Phase transfer method benzylic halides

The phase-transfer method has also been used for the synthesis of aryl, benzyl, vinyl and heterocyclic carboxylic acids by carbonylation of the corresponding halides (equation 105).476... 

The phase-transfer method has also been employed for the carbonylation of benzylic halides to carboxylic acids.477 The palladium(O) complexes [Pd(PPh3)4] (103), [Pd(diphos)2] (104) and [Pd(DBA)2] (105 DBA = dibenzylideneacetone) were used as catalysts. With (103) and (104) the carboxylic acid was the major product. Complex (105) gave little or none of the acid, the toluene and bibenzyl derivatives corresponding to the benzyl halide used being formed. Benzyl esters of the carboxylic acid were sometimes present as minor products. The reaction has been adapted to provide a new synthesis of anthranilic acid derivatives (equation 106).478 Tri-n-butylamine was used to neutralize the HBr formed. 

The alkylation of / -sultams has been achieved using the phase transfer method developed for /Mactams (equation 220)274 Activated alkyl halides such as alkyl bromides and benzyl bromide react very rapidly, a-bromoacetic esters less so and secondary alkyl halides hardly at all242. Although acylation of / -sultams in the 2-position causes... 

A simple, rapid and efficient method has been reported for the synthesis of dibenzyl diselenides under the action of MW irradiation. Benzyl halides are reacted with selenium powder in the presence of a base and phase-transfer agent (Eq. 57 and Tab. 5.29) [80]. The reactions were performed either in THF or in C6H6-H20. 

The application of phase-transfer catalysis to the Williamson synthesis of ethers has been exploited widely and is far superior to any classical method for the synthesis of aliphatic ethers. Probably the first example of the use of a quaternary ammonium salt to promote a nucleophilic substitution reaction is the formation of a benzyl ether using a stoichiometric amount of tetraethylammonium hydroxide [1]. Starks mentions the potential value of the quaternary ammonium catalyst for Williamson synthesis of ethers [2] and its versatility in the synthesis of methyl ethers and other alkyl ethers was soon established [3-5]. The procedure has considerable advantages over the classical Williamson synthesis both in reaction time and yields and is certainly more convenient than the use of diazomethane for the preparation of methyl ethers. Under liquidrliquid two-phase conditions, tertiary and secondary alcohols react less readily than do primary alcohols, and secondary alkyl halides tend to be ineffective. However, reactions which one might expect to be sterically inhibited are successful under phase-transfer catalytic conditions [e.g. 6]. Microwave irradiation and solidrliquid phase-transfer catalytic conditions reduce reaction times considerably [7]. 

Sodium salts of carboxylic acids, including hindered acids such as mesitoic, rapidly react with primary and secondary bromides and iodides at room temperature in dipolar aprotic solvents, especially HMPA, to give high yields of carboxylic esters.679 The mechanism is Sn2. Another method uses phase transfer catalysis.680 With this method good yields of esters have been obtained from primary, secondary, benzylic, allylic, and phenacyl halides.681 In another procedure, which is applicable to long-chain primary halides, the dry carboxylate salt and the halide, impregnated on alumina as a solid support, are subjected to irradiation by microwaves in a commercial microwave oven.682 In still another method, carboxylic acids... 

Scheme 17 illustrates enantioselective synthesis of a-amino acids by phase-transfer-catalyzed alkylation (46). Reaction of a protected glycine derivative and between 1.2 and 5 equiv of a reactive organic halide in a 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide-dichloromethane mixture containing 1-benzylcinchoninium chloride (BCNC) as catalyst gives the optically active alkylation product. Only monoalkylated products are obtained. Allylic, benzylic, methyl, and primary halides can be used as alkylating agents. Similarly, optically active a-methyl amino acid derivatives can be prepared by this method in up to 50% ee. 

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]. 

Methods reported this year for the reduction of alkyl halides to alkanes include the potassium-dicyclohexyl-18-crown-6 reduction of alkyl fluorides, sodium borohydride reduction of alkyl chlorides, bromides, and iodides (or sulphonate esters) under liquid-liquid phase-transfer conditions, and the selective reduction of tertiary alkyl, benzyl, and allyl halides with the borate (61). Continuing... 

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