Quinone methides, reactions

Quasi-prepolymers, 236, 237 Quinoid resonance forms, 402 Quinone methide reactions, with... 

The Reversibility of Quinone Methide Reaction Does Not Preclude Its Use in Forming DNA Cross-Links... 

Fan, P. W., Bolton, J. L. Bioactivation of Tamoxifen to Metabolite E Quinone Methide Reaction with Glutathione and DNA. Drug Metab. Disp. 2001, 29, 891-896. 

Nakatsubo F, Higuchi T (1975) Synthesis of 1,2-diarylpropane 1,3 diols and determination of their configurations Holzforschung 29 193-198 Ralph J, Ede RM, Robinson NP, Main L (1987) Reactions of /f-aryl lignin model quinone methides with anthrahydroquinone and antranol J Wood Chem Technol 7 133 160 Ralph J, Young RA (1983) Stereochemical aspects of lignin model (S aryl ether quinone methide reactions J Wood Chem Technol 3 161-182 Sarkanen KV, Wallis AFA (1973) Oxidative dimerizations of (E)- and (Z) isoeugenol (2 methoxy-4-propenylphenol) and (E) and (Z)-2,6-dimethoxy-4-propenylphenol JCS Perkin I 1973 1869-1878... 

Fan PW, Bolton JL (2001) Bioactivation of tamoxifen to metabolite E quinone methide reaction with glutathione and DNA. Drug Metab Dispos 29 891-896 Fischer V, Haar JA, Greiner L et al (1991) Possible role of free radical formation in clozapine (clozaril)-induced agranulocytosis. Mol Pharmacol 40 846-853 Fisher R, Brendel K, Hanzlik RP (1993) Correlation of metabolism, covalent binding and toxicity for a series of bromobenzene derivatives using rat liver slices in vitro. Chem Biol Interact 88 191-198... 

Fan PW, Bolton JL. Bioactivation of tamoxifen to metabolite E quinone methide Reaction with glutathione and DNA. Drug Metab Dispos 2001 29(6) 891—896. 

Quinone Methides. The reaction between aldehydes and alkylphenols can also be base-cataly2ed. Under mild conditions, 2,6-DTBP reacts with formaldehyde in the presence of a base to produce the methylol derivative (22) which reacts further with base to eliminate a molecule of water and form a reactive intermediate, the quinone methide (23). Quinone methides undergo a broad array of transformations by way of addition reactions. These molecules ate conjugated homologues of vinyl ketones, but are more reactive because of the driving force associated with rearomatization after addition. An example of this type of addition is between the quinone methide and methanol to produce the substituted ben2yl methyl ether (24). 

Methylenebis(2,6-di-/ /f-butylphenol) (25) (R = H) [118-82-17, the reaction product of two molecules of 2,6-DTBP with formaldehyde under basic conditions, is a bisphenoHc antioxidant. The quinone methide in this case is generated in situ. The product results from the addition of 2,6-di-/ /f-butylphenolate to (23) (12). 

Above 160°C it is believed that additional cross-linking reactions take place involving the formation and reaction of quinone methides by condensation of the ether linkages with the phenolic hydroxyl groups (Figure 23.14). 

These quinone methide structures are capable of polymerisation and of other chemical reactions. 

In addition to the above possible mechanisms the possibility of reaction at w-positions should not be excluded. For example, it has been shown by Koebner that o- and p-cresols, ostensibly difunctional, can, under certain conditions, react with formaldehyde to give insoluble and infusible resins. Furthermore, Megson has shown that 2,4,6-trimethylphenol, in which the two ortho- and the one para-positions are blocked, can condense with formaldehyde under strongly acidic conditions. It is of interest to note that Redfam produced an infusible resin from 3,4,5,-trimethylphenol under alkaline conditions. Here the two m- and the p-positions were blocked and this experimental observation provides supplementary evidence that additional functionalities are developed during reaction, for example in the formation of quinone methides. 

Scheme 10. Mechanislic possibililies for PF condensalion. Mechanism a involves an SN2-like attack of a phenolic ring on a methylol. This attack would be face-on. Such a mechanism is necessarily second-order. Mechanism b involves formation of a quinone methide intermediate and should be Hrst-order. The quinone methide should react with any nucleophile and should show ethers through both the phenolic and hydroxymethyl oxygens. Reaction c would not be likely in an alkaline solution and is probably illustrative of the mechanism for novolac condensation. The slow step should be formation of the benzyl carbocation. Therefore, this should be a first-order reaction also. Though carbocation formation responds to proton concentration, the effects of acidity will not usually be seen in the reaction kinetics in a given experiment because proton concentration will not vary.

The mechanism of this reaction has been studied by several groups [133,174-177]. The consensus is that interaction of ester with the phenolic resole leads to a quinone methide at relatively low temperature. The quinone methide then reacts rapidly leading to cure. Scheme 11 shows the mechanism that we believe is operative. This mechanism is also supported by the work of Lemon, Murray, and Conner. It is challenged by Pizzi et al. Murray has made the most complete study available in the literature [133]. Ester accelerators include cyclic esters (such as y-butyrolactone and propylene carbonate), aliphatic esters (especially methyl formate and triacetin), aromatic esters (phthalates) and phenolic-resin esters [178]. Carbamates give analogous results but may raise toxicity concerns not usually seen with esters. 

The absence of methylol (-CH2OH) groups in all six lower molecular weight resorcinol-formaldehyde condensates which have been isolated [119] reflects the high reactivity of resorcinol under acid or alkaline conditions. It also shows the instability of its para-hydroxybenzyl alcohol groups and their rapid conversion to jpara-hydroxybenzyl carbonium ions or quinone methides. This explains how identical condensation products are obtained under acid or alkaline reaction conditions [119]. In acid reaction conditions methylene ether-linked condensates are also formed, but they are highly unstable and decompose to form stable methylene links in 0.25 to 1 h at ambient temperature [121,122]. 

Quinone methides are the key intermediates in both resole resin syntheses and crosslinking reactions. They form by the dehydration of hydroxymethylphenols or dimethylether linkages (Fig. 7.24). Resonance forms for quinone methides include both quinoid and benzoid structures (Fig. 7.25). The oligomerization or crosslinking reaction proceeds by nucleophilic attack on the quinone methide carbon. 

The ortho-quinone methides are difficult to isolate due to their high reactivity, which leads to rapid Diels-Alder dimerization or trimerization (Fig. 7.26). At 150°C, a partial retro-Diels-Alder reaction of the trimer can occur to form ortho-quinone methide and bis(2-hydroxy-3,5-dimethylphenyl) ethane (dimer).51... 

The mechanisms for model condensation reactions of para-hydroxymethyl-substituted phenol (and therefore para-quinone methide) with reactive ortho positions are described in Fig. 7.29. The phenolate derivatives react with para-quinone... 

Figure 7.29 Reactions of a quinone methide with ahydroxymethyl-substitutedphenolate.

Resole resins are generally crosslinked under neutral conditions between 130 and 200° C or in the presence of an acid catalyst such as hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, and phenolsulfonic acid under ambient conditions.3 The mechanisms for crosslinking under acidic conditions are similar to acid-catalyzed novolac formation. Quinone methides are the key reaction intermediates. Further condensation reactions in resole resin syntheses under basic conditions at elevated temperatures also lead to crosslinking. 

Para-quinone methide intermediates, 403 Para-quinone methides, 404 para-Trishydroxybenzylamine, reaction with 2,4-xylenol, 397 Partial aromatic polyamides, 136, 143, 180-184... 

Keywords Lewis acids, asymmetric reactions, tandem, tethered. Intramolecular reactions, o-quinodimethanes, o-quinone methides, befera-Dlels-Alder reactions... 

The oxidation by strains of Pseudomonas putida of the methyl group in arenes containing a hydroxyl group in the para position is, however, carried out by a different mechanism. The initial step is dehydrogenation to a quinone methide followed by hydration (hydroxylation) to the benzyl alcohol (Hopper 1976) (Figure 3.7). The reaction with 4-ethylphenol is partially stereospecific (Mclntire et al. 1984), and the enzymes that catalyze the first two steps are flavocytochromes (Mclntire et al. 1985). The role of formal hydroxylation in the degradation of azaarenes is discussed in the section on oxidoreductases (hydroxylases). 

Quinone methides have been shown to be important intermediates in chemical synthesis,1 2 in lignin biosynthesis,3 and in the activity of antitumor and antibiotic agents.4 They react with many biologically relevant nucleophiles including alcohols,1 thiols,5-7 nucleic acids,8-10 proteins,6 11 and phosphodiesters.12 The reaction of nucleophiles with ortho- and /iara-quinone methides is pH dependent and can occur via either acid-catalyzed or uncatalyzed pathways.13-17 The electron transfer chemistry that is typical of the related quinones does not appear to play a role in the nucleophilic reactivity of QMs.18... 

Much attention has been devoted to the development of methods to generate quinone methides photochemically,1,19-20 since this provides temporal and spatial control over their formation (and subsequent reaction). In addition, the ability to photogenerate quinone methides enables their study using time-resolved absorption techniques (such as nanosecond laser flash photolysis (LFP)).21 This chapter covers the most important methods for the photogeneration of ortho-, meta-, and para-quinone methides. In addition, spectral and reactivity data are discussed for quinone methides that are characterized by LFP. 

Through these works, Wan has conclusively demonstrated that the photodehydration of hydroxybenzyl alcohols is a general reaction, and a wide variety of quinone methides can be photogenerated and detected using this method. Quinone methide photogeneration via this method has been shown to have importance in the photochemistry of Vitamin B641,42 and in model lignins 43... 

---