Quinoline nucleophilic attack

Nucleophiles may react with quinoline at C-2 and C-4 for iso-quinoline. nucleophilic attack occurs at C-1. Such reactions are enhanced if there is a good leaving group at these positions. 

Even more pronounced steric effects have been observed for the free radical alkylation of protonated N-heterocyclic bases by the procedure of Minisci69, b d. Quinoline is attacked selectively in the 2- and 4-position by nucleophilic alkyl radicals in sulfuric acid. The largest radicals, t.-butyl, react exclusively in the 2-position because of steric hindrance by the peri-hydrogen when attack occurs at the 4-position. 

For the formation of the 4-ethynylquinoline complexes a mechanism was proposed involving nucleophilic attack of the terminal carbon of the butatrienylidene ligand at the imine carbon, followed by C—C bond formation between the ortho carbon of the N-aryl group and C3 of the butatrienylidene ligand. Deprotonation finally affords 4-ethynylquinoline complexes (Scheme 3.27). Some preference was observed for quinoline formation with the more electron-rich metal centers, whereas... 

Nucleophilic reagents attack pyridine at the a-position to form an adduct that rearomatizes by dissociation (Scheme 1). Only very strong nucleophiles, e.g. NH2-, RLi, LAH, Na-NH3, react, and for the second step to afford a substitution product (5), conditions that favour hydride loss are required. Adducts formed with hydride ions (from LAH) or carbanions (from lithium alkyls) are relatively more stable than the others at low temperature, and dihydropyridines (6) can be obtained by careful neutralization. Fusion of a benzene ring to pyridine increases reactivity towards nucleophiles, and attack is now found at both a- and y-positions in quinoline (7) and at C-l in isoquinoline (8). This may be attributed to a smaller loss of aromaticity in forming the initial adduct than in pyridine, and thus a correspondingly decreased tendency to rearomatize is also observed. Acridine reacts even more easily, but nucleophilic attack is now limited to the y -position (9), as attachment of nucleophiles at ring junctions is very rare. 

Quinoline 1-oxide undergoes nucleophilic attack by ozone to yield a hydroxamic acid (128), and 40% of the starting iV-oxide is recovered (Scheme 74). When an excess of ozone is employed the aldehydes (129) and (130) are obtained. Formation of these products has been attributed to electrophilic attack by ozone rather than further oxidation of (128), because in a separate experiment (128) yielded carbostyril on treatment with ozone. Isoquinoline 2-oxide yields 2-hydroxyisoquinolin-l-one, and acridine 10-oxide gives 10-hydroxyacridone and acridone in a similar manner to the above. Likewise, phenanthridine 5-oxide affords mainly 5-hydroxyphenanthridone. Quinoline 1-oxide undergoes oxidation by lead tetraacetate as shown (Scheme 75). 

The alkylation of quinoline by decanoyl peroxide in acetic acid has been studied kineti-cally, and a radical chain mechanism has been proposed (Scheme 207) (72T2415). Decomposition of decanoyl peroxide yields a nonyl radical (and carbon dioxide) that attacks the quinolinium ion. Quinolinium is activated (compared with quinoline) towards attack by the nonyl radical, which has nucleophilic character. Conversely, the protonated centre has an unfavorable effect upon the propagation step, but this might be reduced by the equilibrium shown in equation (167). A kinetic study revealed that the reaction is subject to crosstermination (equation 168). The increase in the rate of decomposition of benzoyl peroxide in the phenylation of the quinolinium ion compared with quinoline is much less than for alkylation. This observation is consistent with the phenyl having less nucleophilic character than the nonyl radical, and so it is less selective. Rearomatization of the cr-complex formed by radicals generated from sources other than peroxides may take place by oxidation by metals, disproportionation, induced decomposition or hydrogen abstraction by radical intermediates. When oxidation is difficult, dimerization can take place (equation 169). 

The propensity of nucleophilic attack of fluoro and chloro quinolines by RLi reagents dictates the use of LDA for DoM processes that normally occur at the most acidic sites. Thus, LDA metalation of 3-chloro and 3-fluoro quinolines leads, after TMSC1 quench, to 4-substituted products [79JOM(171)273]. Furthermore, 4-chloro [89JHC1589] and 5-fluoro [79JOM(171)273] quinolines, under similar conditions, lead to 3- and... 

Quinoline undergoes nucleophilic attack with organolithium and organ-omagnesium reagents, owing to the low electron density and C-2 and C-4, a view reinforced by the low LUMO level of this heterocycle compared to that of pyridine. 

Nucleophilic attack at ring carbon occurs in benzenes only when electron-withdrawing substituents are present. Even with pyridine, only the strongest nucleophiles react. This is because the formation of the initial adduct (2) involves de-aromatization of the pyridine ring and, once formed, many such adducts tend to re-aromatize by dissociation (1 2). Benzo fusion decreases the loss in aromaticity for the formation of the adduct and thus quinoline (3) and especially acridine (4) react more readily with nucleophiles. 

Electron density calculations suggest that electrophilic attack in pyridine (42) is favored at C-3, whereas nucleophilic attack occurs preferentially at C-2 and to a lesser extent at C-4. Cytochrome P-450 mediated ring hydroxylation of pyridine would, therefore, be expected to occur predominantly at C-3, the most electron-rich carbon atom. Although 3-hydroxypyridine is an in vivo metabolite in several species, the major C-oxidation product detected in the urine of most species examined was 4-pyridone (82MI10903). The enzyme system catalyzing the formation of this latter metabolite may involve the molybdenum hydroxylases and not cytochrome P-450 (see next paragraph). In the related heterocycle quinoline (43), positions of high electron density are at C-3, C-6 and C-8, while in isoquinoline (44) they are at C-5, C-7 and C-8. Nucleophilic substitution predictably occurs... 

Oxidation of the pyridine nitrogen increases the propensity of the aromatic ring for nucleophilic attack at the 2- and 4-positions. a-Benzotriazolyl-substituted pyridines, quinolines, and isoquinolines may be prepared by treatment of the A -oxide with 1-tosylbenzotriazole in the presence of triethylamine in toluene or xylene under reflux <2001H1703> (Equation 78). 

Again, as expected, pyridine A-oxides are very susceptible to nucleophilic attack. Unlike the situation usually prevalent with the quaternary pyridinium salts, the elimination stage of the two-step nucleophilic substitution can occur with relative ease, the oxide grouping serving as a good sink for the leaving hydride ion electron-pair and being itself eliminated in the process. Considerably more work has been carried out on quinoline and isoquinoline A-oxides than on pyridine A-oxide derivatives. 

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