Phosphanes, primary synthesis

Based on nucleophilic addition, racemic allenyl sulfones were partially resolved by reaction with a deficiency of optically active primary or secondary amines [243]. The reversible nucleophilic addition of tertiary amines or phosphanes to acceptor-substituted allenes can lead to the inversion of the configuration of chiral allenes. For example, an optically active diester 177 with achiral groups R can undergo a racemization (Scheme 7.29). A 4 5 mixture of (M)- and (P)-177 with R = (-)-l-menthyl, obtained through synthesis of the allene from dimenthyl 1,3-acetonedicar-boxylate (cf. Scheme 7.18) [159], furnishes (M)-177 in high diastereomeric purity in 90% yield after repeated crystallization from pentane in the presence of catalytic amounts of triethylamine [158], Another example of a highly elegant epimerization of an optically active allene based on reversible nucleophilic addition was published by Marshall and Liao, who were successful in the transformation 179 — 180 [35], Recently, Lu et al. published a very informative review on the reactions of electron-deficient allenes under phosphane catalysis [244]. 

An interesting l,3-oxazol-2-one synthesis of 126 starts from propargyl alcohol 125, CO2, and primary amines with n-butylphosphane as a catalyst (Scheme 50). It is not yet clear if the phosphane reacts by formation of an iminophosphorane followed by an aza-Wittig reaction with CO2 (90TL1721). 

Naturally, it is possible to synthesise a similar ligand system without central chirality and in fact without the unnecessary methylene linker unit. A suitable synthesis starts with planar chiral ferrocenyl aldehyde acetal (see Figure 5.30). Hydrolysis and oxidation of the acetal yields the corresponding carboxylic acid that is transformed into the azide and subsequently turned into the respective primary amine functionalised planar chiral ferrocene. A rather complex reaction sequence involving 5-triazine, bromoacetal-dehyde diethylacetal and boron trifluoride etherate eventually yields the desired doubly ferrocenyl substituted imidazolium salt that can be deprotonated with the usual potassium tert-butylate to the free carbene. The ligand was used to form a variety of palladium(II) carbene complexes with pyridine or a phosphane as coligand. 

Phosphanes are widely used as reagents in organic synthesis, triphenylphos-phane being the most commonly applied due to its stability towards oxidation. The polymer-supported analog has so far found use in the transformation of alcohols into alkyl halides and acids into acid halides, using either carbon tetrachloride or carbon tetrabromide as the halogen source (Scheme 6.4) [7, 11-14], This system can also successfully transform primary amides and oximes into nitriles, whereas secondary amides are transformed into imidoyl chlorides (Scheme 6.5) [15],... 

DuBois et al [4] reported the synthesis of phosphorus-containing dendrimers using a sequential addition of diethyl vinylphosphonate to primary phosphanes... 

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