Solvent-free oxidation

Oxidation. Solvent-free oxidation of allylic and benzylic alcohols is possible with this reagent or MnOj. 

Unexpectedly, 2-arylpyridines were obtained from Ar-CHO, 2 eq. acetoacetate and [NH4]OAc followed by air oxidation (solvent-free, catalyst-free, heat-free) Shen, L, Cao, S., Wu, J., Zhang, J., Id, H., Liu,... 

State-of-the-art thin film Li" cells comprise carbon-based anodes (non-graphitic or graphite), solid polymer electrolytes (such as those formed by solvent-free membranes, for example, polyethylene oxide, PEO, and a lithium salt like LiPFe or LiCFsSOs), and metal oxide based cathodes, in particular mixed or doped oxides... 

Oxidation of these model sulfur compounds was studied without solvent to investigate the chemical structure of the products using S K-edge XANES. A solvent free tri-phase (organic/ H202aq./catalyst) was used under the described conditions. Figure 1 shows the XANES spectra from the organic and aqueous phases as well as reference materials. The thiophene oxidized to thiophene-sesquioxide [3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,7-epithiobenzo[b]-thiophene 1,1.8-trioxide ] first.. The sesquioxide solid precipitated from the solvent free reaction mixture and was identified by NMR, IR and C,H,S elemental analytical. The sesquioxide oxidized to sulfate. 2-MT and 2,5 DMT also oxidized to... 

Scheme 6.186) [347]. The condensation of O-allylic and O-propargylic salicylalde-hydes with a-amino esters was carried out either in the absence of a solvent or - if both components were solids - in a minimal volume of xylene. All reactions performed under microwave conditions rapidly proceeded to completion within a few minutes and typically provided higher yields compared to the corresponding thermal protocols. In the case of intramolecular alkene cycloadditions, mixtures of hexa-hydrochromeno[4,3-b]pyrrole diastereoisomers were obtained, whereas transformations involving alkyne tethers provided chromeno[4,3-b]pyrroles directly after in situ oxidation with elemental sulfur (Scheme 6.186). Independent work by Pospisil and Potacek involved very similar transformations under strictly solvent-free conditions [348]. 

Related to the nitrile oxide cycloadditions presented in Scheme 6.206 are 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of nitrones with alkenes leading to isoxazolidines. The group of Comes-Franchini has described cycloadditions of (Z)-a-phenyl-N-methylnitrone with allylic fluorides leading to enantiopure fluorine-containing isoxazolidines, and ultimately to amino polyols (Scheme 6.207) [374]. The reactions were carried out under solvent-free conditions in the presence of 5 mol% of either scandium(III) or indium(III) triflate. In the racemic series, an optimized 74% yield of an exo/endo mixture of cycloadducts was obtained within 15 min at 100 °C. In the case of the enantiopure allyl fluoride, a similar product distribution was achieved after 25 min at 100 °C. Reduction of the isoxazolidine cycloadducts with lithium aluminum hydride provided fluorinated enantiopure polyols of pharmaceutical interest possessing four stereocenters. 

Selective Solvent-free Oxidation with Clayfen... 

A facile method for the oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds has been reported by Varma et al. using montmorillonite K 10 clay-supported iron(III) nitrate (clayfen) under solvent-free conditions [100], This MW-expedited reaction presumably proceeds via the intermediacy of nitrosonium ions. Interestingly, no carboxylic acids are formed in the oxidation of primary alcohols. The simple solvent-free experimental procedure involves mixing of neat substrates with clayfen and a brief exposure of the reaction mixture to irradiation in a MW oven for 15-60 s. This rapid, ma-nipulatively simple, inexpensive and selective procedure avoids the use of excess solvents and toxic oxidants (Scheme 6.30) [100]. Solid state use of clayfen has afforded higher yields and the amounts used are half of that used by Laszlo et al. [17,19]. 

Scheme 6.30 Solvent-free selective oxidation of alcohols with clayfen.

Under these solvent-free conditions, the oxidation of primary alcohols (e. g. benzyl alcohol) and secondary alcohols (e.g. 1-phenyl-l-propanol) is rather sluggish and poor and is of little practical utility. Consequently, the process is applicable only to a-hydroxyketones as exemplified by various examples including a mixed benzylic/ali-phatic a-hydroxyketone, 2-hydroxypropiophenone that delivers the corresponding vicinal diketone [106,107]. 

Varma and coworkers have explored the use of hypervalent iodine compounds on solid support for the first time and developed a facile oxidative procedure that rapidly converts alcohols to the corresponding carbonyl compounds using alumina-sup-ported IBD under solvent-free conditions and MW irradiation in almost quantitative yields [108]. The use of alumina as a support improved the yields markedly as compared to neat IBD (Scheme 6.33). 1,2-Benzenedimethanol, under these conditions, undergoes cyclization to afford l(3H)-isobenzofuranone. 

The oxidation of sulfides to the corresponding sulfoxides and sulfones proceeds under rather strenuous conditions requiring strong oxidants such as nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, chromic acid, peracids, and periodate. Using MW irradiation, this oxidation is achievable under solvent-free conditions and with desired selectivity to either sulfoxides or sulfones using 10% sodium periodate on silica (Scheme 6.34)... 

KMn04 impregnated alumina oxidizes arenes to ketones within 10-30 min under solvent-free conditions using focused microwaves [111]. /i,/i-Disubstituted enamines have been successfully oxidized into carbonyl compounds with KMn04-Al203 in domestic (255 W, 82 °C) and in focused microwave ovens (330 W, 140 °C) under sol-vent-free conditions by Hamelin et al. [112]. The yields are better in the latter case. When the same reactions are conducted in an oil bath at 140 °C, no carbonyl compound formation is observed (Scheme 6.36). 

R. S. Varma,V. V. Namboodiri, Solvent-free Oxidation of Alcohols Using Iron(III)... 

Diaz-Ortiz described the microwave-induced 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of the me-sitonitrile oxide 10 with aliphatic and aromatic nitriles in solvent-free conditions [99]. The procedure allowed the corresponding heterocyclic adducts, the 1,2,4-oxadia-zoles 187, to be obtained in a domestic oven. The reaction times were shorter and the yields better than those seen with the classical homogeneous reactions (Scheme 9.57). 

Reaction of the primary phosphane Bu3SiPH2 If with MgBu2 furnishes the solvent-free hexameric cluster 17 (Eq. 10) (47). Yellow crystals, have been isolated in 39% yield, which are thermochromic. The NMR spectrum, especially the 31P NMR signal at S = -263.8, suggested that the molecule prefers a high symmetry or dissociates rapidly on the NMR time scale. Since 15 is highly soluble in aromatic hydrocarbons even at low temperature and free of metal oxide, it can thus be regarded as a valuable source of phosphandiide, that is, for nucleophilic RP2 transfer reactions. 

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