Phase-transfer catalysts, functional group

Both of these structures are open-chained compounds corresponding to crown ethers in function if not exactly in structure (see Chap. 7). They have repeating ethyleneoxy side-chains generally terminated in a methyl group. Montanari and co-workers introduced the polypodes 22 as phase transfer catalysts . These compounds were based on the triazine nucleus as illustrated below. The first octopus molecule (23) was prepared by Vogtle and Weber and is shown below. The implication of the name is that the compound is multiarmed and not specifically that it has eight such side-chains. Related molecules have recently been prepared by Hyatt and the name octopus adopted. For further information on this group of compounds and for examples of structures, refer to the discussion and tables in Chap. 7. 

Cinchona alkaloids now occupy the central position in designing the chiral non-racemic phase transfer catalysts because they have various functional groups easily derivatized and are commercially available with cheap price. The quaternary ammonium salts derived from cinchona alkaloids as well as some other phase transfer catalysts are... 

Various transition metals have been used in redox processes. For example, tandem sequences of cyclization have been initiated from malonate enolates by electron-transfer-induced oxidation with ferricenium ion Cp2pe+ (51) followed by cyclization and either radical or cationic termination (Scheme 41). ° Titanium, in the form of Cp2TiPh, has been used to initiate reductive radical cyclizations to give y- and 5-cyano esters in a 5- or 6-exo manner, respectively (Scheme 42). The Ti(III) reagent coordinates both to the C=0 and CN groups and cyclization proceeds irreversibly without formation of iminyl radical intermediates.The oxidation of benzylic and allylic alcohols in a two-phase system in the presence of r-butyl hydroperoxide, a copper catalyst, and a phase-transfer catalyst has been examined. The reactions were shown to proceed via a heterolytic mechanism however, the oxidations of related active methylene compounds (without the alcohol functionality) were determined to be free-radical processes. 

By reacting quinoline first with benzoyl chloride and then with aqueous potassium cyanide, the corresponding Reissert compound is obtained. The reaction is normally carried out in one operation using a two-phase system plus a phase transfer catalyst. The N-benzoy group can then be removed by heating with sodium hydroxide solution, and the reaction is continued to hydrolyse the nitrile function to the acid ... 

The affinity of the polymer-bound catalyst for water and for organic solvent also depends upon the structure of the polymer backbone. Polystyrene is nonpolar and attracts good organic solvents, but without ionic, polyether, or other polar sites, it is completely inactive for catalysis of nucleophilic reactions. The polar sites are necessary to attract reactive anions. If the polymer is hydrophilic, as a dextran, its surface must be made less polar by functionalization with lipophilic groups to permit catalytic activity for most nucleophilic displacement reactions. The % RS and the chemical nature of the polymer backbone affect the hydrophilic/lipophilic balance. The polymer must be able to attract both the reactive anion and the organic substrate into its matrix to catalyze reactions between the two mutually insoluble species. Most polymer-supported phase transfer catalysts are used under conditions where both intrinsic reactivity and intraparticle diffusion affect the observed rates of reaction. The structural variables in the catalyst which control the hydrophilic/lipophilic balance affect both activity and diffusion, and it is often not possible to distinguish clearly between these rate limiting phenomena by variation of active site structure, polymer backbone structure, or % RS. 

Functionalized polymers are of interest in a variety of applications including but not limited to fire retardants, selective sorption resins, chromatography media, controlled release devices and phase transfer catalysts. This research has been conducted in an effort to functionalize a polymer with a variety of different reactive sites for use in membrane applications. These membranes are to be used for the specific separation and removal of metal ions of interest. A porous support was used to obtain membranes of a specified thickness with the desired mechanical stability. The monomer employed in this study was vinylbenzyl chloride, and it was lightly crosslinked with divinylbenzene in a photopolymerization. Specific ligands incorporated into the membrane film include dimethyl phosphonate esters, isopropyl phosphonate esters, phosphonic acid, and triethyl ammonium chloride groups. Most of the functionalization reactions were conducted with the solid membrane and liquid reactants, however, the vinylbenzyl chloride monomer was transformed to vinylbenzyl triethyl ammonium chloride prior to polymerization in some cases. The reaction conditions and analysis tools for uniformly derivatizing the crosslinked vinylbenzyl chloride / divinyl benzene films are presented in detail. 

Poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) (VBC) is an ideal starting material onto which a variety of functional groups can be attached through relatively simple reactions and mild reaction conditions. Functionalized polymers are of interest in a variety of applications including but not limited to fire retardants, selective sorption resins, chromatography media, controlled release devices and phase transfer catalysts. An example of the wide applicability of functionalized polymers is provided by trimethyl ammonium functionalized poly(VBC). 

The first example of a catalytic asymmetric Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction was recently reported by Arai et al. [78]. It is based on the use of a chiral quaternary ammonium salt as a phase-transfer catalyst, 78, derived from cinchonine. Catalytic amounts (20 mol%) of organocatalyst 78 were initially used in the Homer-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction of ketone 75a with a variety of phospho-nates as a model reaction. The condensation products of type 77 were obtained in widely varying yields (from 15 to 89%) and the enantioselectivity of the product was low to moderate (< 43%). Although yields were usually low for methyl and ethyl phosphonates the best enantioselectivity was observed for these substrates (43 and 38% ee, respectively). In contrast higher yields were obtained with phosphonates with sterically more demanding ester groups, e.g. tert-butyl, but ee values were much lower. An overview of this reaction and the effect of the ester functionality is given in Scheme 13.40. 

The classical permanent protecting group of carbohydrate hydroxyl functions is probably the benzyl ether. It is very stable and can be readily removed under essentially neutral conditions. For this reason, numerous benzylation and 0-debenzylation procedures have been described. Benzyl ether formation is usually achieved by the reaction of alcohols and benzyl halides in the presence of a base such as sodium hydride in anhydrous DMF (O Scheme 2) [11], or a mild base (Ag20) in THF using a phase-transfer catalyst [12]. Benzylation can also be accomplished by the use of an acidic catalyst with benzyltrichloroacetimidate as the reagent [13]. A method using the reductive etherification of TMS ethers under non-basic conditions has also been reported [14]. 

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