Reagents alkyl halides

The reaction of dialkylditellurides with pressurized acetylenes in the presence of an electrophilic reagent (alkyl halide, Lewis acid), in the system KOH/crown ether/ben-zene, gives rise to alkylethynyl tellurides and 1,2-bis-alkyltelluroacetylenes in high yields. ... 

Another factor affecting the nucleophilicity of these ions is their solvation, particularly in protic solvents. A protic solvent is one that has acidic protons, usually in the form of O—H or N—H groups. These groups form hydrogen bonds to negatively charged nucleophiles. Protic solvents, especially alcohols, are convenient solvents for nucleophilic substitutions because the reagents (alkyl halides, nucleophiles, etc.) tend to be quite soluble. 

Alkyl halides, as well as sulfonates, besides being useful for the preparation of derivatives as shown above, are widely utilized for the preparation of phosphorus derivatives such as R-PPhi Hal , precursors for the generation of Wittig reagents. Alkyl halides are also extremely important as intermediates in the preparation of the most valuable derivatives of oxidation level 0, the organometallic compounds. The required reduction step is usually carried out via direct reaction of the alkyl halides with an active metal such as lithium or magnesium. 

Via organometallic compounds (Grignard reagent). Alkyl halides react with either Mg or Li in dry... 

Review. Seebach and Corey have published a general paper on the preparation and metalation of 1,3-dithianes and examples of the reaction of 2-lithio-l,3-dithianes with electrophilic reagents (alkyl halides, carbonyl compounds, acids, and oxides). The value of these sulfur-stabilized anionic reagents is that they are equivalent to acyl anions (a), in which the normal polarity of the carbonyl group is reversed (reversible umpolung). 

In general, aldehydes, ketones, acids, esters, and acid chlorides are all reduced to the corresponding alcohols hy this reagent. Alkyl halides are unreactive towards DIBAL. Amides are reduced to amines, while nitriles afford aldehydes upon hydrolysis of an intermediate imine. Isocyanates are also reduced to the corresponding imines. Nitro compounds are reduced to hydroxy-lamines. Disulfides are reduced to thiols, while sulfides, suhbnes, and sulfonic acids are unreactive in toluene at 0°C. Tosylates are converted quantitatively to the corresponding alkanes. Cyclic imides can be reduced to carbinol lactams. 

Several functional group exchange reactions produce alkyl halides. The most general one is the formation of an alkyl halide (R-X) from an alcohol using various reagents. Alkyl halides are also formed from alkenes, as shown, and from alkanes via radical halogenation. 

Several related reactions involve the use of phosphorus reagents. Alkyl halides can be made from the treatment of an alcohol with phosphorus halides, PX3 or PX5, as shown in Figure 7.44. Many of these phosphorus-containing reagents cause rearrangement, especially in secondary systems, and the stereochemical outcome, retention or inversion, depends on solvent and other reaction conditions. Accordingly, modifications have been worked out in recent years in order to avoid such stereochemical problems. 

Indoles of type 30 with S02Ph, C02tBu, and CONHtBu residues in the 1-position are capable of regioselective 2-metalation, for example, with organohthium compounds metalation can be followed by reactions with appropriate electrophihc reagents (alkyl halides, carbonyl compounds, etc.) ... 

Grignard compounds) as reagents alkyl- halide 22, 77 aryl- bromide... 

The alkyl halides are also of great importance in synthetic operations (e.g.) using Grigard reagents (p. 280). acetoacetic ester (p. 269) and malonic ester (p. 2- S)-... 

Thiourea, unlike urea, readily reacts in the tautomeric form (I) in the presence of suitable reagents, particularly alkyl halides thus benzyl chloride reacts with... 

Anilides and a-Naphthalides. The Grignard reagents prepared from alkyl halides react with phenyl isocyanate (CgHjN=C=0) or with a-uaphthy l isocyanate (C,oH, N=C=0) to yield addition products that are converted by hydrolysis into anihdes and a-naphthalides respectively RX + Mg —> RMgX... 

Alkyl mercuric halides. Grignard reagents, prepared from alkyl halides, react with a mercuric halide that contains the same halogen as the reagent to form alkyl mercuric halides ... 

Strictly speaking the alkyl halides are esters of the halogen acids, but since they enter into many reactions (t.g., formation of Grignard reagents, reaction with potassium cyanide to yield nitriles, etc.) which cannot be brought about by the other eaters, the alkyl halides are usually distinguished from the esters of the other inorganic acids. The preparation of a number of these is described below. 

Amines are powerful nucleophiles which react under neutral or slightly basic conditions with several electron-accepting carbon reagents. The reaction of alkyl halides with amines is useful for the preparation of tertiary amines or quaternary ammonium salts. The conversion of primary amines into secondary amines is usually not feasible since the secondary amine tends towards further alkylation. 

Alkyl halides are such useful starting materials for preparing other functional group types that chemists have developed several different methods for converting alcohols to alkyl halides Two methods based on the inorganic reagents thionyl chloride and phosphorus tnbromide bear special mention... 

Thionyl chloride and phosphorus tribromide are specialized reagents used to bring about particular functional group transformations For this reason we won t present the mechanisms by which they convert alcohols to alkyl halides but instead will limit our selves to those mechanisms that have broad applicability and enhance our knowledge of fundamental principles In those instances you will find that a mechanistic understand mg IS of great help m organizing the reaction types of organic chemistry... 

Before we describe the applications of organometallic reagents to organic synthesis let us examine their preparation Organolithium compounds and other Group I organometal he compounds are prepared by the reaction of an alkyl halide with the appropriate metal... 

The order of halide reactivity is I > Br > Cl > F and alkyl halides are more reac tive than aryl and vinyl halides Indeed aryl and vinyl chlorides do not form Grignard reagents m diethyl ether When more vigorous reaction conditions are required tetrahy drofuran (THF) is used as the solvent... 

These compounds are sources of the nucleophilic anion RC=C and their reaction with primary alkyl halides provides an effective synthesis of alkynes (Section 9 6) The nucleophilicity of acetylide anions is also evident m their reactions with aldehydes and ketones which are entirely analogous to those of Grignard and organolithium reagents... 

The most frequently used organocuprates are those m which the alkyl group is pri mary Steric hindrance makes secondary and tertiary dialkylcuprates less reactive and they tend to decompose before they react with the alkyl halide The reaction of cuprate reagents with alkyl halides follows the usual 8 2 order CH3 > primary > secondary > tertiary and I > Br > Cl > F p Toluenesulfonates are somewhat more reactive than halides Because the alkyl halide and dialkylcuprate reagent should both be primary m order to produce satisfactory yields of coupled products the reaction is limited to the formation of RCH2—CH2R and RCH2—CH3 bonds m alkanes... 

Organozmc reagents are not nearly as reactive toward aldehydes and ketones as Grig nard reagents and organolithium compounds but are intermediates m certain reactions of alkyl halides... 

Grignard reagents react with ethylene oxide to yield primary alcohols containing two more carbon atoms than the alkyl halide from which the organometallic compound was prepared... 

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