Phenyl Fries rearrangement

A photochemical variant, the so-called photo-Fries rearrangement, proceeds via intermediate formation of radical species. Upon irradiation the phenyl ester molecules (1) are promoted into an excited state 11. By homolytic bond cleavage the radical-pair 12 is formed that reacts to the semiquinone 13, which in turn tautomerizes to the p-acylphenol 3. The corresponding ort/zo-derivative is formed in an analogous way ... 

The Fries rearrangement can be viewed as a type of Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction. Two examples of this reaction are given in Scheme 5.1-61. The first is the rearrangement of 4,4 -diacetoxybiphenyl to 4,4 -dihydroxy-3,3 -diacetoxybiphenyl in a NaCl/AlCl3 (X(A1C13) = 0.69) molten salt [93]. The second example is the rearrangement of phenyl 3-chloropropionate to 2 -hydroxy-3-chloropropiophenone, followed by cyclization to an indanone [94]. 

For example /-butyl phenyl ether with aluminium chloride forms para-t-butyl phenol155. Often the de-alkylated phenol is also formed in considerable quantity. The reaction formally resembles the Fries and Claisen rearrangements. Like the Fries rearrangement the question of inter- or intramolecularity has not been settled, although may experiments based on cross-over studies156, the use of optically active ethers157 and comparison with product distribution from Friedel-Crafts alkylation of phenols158 have been carried out with this purpose in view. 

R2NC1, 91, 92 phenyl acetate, Fries rearrangement of, 475 phenyacetyl halides, acylation by, 173 2-phenylbenzoic acid, cycliacylation, 185 phenyl ethers, alkylation of, 149 —, bromination of, 130 —, hydrogen exchange with, 260 —, rearrangement of, 476 phenyl ethyl mercury, mercuridemercuration of, 359, 360... 

The availability of Nafion on silica has not only lowered the cost of the resin but also has made it versatile (Sun et al., 1997 Harmer et al., 1998). A number of industrially important reactions have been attempted, with considerable success, with these catalysts. Consider the Fries rearrangement of phenyl acetate to p-acetyl phenol (/t-hydroxy acetophenone). This has been accomplished by Hoelderich and co-workers (Heidekum, 1998). In the ca.se of alkylation of benzene with benzyl alcohol, Amberlyst-15 and p-toluene sulphonic acid are ineffective and Nafion on silica works well at 80 °C. 

Zeolites have also been described as efficient catalysts for acylation,11 for the preparation of acetals,12 and proved to be useful for acetal hydrolysis13 or intramolecular lactonization of hydroxyalkanoic acids,14 to name a few examples of their application. A number of isomerizations and skeletal rearrangements promoted by these porous materials have also been reported. From these, we can underline two important industrial processes such as the isomerization of xylenes,2 and the Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime to e-caprolactam,15 which is an intermediate for polyamide manufacture. Other applications include the conversion of n-butane to isobutane,16 Fries rearrangement of phenyl esters,17 or the rearrangement of epoxides to carbonyl compounds.18... 

Fries rearrangement.1 Rearrangement of phenyl esters with Lewis acids results in a mixture of ortho- and para-phenolic ketones. In contrast, reaction of an o-bromophenyl ester with sec-butyllithium results in exclusive formation of the orf/jo-phenolic ketone by an intramolecular acyl rearrangement.2... 

Prior to solving the structure for SSZ-31, the catalytic conversion of hydrocarbons provided information about the pore structure such as the constraint index that was determined to be between 0.9 and 1.0 (45, 46). Additionally, the conversion of m-xylene over SSZ-31 resulted in a para/ortho selectivity of <1 consistent with a ID channel-type zeolite (47). The acidic NCL-1 has also been found to catalyze the Fries rearrangement of phenyl acetate (48). The nature of the acid sites has recently been evaluated using pyridine and ammonia adsorption (49). Both Br0nsted and Lewis acid sites are observed where Fourier transform-infrared (FT IR) spectra show the hydroxyl groups associated with the Brpnsted acid sites are at 3628 and 3598 cm-1. The SSZ-31 structure has also been modified with platinum metal and found to be a good reforming catalyst. 

The radiation induced side-chain modification of polymers containing pendant phenyl ester groups has been the object of several studies as some undergo a photo-Fries rearrangement (JJ while others such as... 

Dialkylquinazolines 825 are available by microwave-assisted amination and ring closure of 2-acylamino phenyl-ketones 824 with ammonium formate <20070L69>. The 2-aminophenyl ketone precursors of the amides 824 are available by a photochemically induced Fries rearrangement of anilides 823, which enables a variety of different alkyl substituents to be incorporated at the 4-position of the quinazoline <20070L69>. 

From the point of view of quantum yields calculation, photo-Fries rearrangement, including phenol and products formation, represents a photoreaction (expressed by Eq. 3) in which all products absorb intensively in the absorption region of the starting phenyl ester A. 

For the initial phase of the photo-Fries rearrangement, IA can be determined approximately by subtracting the absorption due to the strongest absorbing product of the reaction mixture, provided its concentration and molar extinction coefficient are known. By means of this initial rate approach Humphrey8 determined the quantum yields of the photorearrangement of 13 (913-14 = 0.14), of 14 (914-.18 = 0.056), and of poly-2,2-propanebis(4-phenyl carbonate) ([Pg.138]

The number of reported instances where substituted metallocenes undergo phototransformations cleanly to products is still relatively small. The first incident was a disclosure37 by Finnegan and Hagen of a photochemical Fries rearrangement by Finnegan and Mattice.38 They examined the photochemistry of both phenyl ferrocenoate (7) and p-tolyl ferrocenoate (8) at low molarities in cyclohexane. For instance, a solution of 0.82 g 7 in 750 ml... 

Problem 19.16 Phenyl acetate undergoes the Fries rearrangement with AlCl, to form ortho- and para-hydroxyacetophenone. The ortho isomer is separated from the mixture by its volatility with steam. 

A considerable amount of attention has also been paid to the photo-Fries rearrangement of polymer pendant groups. For example, the rearrangement of poly (phenyl acrylate) (10,11) in solution or in the solid-state, is usually incomplete and results in the formation of both the ortho and the para-hydroxyphenone rearranged products in amounts which vary with the conditions of the photolysis. A concurrent side-reaction, which we term the Fries degradation, also results in the liberation of small amounts of phenol (Scheme 2). Similar results have been obtained with poly (phenyl methacrylate) and other substituted aryl acrylates (4,9,12). 

Photolysis of phenyl 2-thenoate leads to a 3 2 mixture of ortho and para Fries rearrangement products (Scheme 109) (74H(2)423). The photolytic rearrangement of a thiolester to a thiopyrone has been investigated with thiophenecarbothioic acid S-aryl esters as substrates (79LA2043). In the case of the 2-carbothioic acid esters, a 3-bromo substituent is necessary for this rearrangement. On the other hand, such a substituent is not necessary for the 3-carbothioic acid derivatives. In both cases, aldehydes may also be formed, sometimes as the main products (Scheme 110). 

Although there is evidence that chromone syntheses which proceed by the cyclization of phenyl esters under Friedel-Crafts conditions may involve a Fries rearrangement and hence require the formation of one bond adjacent to the heteroatom, syntheses of chromones from phenols will be considered together in this section. The Simonis reaction (530R(7)l)... 

It is pertinent to note that the ester (472) yields a chromone on treatment with hydrogen fluoride (54LA(587)16), suggesting the intervention of a Fries rearrangement once again. The same applies in the formation of 2-chlorochromone from phenyl 3,3-dichloropropenoate <60CR(250)2819). 

Actually, another method for obtaining hydroxyacetophenones is the rearrangement of phenyl acetate (Fries rearrangement, scheme 1). 

A variety of aromatic esters undergo light-induced rearrangements similar to the Fries rearrangement. Irradiation of 2-hydroxyphenyl acetate (Formula 419) gives o-dihydroxybenzene (Formula 420) (46%), 2,3-dihydroxyacetophenone (Formula 421) (22%) and 3,4-dihydroxy-acetophenone (Formula 422) (18%) (186). Phenyl acetate gives 2-... 

Fries rearrangement—that is, the transformation of phenolic esters to isomeric hydroxyphenyl ketones—is related to Friedel-Crafts acylations.392,393 Olah et al.394 have found a convenient way to perform the Fries rearrangement of a variety of substituted phenolic esters in the presence of Nafion-H in nitrobenzene as solvent [Eq. (5.153)]. A catalytic amount of Nafion-H is satisfactory, and the catalyst can be recycled. In contrast, Nafion-silica nanocomposites, in general, exhibit low activities in the Fries rearrangement of phenyl acetate to yield isomeric hydroxyacetophe-nones.239,395 In a recent study, BF3-H20 was found to be highly efficient under mild conditions (80°C, 1 h) to transform phenolic esters of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids to ketones (71-99% yields).396 In most cases the para-hydroxyphenyl isomers are formed with high (up to 94%) selectivity. 

Figure 32 Phenyl phenylacetates examined for photo-Fries rearrangement within zeolites and Nafion membranes.

Ramamurthy and coworkers studied the photo-Fries rearrangement of phenyl acetate and phenyl benzoate and photo-Claisen rearrangement of allyl phenyl ether (Fig. 34) included in two types of zeolite (faujasites X and Y and pen-tasils ZSM-5 andZSM-11) [192], The photolysis was performed with the zeolite slurry in either hexane or iso-octane. One of the most remarkable observations is that the product distribution is altered within zeolites from that in isotropic solvent. Furthermore, while in solution, nearly a 1 1 mixture of ortho and para isomers 40 and 41 (Fig. 34) was obtained, within zeolites one is able to direct the photoreaction selectively toward either the ortho or the para products by conducting the reaction either within faujasites or pentasils, respectively (Fig. 34). 

Figure 34 Photo-Fries rearrangement of phenyl acetate and phenyl benzoate, and photo-Claisen reaction of allyl phenyl ether in solution and within zeolites.

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