Phthalimides, conjugate Gabriel synthesis

The Gabriel synthesis of amines uses potassium phthalimide (prepared from the reaction of phthalimide with potassium hydroxide). The structure and preparation of potassium phthalimide is shown in Figure 13-13. The extensive conjugation (resonance) makes the ion very stable. An example of the Gabriel synthesis is in Figure 13-14. (The N2H4 reactant is hydrazine.) The Gabriel synthesis employs an 8, 2 mechanism, so it works best on primary alkyl halides and less well on secondary alkyl halides. It doesn t work on tertiary alkyl halides or aryl halides. 

Where there are two carbonyl groups to stabilize the amide anion, as in the l,2-benzenedicarboximide (phthalimide) anion (Section 18-IOC), the acidity increases markedly and imides can be converted to their conjugate bases with concentrated aqueous hydroxide ion. We have seen how imide salts can be used for the synthesis of primary amines (Gabriel synthesis, Section 23-9D and Table 23-6). 

In a similar manner the conjugate base of phthalimide is used as the synthetic equivalent of amide ion for the preparation of primary amines in the Gabriel synthesis (see Section 10.6 and Figure 10.5). 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

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