Ring-opening Reactions with Nucleophiles

With the aid of ring-chain tautomerism, numerous reactions of the tetra-hydrooxazines, such as ring opening with nucleophiles (Section IV,B,1), C-2 epimerization (Section II,A,1), and transimination [72ACH(73)81 87ACSA(B)147] can be rationalized. 

By the means of epoxide ring opening, thiosugars can also be obtained. Sometimes with nucleophiles such as thiocyanate or thiourea a more complex reaction occurs to convert epoxides directly into episulfides, as illustrated by the conversion of the 5,6-anhydro-L-/ (o compound 147 to the D-gZMCO-5,6-episulfide 148 (O Scheme 66). Also, episulfides can be ring opened with nucleophiles [109]. 

Nucleophilic Reactions. The strong electronegativity of fluorine results in the facile reaction of perfluoroepoxides with nucleophiles. These reactions comprise the majority of the reported reactions of this class of compounds. Nucleophilic attack on the epoxide ring takes place at the more highly substituted carbon atom to give ring-opened products. Fluorinated alkoxides are intermediates in these reactions and are in equiUbrium with fluoride ion and a perfluorocarbonyl compound. The process is illustrated by the reaction of methanol and HFPO to form methyl 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-methoxypropanoate (eq. 4). 

Aziridinones undergo two types of selective ring opening by nucleophiles <68AG(E)25). Reaction with proton-containing nucleophiles, e.g. water, alcohols, thiols, amines and mineral acids, leads exclusively to amides (339), corresponding to an C —N bond rupture. 

With Sulfur Nucleophiles N-Carboxy-protected aziridine-2-carboxylates react with thiols to give P-mercapto-ot-amino acid derivatives. The reaction is usually catalyzed by BF3 and the yields range from fair to excellent [15, 16, 108-111]. With N-unprotected 3-substituted aziridine-2-carboxylates, the ring-opening with thiols usually takes place with anti stereoselectivity, especially in the case of the C-3 aliphatic substituted substrates. In cases in which C-3 is aromatic, however, the stereoselectivity has been found to be a function of the substitution pattern on the aromatic ring 3-p-methoxy ph eri yl-su bs li In led aziridines 143a (Scheme 3.51) and... 

The ring-opening reactions of aziridines 16 with amines deserve special attention. Unlike ring-openings with the other nucleophiles examined, they do not require added base, and they do not produce stoichiometric byproducts (as with azide). In certain cases, they do not even require a solvent, as exemplified by the ring-opening of aziridine 18 (Table 12.12, entries 1-3). In addition, the reactions... 

The majority of reactions of aziridines deal with acid-catalyzed ring opening with various nucleophiles. In this review only reactions with aziridine-2-car-boxylic esters are summarized (for other types of aziridines, see ref. [3]). 

Ring-opening with heteroatomic nucleophiles is certainly among the most thoroughly studied behavior of epoxides, and this reaction continues to be a versatile workhorse of synthetic utility. This is exemplified in the recent literature by the examples of the p-cyclodextrin-catalyzed aminolysis of simple epoxides by aniline derivatives (i.e., 53 - 54) <00SL339> and the synthesis of oxa-azacrown ethers through the treatment of Ws-epoxides 55 with diamines 56. Yields in the latter synthesis are sensitive to the size of the macrocycle and substitution on the bis-epoxide <00TL1019>. 

Evidently, the cleavage of the weak endocyclic N-0 bond is the driving force of the ring opening. The nucleophilicity of the /V-oxide oxygen atom in nitronates facilitates the backward cyclization reaction (in the case of minimization of steric hindrance). With regard to the above mentioned one cannot exclude the tautomerism between cyclic nitronates 100 and open (or chain) isomers 101. 

Protonation of the epoxide by AcOH is followed by nucleophilic ring-opening with Pd(0) (SN2-type reaction) to give an allylpalladium(II) complex. The AcO- then attacks the allyl ligand, regenerating Pd(0) and affording the product. 

Our final example is that of cyclic anhydrides, namely prochiral 3-sub-stituted glutaric anhydrides (7.101, R = Me, Et, or Pr). When incubated with lipase in an inert solvent in the presence of an alcohol (methanol, butan-l-ol, etc.), these compounds underwent nucleophilic ring opening with formation of a hemiester (7.102) of (/ -configuration (60-90% ee) [180]. This product enantioselectivity and, of course, the lack of reactivity in the absence of lipase show the enzymatic nature of the reaction. 

General chemical properties of triazolopyridines, such as oxidations, reductions, reaction with electrophiles, reactions with nucleophiles, homolytic reactions, ring-opening reactions, and photochemical reactions can be found in <2002AHC(83)2>. 

Acidic conditions also can be used for the cleavage of oxacyclopropane rings. An oxonium ion is formed first, which subsequently is attacked by the nucleophile in an SN2 displacement or forms a carbocation in an SN1 reaction. Evidence for the SN2 mechanism, which produces inversion, comes not only from the stereochemistry but also from the fact that the rate is dependent on the concentration of the nucleophile. An example is ring opening with hydrogen... 

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