Of cyclic ethers

The key initiation step in cationic polymerization of alkenes is the formation of a carbocationic intermediate, which can then interact with excess monomer to start propagation. We studied in some detail the initiation of cationic polymerization under superacidic, stable ion conditions. Carbocations also play a key role, as I found not only in the acid-catalyzed polymerization of alkenes but also in the polycondensation of arenes as well as in the ring opening polymerization of cyclic ethers, sulfides, and nitrogen compounds. Superacidic oxidative condensation of alkanes can even be achieved, including that of methane, as can the co-condensation of alkanes and alkenes. 

Molecular orbital calculations predict that oxirane forms the cyclic conjugate acid (39), which is 30 kJ moF stabler than the open carbocation (40) and must surmount a barrier of 105kJmoF to isomerize to (40) (78MI50500). The proton affinity of oxirane was calculated (78JA1398) to be 807 kJ mol (cf. the experimental values of 773 kJ moF for oxirane and 777-823 kJ moF for dimethyl ether (80MI50503)). The basicity of cyclic ethers is discussed in (B-67MI50504). 

Transannirlar participation of ether oxygen has also been identified by kinetic studies of a series of cyclic ethers. The relative rates for compounds 10-13 show that there is a huge acceleration in the case of replacement of the 5-CH2 group by an ether oxygen. ... 

Serini reaction, 167 Simmons-Smith reaction, 107 Sodium acetylide, 138 Sodium bismuthate, 147, 149 Sodium bistrimethylsilylamide, 90 Sodium chloroacetylide, 68 Solvolytic cleavage of cyclic ethers, 267 3- (5 -Spiro-2, 2 -dimethyloxazolidi nyl) -cholestane, 360... 

The one group of cyclic ethers that behaves differently from open-chain ethers contains the three-membered-ring compounds called epox.id.es, or oxiranes,... 

As attractive as the transannular bridging of bis(thiolactones) to bicyclic bis(oxepane) frameworks is, our inability to convert the disulfide bridging product (see 25, Scheme 5) to a mmv-fused bre-vetoxin-type bis(oxepane) (see 28) necessitated the development of a modified, stepwise strategy. This new stepwise approach actually comprises two very effective methods for the construction of cyclic ethers the first of these is the intramolecular photo-induced coupling of dithioesters, and the second is the reductive cyclization of hydroxy ketones. We will first address the important features of both cyclization strategies, and then show how the combination of the two can provide an effective solution to the problem posed by trans-fused bis(oxepanes). 

The reaction processes shown in Scheme 8 not only accomplish the construction of an oxepane system but also furnish a valuable keto function. The realization that this function could, in an appropriate setting, be used to achieve the annulation of the second oxepane ring led to the development of a new strategy for the synthesis of cyclic ethers the reductive cyclization of hydroxy ketones (see Schemes 9 and 10).23 The development of this strategy was inspired by the elegant work of Olah 24 the scenario depicted in Scheme 9 captures its key features. It was anticipated that activation of the Lewis-basic keto function in 43 with a Lewis acid, perhaps trimethylsilyl triflate, would induce nucleophilic attack by the proximal hydroxyl group to give an intermediate of the type 44. 

Scheme 12. Construction of cyclic ethers from thiolactones.

Lithium hexafluoroarsenate is thermally stable [54, 55] but shows environmental risks due to possible degradation products [56-58], even though it is itself not very toxic. Its LD 50 value is similar to that of lithium perchlorate [55]. Just like lithium hexafluorophosphate, it can initiate the polymerization of cyclic ethers. Polymerization may be inhibited by tertiary amines [59], or 2-methylfuran [60], yielding highly stable electrolytes. 

Lustoh, J. and Vass, F. Anionic Copolymerization of Cyclic Ethers with Cyclic Anhydrides. Vol. 56, pp. 91 —133. 

Fragmentation Losses from the molecular ions are 1, 29, and 30 Daltons with the loss of 29 (CHO) being characteristic of cyclic ethers. This loss also appears in the mass spectra of unsaturated cyclic ethers, such as furans and benzofurans. The fragmentation of saturated cyclic ethers generally shows a M — 1 ion. 

Cationic copolymerization of cyclic ethers, formals, esters and anhydrides has been thoroughly studied in recent years and sufficient information about it is now available. The propagating species involved in the cationic copolymerization of these oxacyclic monomers are believed to be the oxonium ions in most cases, but their detailed nature is dependent on monomer structure. From their copolymerization behavior, these monomers can be arranged in the following order of increasing car-bocationic character of the propagating species ... 

As a strategy for the construction of cyclic ethers, the radical cyclization of jS-alkoxyacrylates was used for the preparation of czs-2,5-disubstituted tetrahy-drofurans and cis-2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyrans. An example is given with S-alkoxymethacrylate 38 as precursor of the optically active benzyl ether of (+)-methyl nonactate, exclusively formed as the threo product (Reaction 44). ° ... 

In other cyclisations to functionalised oxepanes, Rychnovsky and Dahanukar have shown that the epoxide 36 cyclises with BF3 etherate and TMSCN to form the oxepane 37 as single product <96TL339>, and Evans and Roseman have prepared a series of cyclic ethers by radical cyclisation of the acylselenides 38 (Scheme 8) <96JOC2252>. The major product was always the cw-isomer and the best yields were obtained with (TMSjaSiH. 

These reductions of lactols with Et3SiH 84b in combination of BE3 -OEt2, TfOH, or TMSOTf 20 have become standard reactions for synthesis of cyclic ethers [62-69]. Thus even co-hydroxyketones such as 1837 cyclize readily with excess EtsSiH 84b in the presence of TMSOTf 20, in high yields, via the lactols 1838, to give cyclic ethers such as the substituted oxepane 1839 in 90% yield [65] (Scheme 12.18). 

Condensations Highly atom economical since small molecules of water or alcohol are liberated Atom economy increases as the molecular weights of the combining fragments increases For cyclization reactions such as the Dieckmann condensation and the synthesis of cyclic ethers from straight chain diols the atom economy increases with increasing ring size... 

The deoxygenation of cyclic ethers means the cleavage of both C-O bonds and leads to alkenes or alkanes depending on the hydrogenating activity of the catalyst (Scheme 4.2). 

One of the most widely studied systems for the polymerization of cyclic ethers is the tetra-phenylporphyrinato aluminum system, (TPP)AIX. Most investigations have focused on the chloride complex, (251), which initiates the living ROP of EO, PO, and Et-EO.936 For example, 400 equivalents of EO require 3 hours in CH2C12 at 25 °C to reach 80% conversion. Mn values increase linearly with monomer conversion, with polydispersities typically <1.10, and chain lengths controlled by the initial monomer initiator ratio. 

A variety of cyclic ethers, 410, have been obtained via both, solution-phase and polymer-supported methods in the [3 + 2] cycloadditions of nitrile oxides to alkenes and dienes to give isoxazolines (Scheme 1.50). Both simple and substituted dienes have been found suitable for polymer-supported formation of cyclic ethers of ring sizes five through seven (449). 

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