Hydrogenolysis phenols

DEHYDROXYLATION OF PHENOLS HYDROGENOLYSIS OF PHENOLIC ETHERS BIPHENYL... 

Surprisingly, the bulkiness of the 4-substituent on the phenol ring did not have a significant influence on the cis/trans ratio of the formed alkylcyclohexylamines at the same reaction conditions, whereas a bulky substituent in 2-position made the reduction of the intermediate cyclohexanone more difficult. After one hour of reaction time, 2-tert. butylcyclohexanone was the only product formed. Prolonged reaction led to the slow formation of 2-alkylcyclo-hexanols. In the case of the methoxy-substituted phenol, hydrogenolysis of the ether group took place. 

Pd-C and a solution of aqueous hypophosphite effected the transfer phenol hydrogenolysis of the benzyl ether in ethanol after rfluxing (2 /2h) to give 2,4-dicarboxyphenol (carbonate ethers also respond). 

When camphene reacts with guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol), a mixture of terpenyl phenols is formed. Hydrogenation of the mixture results ia hydrogenolysis of the methoxy group and gives a complex mixture of terpenyl cyclohexanols (eg, 3-(2-isocamphyl) cyclohexanol [70955-71 (45)), which... 

Historically, simple Vz-alkyl ethers formed from a phenol and a halide or sulfate were cleaved under rather drastic conditions (e.g., refluxing HBr). New ether protective groups have been developed that are removed under much milder conditions (e.g., via nucleophilic displacement, hydrogenolysis of benzyl ethers, and mild acid hydrolysis of acetal-type ethers) that seldom affect other functional groups in a molecule. 

The 4-(dimethylaminocarbonyl)benzyl ether has been used to protect the phenolic hydroxyl of tyrosine. It is stable to CF3CO2H (120 h), but not to HBr/AcOH (complete cleavage in 16 h). It can also be cleaved by hydrogenolysis (H2/Pd-C). ... 

Aiyl esters, prepared from the phenol and an acid chloride or anhydride in the presence of base, are readily cleaved by saponification. In general they are more readily cleaved than the related esters of alcohols, thus allowing selective removal of phenolic esters. 9-Fluorenecarboxylates and 9-xanthenecarboxylates are also cleaved by photolysis. To permit selective removal, a number of carbonate esters have been investigated aryl benzyl carbonates can be cleaved by hydrogenolysis aryl 2,2,2-trichloroethyl carbonates, by Zn/THF-H20. 

Aromatic rings are hydrogenated with a variety of catalysts. However, aromatic alkoxy and hydroxyl substituents are susceptible to hydrogenolysis under most conditions used to saturate the ring. Hydrogenolysis does not occur to any appreciable extent with ruthenium catalysts even though high temperatures and pressures are required. Thus, substituted phenols are... 

The azidomethyl ether, used to protect phenols and prepared by the displacement of azide on the chloromethylene group, is cleaved reductively with LiAH4 or by hydrogenolysis (Pd-C, H2). It is stable to strong acids, permanganate, and free-radical brominations. ... 

Catalytic hydrogenation in acetic anhydride-benzene removes the aromatic benzyl ether and forms a monoacetate hydrogenation in ethyl acetate removes the aliphatic benzyl ether to give, after acetylation, the diacetate. Trisubstituted aDcenes can be retained during the hydrogenolysis of a phenolic benzyl ether. ... 

This ether formation arises from conversion of the phenol to a cyclohexanone, and ketal formation catalyzed by Pd-Hj and hydrogenolysis. With Ru-on-C, the alcohol is formed solely (84). 

Hydrogenation of carbonyls, or incipient carbonyls such as phenols (86), in lower alcohol solvents may result in the formation of ethers. The ether arises through formation of acetals or ketals with subsequent hydrogenolysis. The reaction has been made the basis of certain ether syntheses (45,97). Reaction of alcohols with carbonyls may be promoted by trace contamination, such as iron in platinum oxide (22,53), but it is also a property of the hydrogenation catalyst itself. So strong is the tendency of palladium-hydrogen to promote acetal formation that acetals may form even in basic media (61). 

Hydrogenolysis, without ring reduction, of the carbon-oxygen bond in phenols cannot be depended on, but by conversion of the phenol to a better leaving group, such as is formed by interaction of the phenol with 2-chlorobenzoxazole, l-phenyl-5-chlorotetrazole, phenylisocyanate,... 

Hydrogenolysis of 1-phenyltetrazolyl ether has been applied to deoxygenation of several heavily substituted phenols, for example, ethyl orsellinate (4a). 

Nowadays, rhodium or ruthenium are often the preferred catalysts. Rhodium can be used under mild conditions, whereas ruthenium needs elevated pressures. If pressure is available, it might as well be used even with rhodium, for increased pressure makes more efficient use of the catalyst, as well as decreases whatever hydrogenolysis might occur at lower pressure. Rhodium 7,8,12 20,21,38,39,45,65,66,68,69,75) and ruthenium 18,26 8,52,68,69,72,74) are especially advantageous in reductions of sensitive phenols and phenyl ethers that undergo extensive hydrogenolysis over catalysts such as platinum oxide. 

This section lists examples of the hydrogenolysis of alcohols and phenols (ROH -> R-H). 

As seen in the retro-synthetic Scheme 5.3, intermediate 15 is useful for both routes. The choice of benzyl protection group was made based on the robust stability of benzyl phenol ethers toward most reactions and several possible avenues to remove it, although it was reported from Medicinal Chemistry that benzyl group removal via hydrogenolysis posed challenges in this compound. The choice of iodide substitution was born out of the known high reactivity of iodides in the Ullmann-type coupling reaction with alcohols and the robust stability of aryl iodides in many other common reactions. 

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