Pyridinium ions: nucleophilic alkylation

When R is primary alkyl, the second-order rate constant k2 is obtained by taking the slope of kobs vs. concentration of the nucleophile. The plot passes through the origin, indicating a pure SN2 mechanism without SN1 participation. The reference pyridinium ion is the 2,4,6-triphenyl derivative (because pyrylium precursors with phenyl substituents are more easily prepared) (82AHC(Suppl 2)1) but numerous other substituents have been introduced into the ring. Rate constant values reported in Table XIX, where release of steric strain has a major influence, are in agreement with the role of structural factors discussed in Section IV,A. 

Tetraalkylborates are mild and selective alkylation reagents [186, 187], and they are commonly considered as sources of nucleophilic alkyl groups (R ) just as borohy-drides are depicted as hydride (H ) sources. However, since organoborates represent excellent electron donors (see Table 5, Section 2.2.1), the question arises as to what role electron donor-acceptor interactions play in the nucleophilic alkyl transfer. Phenyl- and alkyl-substituted borate ions form highly colored charge-transfer salts with a variety of cationic pyridinium acceptors [65], which represent ideal substrates to probe the methyl-transfer mechanisms. Most pyridinium borate salts are quite stable in crystalline form (see for example Figure 5C), but decompose rapidly when dissolved in tetrahydrofuran to yield methylated hydropyridines (Eq. 65). 

The chemistry of pyrylium and thiopyrylium ions is largely based on the sensitivity to nucleophiles. In this sense, they resemble pyridinium ions. The pyrylium ion is more reactive, because oxygen is more electronegative than nitrogen. The addition of nucleophiles such as alkyl lithiums, NaCN, NaOH, and so on, occurs readily and leads initially to pyran derivatives. Usually, these adducts undergo ring opening to dienals (Scheme 6.29), which are valuable in the synthesis of other compounds. 

Other cationic rings. Diazinium salts resemble pyridinium salts in their behavior. They form pseudobases with hydroxide ions which can disproportionate (e.g., 2-methylphthalazinium ion 217 2-methylphthalazin-l-one + 2-methyl-1,2-dihydrophthalazine) or undergo ring fission (e.g., 3-methylquinazolinium ion 218). 2-Alkyl-1,2,3-triazinium salts add nucleophiles at C(5) <2003S413>. 

Although l-alkyl-4-(dialkylamino)pyridinium salts are moderate catalysts for the nucleophilic displacement of chloride, for example, by fluoride ion,158 their application is limited by their expense. To enable the separation of the catalyst from the product and thus facilitate reuse, immobilized aminopyridinium salts on divinylbenzene cross-linked polystyrene gels of type 3 and 4 are used (see Table 12).159 The catalytic activities of 3 and 4 were the same after recycling, even after they were reused 8 times.159... 

The diene-Br2 complex is again in equilibrium with the reagents, and nucleophilic attack at carbon can be carried out either by the bromide of the ammonium bromide ion pair, formed at the moment of the electrophilic attack, or by the less nucleophilic pyridine added in excess in the reaction medium. It is noteworthy that this mechanism is characterized by a rate- and product-limiting nucleophilic step which should be quite insensitive to steric hindrance around the double bond. In agreement with a weak influence of the steric effects, pyridinium perbromide reacts in chloroform and tetrahydrofuran with substituted conjugated and non-conjugated dienes to give selectively (>95%) bromine addition to the more alkylated double bond (equation 44). 

Arylations are commoner than alkylations. Ullmann and Nadai s preparation of dinitrochlorobenzenes, and its extension to that of diphenyl ethers—reactions in which the nucleophiles are chloride ions and phenols, respectively—have been mentioned already (p. 268). Applied to l-(2,4-dinitronaphthyl)pyridinium chloride, the reaction gives l-chloro-2,4-dinitronaphthalene, and the same salt reacts with water to give the naphthol, with hydrogen sulphide to yield the thionaphthol, and with carboxylic acids to form dinitronaphthyl esters . Amines , alcohols , mercaptans and thiophenols have been dinitrophenylated with pyridinium salts. Styrylpyridinium salts give N-styrylpiperidine with piperidine . 

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