Organometallic carboxylic acids

Coupling of an organometallic carboxylic acid to amino acids and peptides via amide formation is probably the most extensively studied conjugation reaction. 

The most general synthetic route to ketones uses the reaction of carboxylic acids (or their derivatives) or nitriles with organometallic compounds (M.J. Jorgenson, 1970). Lithium car-boxylates react with organolithium compounds to give stable gem-diolates, which are decom-... 

Many metals occur in crude oils. Some of the more abundant are sodium, calcium, magnesium, aluminium, iron, vanadium, and nickel. They are present either as inorganic salts, such as sodium and magnesium chlorides, or in the form of organometallic compounds, such as those of nickel and vanadium (as in porphyrins). Calcium and magnesium can form salts or soaps with carboxylic acids. These compounds act as emulsifiers, and their presence is undesirable. 

Nitriles are similar in some respects to carboxylic acids and are prepared either by SN2 reaction of an alkyl halide with cyanide ion or by dehydration of an amide. Nitriles undergo nucleophilic addition to the polar C=N bond in the same way that carbonyl compounds do. The most important reactions of nitriles are their hydrolysis to carboxylic acids, reduction to primary amines, and reaction with organometallic reagents to yield ketones. 

The most common reactions of carboxylic acid derivatives are substitution by water (hydrolysis) to yield an acid, by an alcohol (alcoholysis) to yield an ester, by an amine (aminolysis) to yield an amide, by hydride ion to yield an alcohol (reduction), and by an organometallic reagent to yield an alcohol (Grignard reaction). 

The carboxylic acids of organometallic systems are important synthetic intermediates that have been prepared by many different synthetic methods. Perrocenecarboxylic acid has been studied the most extensively,7 and the best laboratory syntheses previously reported involve hydrolysis of cyanoferrocene [Ferrocene, cyano-]8 or of /S-methylferrocenethiocarbonate [Ferrocene, [(methylthio)thioxo-methyl]-].9... 

Heteroarylphenylalanines could be smoothly obtained via microwave-promoted Suzuki reaction of heteroaryl halides with 2-amino-3-[4-(dihy-droxyboryl)phenyl]propanoic acid (Scheme 28) [46]. Interestingly, the free amino acid could be used without any protection of the amine and carboxylic acid fimctionahty. When 4-(dihydroxyboryl)-L-phenylalanine was used as organometallic partner no racemization was observed. The carboxylate anion and free amino group seem to shield the a-C - H from deprotonation and thus hmit racemization. 

The Conversion of Carboxylic Acid Salts to Ketones With Organometallic Compounds... 

Decarboxylation reactions of metal carboxylates [Eq. (1)], are of increasing value in the synthesis of organometallic compounds (1-5). The reverse reaction, e.g., carbonation of Grignard and organolithium reagents (6,7), is a well-known source of carboxylic acids. Early reviews of the... 

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