrate (Figure 13.17). Instead of the currently practiced six-step route, a much more concise three-step route starts from epichlorohydrin via Cl chain length enhancement by both nucleophilic substitution of chloride and nucleophilic ring opening of the epoxide with cyanide to yield symmetric dicyanoisopropanol. Nitrilase action desymmetrizes the dinitrile intermediate with the creation of a chiral center in C3 to yield (R)-3-hydroxy-4-cyanobutyrate, which is esterified to the key intermediate ethyl (R)-3-hydroxy-4-cyanobutyrate. 

Sulfoxides are oxidized to sulfoximides by HN3 in the presence of H2SO4 [1, 19]. The nucleophilic substitution of chloride by azide is accelerated, when the solution of HN3 and alkyl halide is allowed to react in a column filled with acidic AI2O3 [20]. The exchange of halide substituents of arenes by azide requires activating groups in other positions of the aromatic system. Pyridine derivatives frequently yield tetrazoles [8]. Aromatic C-nitroso compounds and twice the molar quantity of HN3 form the aromatic azide, N2, and H2O... 

The order of alkyl halide reactivity in nucleophilic substitutions is the same as their order m eliminations Iodine has the weakest bond to carbon and iodide is the best leaving group Alkyl iodides are several times more reactive than alkyl bromides and from 50 to 100 times more reactive than alkyl chlorides Fluorine has the strongest bond to car bon and fluonde is the poorest leaving group Alkyl fluorides are rarely used as sub states m nucleophilic substitution because they are several thousand times less reactive than alkyl chlorides... 

Section 8 14 Nucleophilic substitution can occur with leaving groups other than halide Alkyl p toluenesulfonates (tosylates) which are prepared from alcohols by reaction with p toulenesulfonyl chloride are often used... 

Nucleophilic substitution in acyl chlorides is much faster than in alkyl chlorides... 

The sp hybridized carbon of an acyl chloride is less sterically hindered than the sp hybridized carbon of an alkyl chloride making an acyl chloride more open toward nude ophilic attack Also unlike the 8 2 transition state or a carbocation intermediate m an Stvfl reaction the tetrahedral intermediate m nucleophilic acyl substitution has a stable arrangement of bonds and can be formed via a lower energy transition state... 

The reaction occurs by a nucleophilic acyl substitution pathway in which the carboxylic acid is first converted into a chlorosulfite intermediate, thereby replacing the -OH of the acid with a much better leaving group. The chloro-sulfitc then reacts with a nucleophilic chloride ion. You might recall from Section 17.6 Hint an analogous chlorosulfite is involved in reaction of an alcohol with SOCb to yield an alkyl chloride. 

In addition to bromides and iodides, the reaction has been successfully extended to chlorides,163 triflates,164 and nonafluorobutanesulfonates (nonaflates).165 These reaction conditions permit substitution in both electron-poor and electron-rich aryl systems by a variety of nitrogen nucleophiles, including alkyl or aryl amines and heterocycles. These reactions proceed via a catalytic cycle involving Pd(0) and Pd(II) intermediates. 

For carbon-carbon bond-formation purposes, S 2 nucleophilic substitutions are frequently used. Simple S 2 nucleophilic substitution reactions are generally slower in aqueous conditions than in aprotic organic solvents. This has been attributed to the solvation of nucleophiles in water. As previously mentioned in Section 5.2, Breslow and co-workers have found that cosolvents such as ethanol increase the solubility of hydrophobic molecules in water and provide interesting results for nucleophilic substitutions (Scheme 6.1). In alkylations of phenoxide ions by benzylic chlorides, S/y2 substitutions can occur both at the phenoxide oxygen and at the ortho and para positions of the ring. In fact, carbon alkylation occurs in water but not in nonpolar organic solvents and it is observed only when the phenoxide has at least one methyl substituent ortho, meta, or para). The effects of phenol substituents and of cosolvents on the rates of the competing alkylation processes... 

Breslow and co-workers have found that cosolvents such as ethanol increase the solubility of hydrophobic molecules in water and provide interesting results for nucleophilic substitutions of phenoxide ions by benzylic chlorides carbon alkylation occurs in water but not in nonpolar organic solvents, and it is observed only when the phenoxide has at least one methyl substituent (ortho, meta, or para). This has been discussed in Chapter 6 (Section 6.4.2). 

Alternatively, esterification of carboxylic acid can be carried out in aqueous media by reacting carboxylic acid salts with alkyl halides through nucleophilic substitutions (Eq. 9.10).20 The reaction rate of alkyl halides with alkali metal salts of carboxylic acids to give esters increases with the increasing concentration of catalyst, halide, and solvent polarity and is reduced by water. Various thymyl ethers and esters can be synthesized by the reactions of thymol with alkyl halides and acid chlorides, respectively, in aqueous medium under microwave irradiation (Eq. 9.11).21 Such an esterification reaction of poly(methacrylic acid) can be performed readily with alkyl halides using DBU in aqueous solutions, although the rate of the reaction decreases with increasing water content.22... 

The ability of a nitro group in the substrate to bring about electron-transfer free radical chain nucleophilic substitution (SrnI) at a saturated carbon atom is well documented.39 Such electron transfer reactions are one of the characteristic features of nitro compounds. Komblum and Russell have established the SrnI reaction independently the details of the early history have been well reviewed by them.39 The reaction of p-nitrobenzyl chloride with a salt of nitroalkane is in sharp contrast to the general behavior of the alkylation of the carbanions derived from nitroalkanes here, carbon alkylation is predominant. The carbon alkylation process proceeds via a chain reaction involving anion radicals and free radicals, as shown in Eq. 5.24 and Scheme... 

The soluble polymer support was dissolved in dichloromethane and treated with 3 equivalents of chloroacetyl chloride for 10 min under microwave irradiation. The subsequent nucleophilic substitution utilizing 4 equivalents of various primary amines was carried out in N,N-dimethylformamide as solvent. The resulting PEG-bound amines were reacted with 3 equivalents of aryl or alkyl isothiocyanates in dichloromethane to furnish the polymer-bound urea derivatives after 5 min of micro-wave irradiation (Scheme 7.75). After each step, the intermediates were purified by simple precipitation with diethyl ether and filtration, so as to remove by-products and unreacted substrates. Finally, traceless release of the desired compounds by cyclative cleavage was achieved under mild basic conditions within 5 min of micro-wave irradiation. The 1,3-disubstituted hydantoins were obtained in varying yields but high purity. 

Silylcuprates have been reported to undergo reactions with a number of miscellaneous Michael acceptors [65]. Conjugate addition to 3-carbomethoxy acyl pyri-dinium salts [65a] affords 4-silyl-l,4-dihydropyridines. Oxidation with p-chlorand generates a 4-acyl pyridinium salt that gives the 4-silylnicotinate upon quenching with water, and methyl 4-silyl-2-substituted dihydronicotinates upon quenching with nucleophiles (nucleophilic addition at the 6-position). The stabilized anion formed by conjugate addition to an a, j8-unsaturated sulfone could be trapped intramolecularly by an alkyl chloride [65b]. 

A still different scheme is used for the preparation of the benzimidazole buterizine (74). Alkylation of benzhydrylpiperazine with substituted benzyl chloride 70 gives the intermediate 7U Nucleophilic aromatic displacement on this compound by means of ethyl amine leads to reduction of the nitro group then gives the diamine T. Treatment of that with the orthoformate ester of pentanoic acid serves to form the imidazole ring. There is thus obtained the peripheral vasodilating agent buteri zi ne (74). ... 

The prominent role of alkyl halides in formation of carbon-carbon bonds by nucleophilic substitution was evident in Chapter 1. The most common precursors for alkyl halides are the corresponding alcohols, and a variety of procedures have been developed for this transformation. The choice of an appropriate reagent is usually dictated by the sensitivity of the alcohol and any other functional groups present in the molecule. Unsubstituted primary alcohols can be converted to bromides with hot concentrated hydrobromic acid.4 Alkyl chlorides can be prepared by reaction of primary alcohols with hydrochloric acid-zinc chloride.5 These reactions proceed by an SN2 mechanism, and elimination and rearrangements are not a problem for primary alcohols. Reactions with tertiary alcohols proceed by an SN1 mechanism so these reactions are preparatively useful only when the carbocation intermediate is unlikely to give rise to rearranged product.6 Because of the harsh conditions, these procedures are only applicable to very acid-stable molecules. 

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