Pyridines Knoevenagel reaction

The term Knoevenagel reaction however is used also for analogous reactions of aldehydes and ketones with various types of CH-acidic methylene compounds. The reaction belongs to a class of carbonyl reactions, that are related to the aldol reaction. The mechanism is formulated by analogy to the latter. The initial step is the deprotonation of the CH-acidic methylene compound 2. Organic bases like amines can be used for this purpose a catalytic amount of amine usually suffices. A common procedure, that uses pyridine as base as well as solvent, together with a catalytic amount of piperidine, is called the Doebner modification of the Knoevenagel reaction. 

When the reactant is of the form ZCH2Z, aldehydes react much better than ketones and few successful reactions with ketones have been reported. However, it is possible to get good yields of alkene from the condensation of diethyl malonate, CH2(COOEt)2, with ketones, as well as with aldehydes, if the reaction is run with TiCU and pyridine in THF. In reactions with ZCH2Z, the catalyst is most often a secondary amine (piperidine is the most common), though many other catalysts have been used. When the catalyst is pyridine (to which piperidine may or may not be added) the reaction is known as the Doebner modification of the Knoevenagel reaction. Alkoxides are also common catalysts. 

An intramolecular variant of this cycloaddition process is combined with a Knoevenagel reaction in a total synthesis of the insectan leporin A, a pyrano[3,2-c]pyridine derivative <96JOC2839>. 

When the amine catalyst is specifically pyridine, the reaction is known as the Doebner Modification of the Knoevenagel Reaction ... 

Knoevenagel reaction. Hydrogenation of the double bond, desilylation and oxidation of the released primary alcohol group to the aldehydic function with PCC in dichloromethane in the presence of molecular sieves, gives the branched chain L-riho-hepturonic acid derivative 31. Treatment with acetic anhydride and pyridine results in cyclization, and acetylation of the resulting alcohol affords the acetate 32 in 69% yield. 

This reaction type leading to oc,/ -unsaturated acids and esters is exemplified in the Perkin reaction (Section 6.12.3, p. 1036) and the Knoevenagel reaction (Section 5.11.6, p. 681). The Doebner reaction, which is illustrated in this section, is the condensation of an aldehyde with malonic acid in pyridine solution, often in the presence of a trace of piperidine. The reaction mechanism involves the addition of a malonate anion to the aldehydic carbonyl carbon atom followed by the elimination of water accompanied by decarboxylation. 

The Knoevenagel reaction (Scheme 6.20) involves the reaction of aromatic aldehydes with a variety of molecules CH2XY. The groups X and Y may be the same or different, but are invariably electron withdrawing, so creating an activated methylene group from which the carbanion CHXY is produced. The reaction is usually carried out in pyridine solution, with piperidine as the basic catalyst. The reactions of benzaldehyde with propane-1,3-dinitrile [malononitrile, CH2(CN)2] and diethyl propane-1,3-dioate [diethyl malonate, CH.,(CO,Et)2] are illustrative. In both cases, manipulation of the CH=CX2 group in the product allows the synthesis of other compounds. 

On the other hand the catalyst is of great importance primary, secondary or tertiary amines or their corresponding ammonium salts are usually used, but many other catalysts such as phase transfer catalysts, Lewis acids or potassium fluoride can also be applied. The most widely employed catalysts are pyridine, with or without added piperidine, and ammonium salts, such as ammonium or piperidinium acetate. Condensations that employ strong bases or preformed metal salts of the methylene component are not covered here since transformations under these conditions are not usually considered to be Knoevenagel reactions. 

An interesting approach to the substituted 6,8-bisdehydro[13]annulenone (238) includes a double Knoevenagel reaction of the mixed acetonedicarboxylic ester (235) with aldehyde (236) in the presence of piperidine to give (237). Oxidative coupling of the acetylene moieties in (237) with Cu(OAc)2 in pyridine affords (238) in 10% yield (Scheme 47).2 a,p-Unsaturated malonodinitriles are suitable intermediates for the synthesis of a variety of carbocyclic systems. Cyclization of the benzylidene malonodinitrile (239) to form a five-membered carbocyclic ring (240) can be achieved upon treatment with acid and subsequent hydrolysis (Scheme 48). A similar cyclization of (241) affords six-mem-bered carbocyclic ring systems. ... 

Knoevenagel reactions are used in the synthesis of a wide variety of O- and N-heterocycles. In the typical Knorr pyrrole synthesis, a 1,3-dicarbonyl compound is condensed with an oximino- or azimino-1,3-dicarbonyl compound followed by reductive cyclization. Thus, catalytic hydrogenation of benzyl acetoacetate (243) and diethyl oximinoacetonedicarboxylate (242) affords pyrrole (244), which is transformed to (245) by another Knoevenagel reaction (Scheme 49). A rational synthesis of all four uropor-phyrines has been achieved by cyclization of appropriate pyrroles such as (245). ° Another typical preparation of a heterocycle that involves a Knoevenagel condensation is the Hantzsch 1,4-dihydro-pyridine synthesis. Here, an aldehyde and two molecules of a 1,3-dicarl30nyl compound react in the... 

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