Isoxazoles of 3-

The basicities of the parent azole systems in water are shown in Table 1. When both heteroatoms are nitrogen, the mesomeric effect predominates when the heteroatoms are in the 1,3-positions, whereas the inductive effect predominates when they are in the 1,2-positions. The predominance of the mesomeric effect is illustrated by the pK value of imidazole (82 Z = NH), which is 7.0, whereas that of pyrazole (83 Z = NH) is 2.5 cf. pyridine, 5.2). An fV-methyl group is base-strengthening in imidazole, but base-weakening in pyrazole, probably because of steric hindrance to hydration. When the second heteroatom is oxygen or sulfur the inductive, base-weakening effect increases the pK of thiazole (82 Z = S) is 3.5 and that of isoxazole (83 Z = 0) is 1.3. 

Despite the weak basicity of isoxazoles, complexes of the parent methyl and phenyl derivatives with numerous metal ions such as copper, zinc, cobalt, etc. have been described (79AHC(25) 147). Many transition metal cations form complexes with Imidazoles the coordination number is four to six (70AHC(12)103). The chemistry of pyrazole complexes has been especially well studied and coordination compounds are known with thlazoles and 1,2,4-triazoles. Tetrazole anions also form good ligands for heavy metals (77AHC(21)323). 

Isoxazoles are also rather stable to nucleophilic attack by OH at carbon. For reactions with base at a ring hydrogen atom, leading, for example, to ring opening of isoxazoles, see Section 4.02.1.7.1. 

Neutral azoles are readily C-lithiated by K-butyllithium provided they do not contain a free NH group (Table 6). Derivatives with two heteroatoms in the 1,3-orientation undergo lithiation preferentially at the 2-position other compounds are lithiated at the 5-position. Attempted metallation of isoxazoles usually causes ring opening via proton loss at the 3-or 5-position (Section 4.02.2.1.7.5) however, if both of these positions are substituted, normal lithiation occurs at the 4-position (Scheme 21). 

In theory, three isoxazolines are capable of existence 2-isoxazoline (2), 3-isoxazoline and 4-isoxazoline. The position of the double bond may also be designated by the use of the prefix A with an appropriate numerical superscript. Of these only the 2-isoxazolines have been investigated in any detail. The preparation of the first isoxazoline, 3,5-diphenyl-2-isoxazoline, from the reaction of )3-chloro-)3-phenylpropiophenone with hydroxylamine was reported in 1895 (1895CB957). Two major syntheses of 2-isoxazolines are the cycloaddition of nitrile A-oxides to alkenes and the reaction of a,/3-unsaturated ketones with hydroxylamine. Since 2-isoxazolines are readily oxidized to isoxazoles and possess some of the unique properties of isoxazoles, they also serve as key intermediates for the synthesis of other heterocycles and natural products. 

Theoretical and structural studies have been briefly reviewed as late as 1979 (79AHC(25)147) (discussed were the aromaticity, basicity, thermodynamic properties, molecular dimensions and tautomeric properties ) and also in the early 1960s (63ahC(2)365, 62hC(17)1, p. 117). Significant new data have not been added but refinements in the data have been recorded. Tables on electron density, density, refractive indexes, molar refractivity, surface data and dissociation constants of isoxazole and its derivatives have been compiled (62HC(17)l,p. 177). Short reviews on all aspects of the physical properties as applied to isoxazoles have appeared in the series Physical Methods in Heterocyclic Chemistry (1963-1976, vols. 1-6). 

A number of studies on the NMR spectra of isoxazole has been compiled and this list includes the coupling constants in various solvents as well as the neat liquid. The N signal for isoxazole appears at 339.6 p.p.m. relative to TTAI and is at much lower field than in other azoles. Reports of spectra of substituted isoxazoles also abound (79AhC(25)147, p. 201). 

Isoxazole dissolves in approximately six volumes of water at ordinary temperature and gives an azeotropic mixture, b.p. 88.5 °C. From surface tension and density measurements of isoxazole and its methyl derivatives, isoxazoles with an unsubstituted 3-position behave differently from their isomers. The solubility curves in water for the same compounds also show characteristic differences in connection with the presence of a substituent in the 3-position (62HC(17)1, p. 178). These results have been interpreted in terms of an enhanced capacity for intermolecular association with 3-unsubstituted isoxazoles as represented by (9). Cryoscopic measurements in benzene support this hypothesis and establish the following order for the associative capacity of isoxazoles isoxazole, 5-Me, 4-Me, 4,5-(Me)2 3-Me> 3,4-(Me)2 3,5-(Me)2 and 3,4,5-(Me)3 isoxazole are practically devoid of associative capacity. 

The enthalpy of combustion of isoxazole was only determined several years ago (78MI41615). For isoxazole, AH°c (298.15 K) =-(1649.85 0.50) kJ mol , from which the entropy of formation in the gas phase was derived as AH tig) = 78.50 0.54 kJ moF. The enthalpies of combustion of 3-amino-5-methylisoxazole and 5-amino-3,4-dimethyl-isoxazole have also been determined (73MI41606). 

The acid-base properties of isoxazole and methylisoxazoles were studied in proton donor solvents, basic solvents or DMSO by IR procedures and the weakly basic properties examined (78CR(Q(268)613). The basicity and conjugation properties of arylisoxazoles were also studied by UV and basicity measurements, and it was found that 3-substituted isoxazoles were always less basic than the 5-derivatives. Protonation increased the conjugation in these systems (78KGS327). 

The pKa values of a number of isoxazoles have been reported and again the weakly basic nature of the ring, being less than oxazole, is demonstrated (see Table 3) (7iPMH(3)i. p. 23). 

Prototropic tautomerism of isoxazole derivatives has been well studied over a number of years and has recently been reviewed in context with similar behavior in other five-membered heterocycles (70C134, 76AHC(Sl)l, 79AHC(25)147, p. 202). Several generalizations are summarized below. 

Isoxazoles are susceptible to attack by nucleophiles, the reactions involving displacement of a substituent, addition to the ring, or proton abstraction with subsequent ring-opening. Isoxazolium salts are even more susceptible to attack by a variety of nucleophiles, providing useful applications of the isoxazole nucleus in organic synthesis. Especially useful is the reductive cleavage of isoxazoles, which may be considered as masked 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds or enaminoketones. 

The reactivity of isoxazole in the presence of light, heat or electron impact has been well studied and the various transformations analyzed in terms of reaction pathways and of the potential intermediates. These studies have also been extended to a large variety of substituted derivatives (79AHC(25)147). 

Isoxazolium salts can be prepared by reaction with alkyl iodides or sulfates, although the low basicity of isoxazoles and their sensitivity to nucleophilic attack may necessitate special care. Isoxazolium salts containing bulky Af-substituents can be prepared by the reaction of isoxazoles with alcohols in the presence of perchloric acid. For example, the reaction of 3,5-dimethylisoxazole (53) with some alcohols in the presence of 70% perchloric acid gave isoxazolium salts, (54a) in 29%, (54b) in 57% and (54c) in 82% yield 79AHC(25)147, 68JOC2397). Attempts to quaternize 3,5-dimethyl-4-nitroisoxazole failed 71JCS(B)2365). 

The reactivity of isoxazole toward quaternization is compared with those of pyridine-2-carbonitrile, pyridine and five other azoles in Table 6 (73AJC1949). Isoxazole is least reactive among the six azoles and times less reactive than pyridine. There is also a good correlation between the rate of quaternization and basicity of the azole. 

A good general method for iodination or bromination of isoxazoles is to use iodine or bromine in concentrated nitric acid. For example, the iodination of 3,5-dimethylisoxazole (53) with iodine in nitric acid gave 4-iodo-3,5-dimethylisoxazole (79 X = I) in 85% yield (60DOK598). 

Electrophilic mercuration of isoxazoles parallels that of pyridine and other azole derivatives. The reaction of 3,5-disubstituted isoxazoles with raercury(II) acetate results in a very high yield of 4-acetoxymercury derivatives which can be converted into 4-broraoisoxazoles. Thus, the reaction of 5-phenylisoxazole (64) with mercury(II) acetate gave mercuriacetate (88) (in 90% yield), which after treatment with potassium bromide and bromine gave 4-bromo-5-phenylisoxazole (89) in 65% yield. The unsubstituted isoxazole, however, is oxidized under the same reaction conditions, giving mercury(I) salts. 

The importance of this group of reactions to the chemistry of isoxazoles is shown by the considerable amount of effort expended on this topic (63AHC(2)365,79AHC(25)147). The lability of the isoxazole nucleus towards nucleophiles and bases distinguishes this heterocycle from other azoles. The conditions which lead to ring cleavage are quite varied and depend on the position and the nature of the substituents. 

SnCl2 reduction produced the 4-hydrazinoisoxazole (243). In ethanol the diazonium salt reacted with the 4-aminoisoxazole to produce the linear triazine (244) (Scheme 85). Diazoisoxazoles can also be treated with KI or H20/urea to produce the 4-iodo or 4-hydroxy derivatives (63AHC(2)365). These Sandmeyer reactions have been extended to a variety of isoxazole systems (77JMC934, 63AHC(2)365). 

Table 10 Rearrangement of Isoxazoles with Suitable Three-atom Side Chains...

In 1888 Claisen (1888CB1149) first recognized a general synthesis of isoxazoles (283) by the condensation-cyclization of 1,3-diketones (280) with hydroxylamine. It is now generally accepted that the monoxime (281) of the 1,3-diketone and the subsequent 5-hydroxy-isoxazoline (282) are the intermediate products of the reaction. The isolation of the monoxime (281) and 5-hydroxyisoxazoline (282), which were both readily converted into the isoxazole (283) by treatment with acid or base, has been reported (62HC(17)l). 

To date, a great deal of knowledge about the selection of the appropriate CCC component and reaction conditions has been accumulated. Some regiospecific syntheses of isoxazoles having different 3- and 5-substituents are illustrated by the following examples. 

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