Phenolic diketones, reaction with

An interesting combination of enzymatic with non-enzymatic transformation in a one-pot three-step multiple sequence was reported by Waldmann and coworkers [82]. Phenols 125 in the presence of oxygen and enzyme tyrosinase are hydroxylated to catechols 126 which are then oxidized in situ to ortho quinones 127. These intermediates subsequently undergo a Diels-Alder reaction with inverse electron demand by reaction with different dienophiles (Table 4.19) to give endo bicyclic 1,2-diketones 128 and 129 in good yields. 

Constitution of the Esters of the (3-Ketocarboxylic Acids and of the P-Diketones.—Ethyl acetoacetate is taken as example. It reacts like a ketone with phenylhydrazine, bisulphite, and other ketone reagents on the other hand it shows an acid reaction, it dissolves in alkalis, and gives the colour reaction with ferric chloride characteristic of ends and also of phenols. From this double behaviour it was formerly concluded that it was either purely ketonic or purely enolic and that the reactions in the other form were to be attributed to a rearrangement caused by the reagents used. The true state of affairs was first disclosed by... 

Fig (14) Olefin (107) has been converted to cyclic ether (114) by standard reactions. Its transformation to enone (115) is accomplished by annelation with methyl vinyl ketone and heating the resulting diketone with sodium hydride in dimethoxyethane. The ketoester (116) is subjected to Grignard reaction with methyllithium, aromatization and methylation to obtain the cyclic ether (117). Its transformation to phenolic ester (119) has been achieved by reduction, oxidation and esterification and deoxygenation. 

The simplest reaction, that between a diketone and a phenol, works best with resorcinol, for the second hydroxyl facilitates the cyclising electrophilic attack. This synthesis can give mixtures with unsymmetrical diketones, and it is therefore well suited to the synthesis of 1-benzopyryliums with identical groups at C-2 and C-4, ° however diketones in which the two carbonyl groups are appreciably different in reactivity can also produce high yields of single products. ... 

Reduction to quinol can also be carried out with powdered zinc. In 75% sulfuric acid, oxidation of diphenylbenzidine with quinones is accompanied by the formation of a blue-violet color. Anthraquinone, diacetyl, and benzil do not react, but with all other organic oxidants the reaction is smooth (32). In a similar manner the reaction with p-dimethylaminodiphenylmethane can also be used for the detection of chloranil (33). Quinones, similar to 1,2-diketones, catalyze the slow reaction of formaldehyde with o-dinitro-benzene, in which the violet salt of the acid form of o-isonitrosobenzene (34) is formed. It seems, however, that certain phenols react as well (35). 

A solution of bismuth trioxide in hot glacial acetic acid provides a specific method for the oxidation of acyloins. " The reaction rate is dependent on the steric accessibility of the ketol system. A 2,3-ketol requires less than one hour for completion but an 11,12-ketol is not yet fully oxidized in thirty hours." The reaction is highly selective as a-keto acids, hydrazines and phenols are not oxidized. In a direct comparison with cupric acetate, this procedure is somewhat superior for the preparation of a 2,3-diketone from a 2-keto-3-hydroxy steroid. ... 

It was unfortunate that we did not detect any product derived from a diketone in the reaction of w-dimethoxybenzene with tetrafluoroben-zyne. We therefore carried out a reaction of tetrafluorobenzyne with 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene. The di-enol ether (80) could not be isolated, and after the removal of unreacted 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene we isolated the phenolic acid (81) in good yield. This compound is undoubtedly formed by the hydrolysis of (80) followed by a retro-Claisen condensation, and aromatisation as shown below. 

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