Ring destruction synthesis

It was not their reactivity but their chemical inertness that was the true surprise when diazirines were discovered in 1960. Thus they are in marked contrast to the known linear diazo compounds which are characterized by the multiplicity of their reactions. For example, cycloadditions were never observed with the diazirines. Especially surprising is the inertness of diazirines towards electrophiles. Strong oxidants used in their synthesis like dichromate, bromine, chlorine or hypochlorite are without action on diazirines. Diazirine formation may even proceed by oxidative dealkylation of a diaziridine nitrogen in (186) without destruction of the diazirine ring (75ZOR2221). The diazirine ring is inert towards ozone simple diazirines are decomposed only by more than 80% sulfuric acid (B-67MI50800). 

The successful application of heterocyclic compounds in these and many other ways, and their appeal as materials in applied chemistry and in more fundamental and theoretical studies, stems from their very complexity this ensures a virtually limitless series of structurally novel compounds with a wide range of physical, chemical and biological properties, spanning a broad spectrum of reactivity and stability. Another consequence of their varied chemical reactivity, including the possible destruction of the heterocyclic ring, is their increasing use in the synthesis of specifically functionalized non-heterocyclic structures. 

The synthesis of heterocyclic compounds using transition metals and using heterocyclic compounds as intermediates in the synthesis of other organic compounds will bean additional feature of each volume. Pathways involving the destruction of heterocyclic rings will also be dealt with so that the synthesis of specifically functionalized non-heterocyclic molecules can be designed. Each volume in this series will provide an overall picture of heterocyclic compounds... 

Protection of an enone as the dithiane derivative without destruction of an accompanying dioxane was accomplished during a synthesis of Aphidicolin [Scheme 2.90]181 by using the hw-trimethylsilyl ether of propane- 1,3-dithiol in the presence of zinc iodide as the catalyst.182 In the same vein, a synthesis of a fully functionalised B-ring system of Taxol [Scheme 2.91] included the selective thio ace tali sat ion of an aldehyde in the presence of a ketone using silver(I)-cata-lysed thioacetalisation with EtS-TMS and chlorotrimethylsilane.183... 

An excerpt from a synthesis of the phytosiderophore Nicotianamine illustrates the formation and cleavage of the 2,2,2-trichloroethyl carbonate protecting group [Scheme 4.357].676 Reaction of alcohol 357,1 with 2,2,2-trichloroethyl chloroformate and a catalytic amount of DMAP in pyridine gave the 2,2>2-tri-chloroethyl carbonate 357 2 in 98% yield. After oxidative destruction of the two p-methoxyphenyl rings to carboxylic acids and esterification, the 2224ri-chloroethyl carbonate 3573 was cleaved with zinc and acetic acid in 97% yield. 

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