3- Phenylpropionyl group

Not unexpectedly, alkylation of the double carbonylated complex proceeds via a base-catalysed interfacial enolization step, but it is significant that the initial double carbonylation step also involves an interfacial reaction, as it has been shown that no pyruvic acid derivatives are obtained at low stirring rates. Further evidence comes from observations of the cobalt-catalysed carbonylation of secondary benzyl halides [8], where the overall reaction is more complex than that indicated by Scheme 8.3. In addition to the expected formation of the phenylacetic and phenylpyruvic acids, the reaction with 1-bromo-l-phenylethane also produces 3-phenylpropionic acid, 2,3-diphenylbutane, ethylbenzene and styrene (Scheme 8.4). The absence of secondary carbonylation of the phenylpropionylcobalt tetracarbonyl complex is consistent with the less favourable enolization of the phenylpropionyl group, compared with the phenylacetyl group. 

Groves et al. found that a simple heme-iodosobenzene system mimics the enzymic reactions.127 Cyclohexane and cyclohexene are oxidized to cyclohexanol and a mixture of cyclohexene oxide and cyclohexenol respectively by this system. Using meso-tetrakis-a,/J,a,/J-(o-acylamidophenyl)por-phinatoiron(III) chloride where the acyl group is (i )-2-phenylpropionyl or (S)-2 -methoxy-carbonyl-l,T-binaphthyl-2-carbonyl, optically active styrene oxides are obtained in 51% e.e. The Fe(TPP)Cl-PhIO system can also oxygenate arenes to arene oxides.128 Based on the following observations, mechanisms involving O—Felv(Por) t as the active species have been proposed (Scheme 30).127... 

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