Reactions pseudohalogens

Iodine isocyanate was used to synthesize the first steroidal aziridine, 2, 3 -iminocholestane (95). from 5a-cholest-2-ene (91). This reaction sequence which is believed to proceed through a three-membered ring iodonium ion (92) illustrates the limitation of pseudohalogen additions for the synthesis of -aziridines. The iodonium complex forms from the least hindered side (usually alpha) and is opened tmK5-diaxially to give a -oriented nitrogen function. The 3a-iodo-2 -isocyanate (93) is converted by treatment with... 

Bis [(trifluoromethyl)thio] acetaldehyde (83a) has been prepared from an enam-ine precursor (84), although refluxing in aqueous ethanolic HCl is required to effect this reaction.The aldehyde is less stable than its enol tautomer (83b), and many reactions typical of aldehydes fail. For example, addition of aqueous silver nitrate immediately yields the silver salt of (83b), rather than giving precipitation of (elemental) silver. The (trifluoromethyl)thio substituent has pseudohalogenic character and, together with the hydroxy group, stabilizes the alkene tautomer in the manner of a push-pull alkene. The enol-aldehyde equilibrium mixture in acetonitrile shows an apparent of 2.6 when titrated with aqueous hydroxide. 

The pseudohalogen concept can be extended (i) to some special nonplanar anions such as CF3, (ii) to heavier elements (isovalence electronic exchange of O by S, Se, Te of N by P etc. in SCN , SeCN , TeCN , P(CN)2 ) " and (iii) to derivatives such as the five-membered ring anion [CS2N3] which can be obtained in the reaction of carbon disulfide and sodium azide as shown by Sommer as early as 1915. The introduction of heavier elements, however, results in weaker delocalization effects due to the formation of weaker tt-bonds. 

There are three common approaches to the displacement of amine substituents from purines. First, diazotization and dediazoniation have been used to replace amine substituents, primarily with hydrogen or hydroxyl, carboxyl, and halide functionalities. Second, the S Ar reactions of quaternary ammonium substituents have provided useful synthetic adjuncts to the displacement reactions of halopurines. Finally, of increasing importance has been the conversion of aminopurines (or oxopurines) to N-linked 1,2,4-triazoles (and other azoles), which function as pseudohalogens and can be displaced by nucleophiles or take part in transition metal-catalyzed reactions. 

There are three important routes to the formation of the mercury-transition metal bond (a) displacement of halogen or pseudohalogen from mercury(II) salts with carbonyl metallate anions (b) reaction of a halo-phenylmercury compound with a transition metal hydride and (c) oxidative addition of a mercury halide to neutral zero valent metals.1 We report here the syntheses of three compounds containing three-centre, two-electron, mercury-ruthenium bonds utilizing trinuclear cluster anions and mercury(II) halides.2-4... 

The reactions of trifluoromethyl iodide with the main group elements and elemental mercury were extensively investigated by Eme-leus and his students almost as soon as the reagent became available in quantity. Trifluoromethyl iodide was shown to readily oxidize a number of elements, most notably those below nitrogen in Group VA, and the trifluoromethyl ligand was observed to possess a considerable amount of pseudohalogen character (5). 

The Reaction of Pseudohalogen Halides with Triphenylphosphine and Triphenylarsine... 

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