Reaction cyanation

A four-center mechanism will be assumed in this as in similar reactions. Cyanates are also known ... 

The catalytic asymmetric Strecker reaction (cyanation of imines) is one of the most direct and efficient methods for the asymmetric synthesis of natural and unnatural... 

SCHEME 6.11 Palladium-catalyzed tandem Heck reaction/cyanation. 

A portion of the monophenylurea then reacts with the aniline (formed by the hydrolysis of the aniline hydrochloride or cyanate) to give diphenyl-urea and ammonia, a reaction which probably proceeds through the... 

In aqueous solution at 100° the change is reversible and equilibrium is reached when 95 per cent, of the ammonium cyanate has changed into urea. Urea is less soluble in water than is ammonium sulphate, hence if the solution is evaporated, urea commences to separate, the equilibrium is disturbed, more ammonium cyanate is converted into urea to maintain the equilibrium and evfflitually the change into urea becomes almost complete. The urea is isolated from the residue by extraction with boiling methyl or ethyl alcohol. The mechanism of the reaction which is generally accepted involves the dissociation of the ammonium cyanate into ammonia and cyanic acid, and the addition of ammonia to the latter ... 

The mechanism of the reaction involves the intermediate formation of an amine cyanate (see previous Section) in aqueous solution urea behaves as an equifi-brium mixture with ammonium cyanate ... 

Aryl, heteroaryl, and alkenyl cyanides are prepared by the reaction of halides[656-658] or triflates[659,660] with KCN or LiCN in DMF, HMPA, and THF. Addition of crown ethers[661] and alumina[662] promotes efficient aryl and alkenyl cyanation. lodobenzene is converted into benzonitrile (794) by the reaction of trimethylsiiyl cyanide in EtiN as a solvent. No reaction takes place with aryl bromides and chlorides[663]. The reaction was employed in an estradiol synthesis. The 3-hydroxy group in 796 was derived from the iodide 795 by converting it into a cyano group[664]. 

Some organosilicon compounds undergo transmetallation. The allylic cyanide 461 was prepared by the reaction of an allylic carbonate with trimethylsi-lyl cyanide[298]. The oriho esters and acetals of the o. d-unsaturated carbonyl compounds 462 undergo cyanation with trimefhylsilyl cyanide[95]. 

Synthesis from OC-Amino Acids and Related Compounds. Addition of cyanates, isocyanates, and uiea derivatives to a-amino acids yields hydantoin piecuisois. This method is called the Read synthesis (2), and can be considered as the reverse of hydantoin hydrolysis. Thus the reaction of a-amino acids with alkaline cyanates affords hydantoic acids, which cyclize to hydantoins in an acidic medium. 

Substitution of alkaline cyanates by isocyanates allows the preparation of 3-substituted hydantoias, both from amino acids (64) and amino nitriles (65). The related reaction between a-amino acids and phenyl isothiocyanate to yield 5-substituted 3-phenyl-2-thiohydantoiQS has been used for the analytical characterization of amino acids, and is the basis of the Edman method for the sequential degradation of peptides with concomitant identification of the /V-terminal amino acid. 

Specialty Isocyanates. Acyl isocyanates, extensively used in synthetic appHcations, caimot be direcdy synthesized from amides and phosgene. Reactions of acid haUdes with cyanates have been suggested. However, the dominant commercial process utilizes the reaction of carboxamides with oxalyl chloride [79-37-8]. CycHc intermediates have been observed in these reactions which generally give a high yield of the desired products (86). 

For example, 5,6-acenaphthenedicarboximide (44) can be prepared in 84% yield by the reaction of acenaphthene with excess sodium cyanate in anhydrous HF (78). The intermediate can be oxidized to the tetracarboxyhc acid. 

Unpiotonated hydioxylamine is oxidized rapidly by ozone, / = 2.1 X 10 (39). The reaction of ozone with the lower oxides of nitrogen (NO and NO2) is also rapid and quantitative the end product is nitrogen pentoxide, which is also a catalyst for the decomposition of ozone (45). Nitrous oxide, however, reacts slowly (k < 10 ) (39). Nitrogen-containing anions, eg, nitrite and cyanide, also ate oxidized by ozone (39). Nitrite is oxidized to nitrate (fc = 3.7 X 10 and cyanide is oxidized rapidly to cyanate (fc = 2.6 X 10 (46) and 10 -10 (39)). Cyanate, however, is oxidized slowly. 

There are three commercial routes to ADN in use. The first method, direct hydrocyanation of 1,3-butadiene [106-99-0] has replaced an older process, cyanation via reaction of sodium cyanide with 1,4-dichlorobutane [110-56-5] owing to the lower cost and fewer waste products of the new process. During the initial steps of the direct hydrocyanation process, a mixture of two isomers is generated, but the branched isomer is readily converted to the linear 3-pentenenitrile [4635-87-4]. 

Reaction of lime and urea forms calcium cyanate [6860-10-2] (26) which is then converted to calcium cyanurate [32665-90-0], the latter gives calcium cyanamide at a higher temperature ... 

Molten sodium cyanide reacts with strong oxidizing agents such as nitrates and chlorates with explosive violence. In aqueous solution, sodium cyanide is oxidized to sodium cyanate [917-61 -3] by oxidizing agents such as potassium permanganate or hypochlorous acid. The reaction with chlorine in alkaline solution is the basis for the treatment of industrial cyanide waste Hquors (45) ... 

Chemical Properties. Potassium cyanide is readily oxidized to potassium cyanate [590-28-3] by heating in the presence of oxygen or easily reduced oxides, such as those of lead or tin or manganese dioxide, and in aqueous solution by reaction with hypochlorites or hydrogen peroxide. 

Cyanuric acid can also be prepared from HNCO (100). Isocyanic acid [75-13-8] can be synthesized directiy by oxidation of HCN over a silver catalyst (101) or by reaction of H2, CO, and NO (60—75% yield) over palladium or iridium catalysts at 280—450°C (102). Ammonium cyanate and urea are by-products of the latter reaction. 

Silver cyanate should be freshly prepared. The commercial material has a pronounced gray color and is totally unsuitable for this reaction. Best results are obtained when the following preparation is carried out in the dark. To 100 g of silver nitrate in 3 liters of distilled water is added with stirring 49.5 g of potassium cyanate in 700 ml of distilled water. The white precipitate is filtered through a large Buchner funnel (Coors No. 5) and the filter cake is washed with 500 ml water, then with 300 ml methanol, and finally with... 

The hydroxyl derivative of X-CN is cyanic acid HO-CN it cannot be prepared pure due to rapid decomposition but it is probably present to the extent of about 3% when its tautomer, isocyanic acid (HNCO) is prepared from sodium cyanate and HCI. HNCO rapidly trimerizes to cyanuric acid (Fig. 8.25) from which it can be regenerated by pyrolysis. It is a fairly strong acid (Ka 1.2 x 10 at 0°) freezing at —86.8° and boiling at 23.5°C. Thermolysis of urea is an alternative route to HNCO and (HNCO)3 the reverse reaction, involving the isomerization of ammonium cyanate, is the clas.sic synthesis of urea by F. Wohler (1828) ... 

Alkali metal cyanates are stable and readily obtained by mild oxidation of aqueous cyanide solutions using oxides of or Ptf. The commercial preparation of NaNCO is by reaction of urea with Na2C03. 

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