Phenylcyclopropanes

The preparation of cyclopropane derivatives has been greatly facilitated by the development of carbene-type intermediates (see Chapter 13) and their ready reaction with olefins. The preparation of phenylcyclopropane from styrene and the methylene iodide-zinc reagent proceeds in only modest yield, however, and the classical preparation of cyclopropane derivatives by the decomposition of pyrazolines (first employed by Buchner in 1890) is therefore presented in the procedure as a convenient alternative. 

A 500-ml, three-necked, round-bottom flask is equipped with a condenser, a dropping funnel, and a thermometer in the reaction mixture. In the flask is placed a mixture of 85% hydrazine (115 ml, 118 g) and 225 ml of 95% ethanol with a few boiling chips. The solution is brought to reflux (mantle) and cinnamaldehyde (100 g, 0.76 mole) is added dropwise over about 30 minutes followed by an additional 30 minutes of refluxing. A still head is attached to the flask and volatiles (ethanol, water, hydrazine hydrate) are slowly distilled at atmospheric pressure until the pot temperature reaches 200° (about 3 hours). Hereafter, phenylcyclopropane is collected over the range 170-180°. When the pot temperature exceeds 250°, the recovery is complete. The crude product (55-65 g) is washed twice with 50-ml portions of water and dried (anhydrous potassium carbonate). Distillation under vacuum through a short column affords the product, bp 60°/13 mm, 79-80°/37 mm, n f 1.5309, about 40 g (45%). 

A solution of 4.62 grams of 2-phenylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid in 15 cc of dry benzene is refluxed with 4 cc of thionyl chloride for 5 hours, the volatile liquids are removed and the residue once more distilled with benzene. Fractionation of the residue yields the carbonyl chloride of 2-phenylcyclopropane. 

The crude, cloudy distillate (110-130 g.) is washed twice with 100-ml. portions of water and dried over anhydrous potassium carbonate. Distillation at reduced pressure, b.p. 60° (13 mm.), 79-80° (37 mm.), through a 12-in. Vigreux column gives phenylcyclopropane pure enough for most purposes yield 80-100 g. (45-56%), 25d 1.5309. 

Eastman Organic Chemicals cinnamaldehyde gave satisfactory results. If colorless crystals are present in the neck of the bottle or on the walls above the liquid, the cinnamaldehyde is seriously contaminated with cinnamic acid and should be distilled before use. A small amount of cinnamic acid apparently does not affect the yield of phenylcyclopropane. 

Phenylcyclopropane has been prepared by the base catalyzed decomposition of 5-phenylpyrazoline (33 %),2 by the reaction of 1,3-dibromo-l phenylpropane with magnesium (68%),3 and by the reaction of 3-phenylpropyltrimethylammomum iodide with sodium amide in liquid ammonia (80%)4 However, the method frequently used at present is the reaction of styrene with the methylene iodide-zinc reagent (32%)5... 

The procedure outlined is much quicker and simpler than previous methods Starting materials are readily available, and the preparation can be run on any scale in the length of a day. Because exclusion of a basic catalyst eliminates the Wolff-Kishner reduction of the cinnamalhydrazone, separation of the 5-phenylpyrazoline from cinnamalhydrazone, or of phenylcyclopropane from propenylbenzene, does not have to be effected. The present procedure can also be used to convert other ring-substituted cinnamaldehydes to the corresponding arylcyclo-propanes... 

The photolyses of several 2-alkyl-2-phenylthietane dioxides in dichloromethane or methanol afforded excellent yields of 1-substituted 1-phenylcyclopropanes apparently via the same mechanism as in the parallel thermolyses263 (equation 95). 

Several studies of the application of the photoextrusion of S02 have been conducted in substituted analogs of the parent compounds above. For example, the photolysis of 2-phenylthietane 1,1-dioxides (34), in dichloromethane or methanol, at 254 nm affords the expected phenylcyclopropanes in almost quantitative yields68. The 2-phenyl substituent... 

These complexes can be isolated in some cases in others they are generated in situ from appropriate precursors, of which diazo compounds are among the most important. These compounds, including CH2N2 and other diazoalkanes, react with metals or metal salts (copper, palladium, and rhodium are most commonly used) to give the carbene complexes that add CRR to double bonds. Ethyl a-diazoacetate reacts with styrene in the presence of bis(ferrocenyl) bis(imine), for example, to give ethyl 2-phenylcyclopropane-l-carboxylate. Optically active complexes have... 

The chiral bimetallic complex 1653 reacts with TMSOTf 20 in the presence of excess styrene, via 1654, to give the cyclopropane complex 1655 in high yield [38]. The chromium can be readily removed from 1655 by treatment with I2 in Et20. Analogously, the complex 1656 reacts with styrene in 90% yield, via 1657, to give MegSiOH 4 and phenylcyclopropane 1658 [39] (Scheme 10.17). 

Aryldiazomethane can also be used for iron porphyrin-catalyzed alkene cyclopropanation [55]. For example, the treatment of p-tolyldiazomethane with styrene in the presence of [Fe(TTP)] afforded the corresponding arylcyclopropapane in 79% yield with a high transicis ratio of 14 1 (eq. 1 in Scheme 11). Interestingly, when bulkier mesityldiazomethane was used as carbene source, ds-selectivity was observed (cisitrans = 2.0 1). Additionally, mesityldiazomethane was found to react with frans-p-styrene, the latter was found not to react with EDA or trimethyl-silyldiazomethane under the similar reaction conditions, to give l-mesityl-2-methyl-3-phenylcyclopropane in 35% yield. Trimethylsilyldiazomethane is also an active carbene source for [Fe(TTP)]-catalyzed cyclopropanation of styrene, affording l-phenyl-2-trimethylsilylcyclopropane in 89% yield with transicis ratio of 10 1 (eq. 2 in Scheme 11). 

On the other hand, Doyle et al. have developed methyl 2-oxoimidazolidine-4(carboxylate ligands, containing 2-phenylcyclopropane attached at the 1-iV-acyl site, such as the (4(5),2 (7 ),3 (7 )-HMCPIM) ligand. The resulting dirhodium complex led, for the cyclopropanation of styrene with EDA, to the corresponding cyclopropane with 68% ee and 59% yield, but with almost... 

NHase from Rhodococcus. sp. AJ270 was isolated, purified, and applied to the enantiose-lective transformation of a series of cyclopropane carbonitriles. Amides with moderate ee were isolated from conversion of many of the cyclopropane substrates, to yield the amides trans-( IR, 2/ )-3-phenylcyclopropane carbonitrile (49% conv. 22.7% ee), trans-( IS, 35)-2,2-dimethyl-3-phenylcyclopropanecarbonitrile (40% conv. 84.7% ee), trans-( IR, 3/f)-2,2-dibromo-3-phenylcy-clopropanecarbonitrile (11.6% conv. 83.8% ee), cis-( IR, 25)-3-phenylcyclopropanecarbonitrile (25.8% conv. 95.4% ee), and cis-(lR, 2S )-2,2-dimethyl-3-phenylcyclopropanecarbonitrile (7.9% conv. 3.2% ee) [43],... 

As for cyclopropanation of alkenes with aryldiazomethanes, there seems to be only one report of a successful reaction with a group 9 transition metal catalyst Rh2(OAc)4 promotes phenylcyclopropane formation with phenyldiazomethane, but satisfactory yields are obtained only with vinyl ethers 4S) (Scheme 2). Cis- and trans-stilbene as well as benzalazine represent by-products of these reactions, and Rh2(OAc)4 has to be used in an unusually high concentration because the azine inhibits its catalytic activity. With most monosubstituted alkenes of Scheme 2, a preference for the Z-cyclopropane is observed similarly, -selectivity in cyclopropanation of cyclopentene is found. These selectivities are the exact opposite to those obtained in reactions of ethyl diazoacetate with the same olefins 45). Furthermore, they are temperature-dependent for example, the cisjtrcms ratio for l-ethoxy-2-phenylcyclopropane increases with decreasing temperature. 

Baldwin et al. have used the same catalyst/diazo ester combination for the synthesis of optically active deuterated phenylcyclopropanes (Scheme 28) 197). From cis-1,2-dideuteriostyrene, d/-menthyl a-deuteriodiazoacetate and (+)-195d, the cis- and mnw-cyclopropanes 196 were obtained, both with 90% optical purity. The dominant enantiomer of trans-196 had (+)-(15, IS, 35) configuration. Analogously, the cyclopropanes c -198 and trans-198, obtained from styrene, d/-menthyl a-deuteriodiazoacetate and (+)-195d with subsequent transesterification of cisjtrans-197, had optical purities of 86 and 89%, respectively. The major optical isomer of cis-198 had (IS, 2R) configuration, that of trans-198 (IS, 2S) configuration. 

Diastereoface-differentiating reactions of a carbenoid with an alkene bearing an easily removable, chiral substituent have been used only ocassionally for the enantioselective production of a cyclopropane 216). A recent example is given by the cyclopropanation of the (—)-ephedrine-derived olefin 223 with CH2N2/Pd(OAc)2 after removal of the protecting group, (1/ , 2R )-2-phenylcyclopropane carbaldehyde was isolated with at least 90% e.e. 37). 

The cycloadditions of nitrones to methylenecyclopropanes 285-287 (Table 23), 299 (Table 24, entry 3), and 311 (Table 25, entry 7) substituted on the ring occur with very high diastereofacial selectivity. Nitrone 256 gives with 1-methyl-ene-2-phenylcyclopropane (285) a mixture of four isomers in a 2 2 1 1 ratio... 

Phenyl benzoate Phenylboron dichloride Phenylcyclopropane iV-Phenyldiacetimide Phenyl formate Phenylhydrazine 16.43... 

Alkenes are scavengers that are able to differentiate between carbenes (cycloaddition) and carbocations (electrophilic addition). The reactions of phenyl-carbene (117) with equimolar mixtures of methanol and alkenes afforded phenylcyclopropanes (120) and benzyl methyl ether (121) as the major products (Scheme 24).51 Electrophilic addition of the benzyl cation (118) to alkenes, leading to 122 and 123 by way of 119, was a minor route (ca. 6%). Isobutene and enol ethers gave similar results. The overall contribution of 118 must be more than 6% as (part of) the ether 121 also originates from 118. Alcohols and enol ethers react with diarylcarbenium ions at about the same rates (ca. 109 M-1 s-1), somewhat faster than alkenes (ca. 108 M-1 s-1).52 By extrapolation, diffusion-controlled rates and indiscriminate reactions are expected for the free (solvated) benzyl cation (118). In support of this notion, the product distributions in Scheme 24 only respond slightly to the nature of the n bond (alkene vs. enol ether). The formation of free benzyl cations from phenylcarbene and methanol is thus estimated to be in the range of 10-15%. However, the major route to the benzyl ether 121, whether by ion-pair collapse or by way of an ylide, cannot be identified. 

Chrysene, 45, 95 Cinnamaldehyde, 45, 36 48, 79 reaction with hydrazine, 47, 99 Cinnamic acids and derivatives, conversion to phenylcyclopropanes with lithium aluminum hydride,... 

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