Similar phase transfer synthesis

The quaternization method is also highlighted by the short asymmetric synthesis of cell adhesion molecule BIRT-377 (Scheme 5.24), which is a potent inhibitor of the interaction between intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) [16]. Thus, asymmetricp-bromobenzylation of the alanine derivative 42 (R1 = Me) with (S)-18 under similar phase-transfer conditions as described above gave rise to p-bromobenzylalanine ester 10 in 97% ee (83% yield). A similar asymmetric p-bromobenzylation of alanine ethyl ester 42 (R1 = Me, R= Et) gave the amino ester 47 (R= Et) in 90% ee (86% yield). The amino ester 47 (R = t-Bu or Et) was treated with 3,5-dichlorophenyl isocyanate in the presence of sodium carbonate in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) to furnish the hydantoin 48 in 86%... 

Tomoi and coworkers adopted a somewhat more direct approach in their synthesis of 16-crown-5 derivatives bearing a single alkenyl residue. They hoped to obtain precursors to polymers which could be used as phase transfer catalysts. In this approach I,I-bis-chloromethylethylene (a-chloromethallyl chloride) was allowed to react with the dianion of tetraethylene glycol (NaH/THF). By this method, methylene-16-crown-5 could be isolated in 66% yield after vacuum distillation. Ozonolysis led, in almost quantitative yield, to the formation of oxo-16-crown-5 as shown in Eq. (3.38). These authors prepared a number of other, closely related species by similar methods. 

Ionic liquid synthesis in a commercial context is in many respects quite different from academic ionic liquid preparation. While, in the commercial scenario, labor-intensive steps add significantly to the price of the product (which, next to quality, is another important criterion for the customer), they can easily be justified in academia to obtain a purer material. In a commercial environment, the desire for absolute quality of the product and the need for a reasonable price have to be reconciled. This is not new, of course. If one looks into the very similar business of phase-transfer catalysts or other ionic modifiers (such as commercially available ammonium salts), one rarely finds absolutely pure materials. Sometimes the active ionic compound is only present in about 85 % purity. However, and this is a crucial point, the product is well specified, the nature of the impurities is known, and the quality of the material is absolutely reproducible from batch to batch. 

It is well known that aziridination with allylic ylides is difficult, due to the low reactivity of imines - relative to carbonyl compounds - towards ylide attack, although imines do react with highly reactive sulfur ylides such as Me2S+-CH2-. Dai and coworkers found aziridination with allylic ylides to be possible when the activated imines 22 were treated with allylic sulfonium salts 23 under phase-transfer conditions (Scheme 2.8) [15]. Although the stereoselectivities of the reaction were low, this was the first example of efficient preparation of vinylaziridines by an ylide route. Similar results were obtained with use of arsonium or telluronium salts [16]. The stereoselectivity of aziridination was improved by use of imines activated by a phosphinoyl group [17]. The same group also reported a catalytic sulfonium ylide-mediated aziridination to produce (2-phenylvinyl)aziridines, by treatment of arylsulfonylimines with cinnamyl bromide in the presence of solid K2C03 and catalytic dimethyl sulfide in MeCN [18]. Recently, the synthesis of 3-alkyl-2-vinyl-aziridines by extension of Dai s work was reported [19]. 

Quaternary ammonium azides will displace halogens in a synthesis of alkyl azides. Dichloromethane has been used as a solvent, although this can slowly form diazido-methane which may be concentrated by distillation dining work-up, thereafter easily exploding [1]. An accident attributed to this cause is described, and acetonitrile recommended as a preferable solvent, supported polymeric azides, excess of which can be removed by filtration are also preferred in place of the tetrabutylam-monium salt [2]. A similar explosion was previously recorded when the quaternary azide was generated in situ from sodium azide and a phase transfer catalyst in a part aqueous system [3,4],... 

In the following example, although the synthesis of the azoniaspirocycle does not involve an acyclic compound, the reaction itself is very similar to those described in this section, hence its inclusion here (Equation 34). Maruoka and co-workers have designed a C2-symmetric chiral quarternary ammonium salt, which is then employed as a phase-transfer catalyst in an enantioselective alkylation <1999JA6519, 2001JFC(112)95, 2004TA1243>. 

Similar to the Pd-catalyzed pyrrole and thiophene annulations, an intramolecular Heck reaction of substrate 91 resulted in benzofuran 92 [80], Such an approach has become a popular means of synthesizing fused furans. Muratake et al. exploited the intramolecular Heck cyclization to establish the tricyclic core structure en route to the synthesis of a furan analog of duocarmycin SA, a potent cytotoxic antibiotic [81]. Under Jeffery s phase-transfer catalysis conditions, substrate 93 was converted to tricyclic derivatives 94 and 95 as an inseparable mixture (ca. 4 1) of two double bond isomers. 

It has been reported that the ease of A-alkylation of aromatic amines is enhanced by ultrasonics [9], and, predictably, the presence of mesomeric electron-withdrawing substituents at positions ortho or para to the amino function aids the A-alkylation of the aromatic amines [e.g. 10], see also, for example, the phase-transfer catalysed glycosidation of 2-cyanoaniline [11], Generally, the direct /V-monoalkylation of aminoarenes is not particularly satisfactory, but an alternative protocol [12] in which the N-acyl derivatives are alkylated and then hydrolysed leads to enhanced yields (>90%) (see Section 5.2). In a similar manner, a one pot synthesis converts 2-... 

Scheme 17 illustrates enantioselective synthesis of a-amino acids by phase-transfer-catalyzed alkylation (46). Reaction of a protected glycine derivative and between 1.2 and 5 equiv of a reactive organic halide in a 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide-dichloromethane mixture containing 1-benzylcinchoninium chloride (BCNC) as catalyst gives the optically active alkylation product. Only monoalkylated products are obtained. Allylic, benzylic, methyl, and primary halides can be used as alkylating agents. Similarly, optically active a-methyl amino acid derivatives can be prepared by this method in up to 50% ee. 

Asymmetric induction has also been evaluated in the reaction of a-aryl substituted ketones, esters, and lactones (43). The potential of the method is demonstrated by the synthesis of some naturally occurring or nonnaturally occuring chiral compounds (Scheme 15). Similarly, asymmetric synthesis of ( — )-physostigmine, a clinically useful anticholinesterase agent, is accomplished by using phase-transfer alkylation of... 

The catalytic and chiral efficiency of (S,S)-le was also appreciated in the asymmetric synthesis of isoquinoline derivatives, which are important conformationally constrained a-amino acids. Treatment of 2 with a,a -dibromo-o-xylene under liquid-liquid phase-transfer conditions in the presence of (S,S)-le showed complete consumption ofthe starting Schiffbase. Imine hydrolysis and subsequent treatment with an excess amount of NaHCOs facilitated intramolecular ring closure to give 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester 38 in 82% yield with 98% ee. A variety of l,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid derivatives possessing different aromatic substituents, such as 39 and 40, can be conveniently prepared in a similar manner, with excellent enantioselectivity (Scheme 5.20) [25]. 

A similar procedure can be applied to the synthesis of a series of 5-nitroimidazoles83 with antibacterial properties.The S l reaction of various l-alkyl-2-chloromethyl-5-nitroimidazoles (23) with heterocyclic nitronate anions prepared from 3-nitrolactams, under phase transfer catalysis, afforded trisubstituted olefins (equation 33). 

Initial experiments by Gibson et al. (77) indicate phase-transfer catalysis to be a promising method for the synthesis of benzyl complexes. Reaction of benzyl bromide with cyclopentadienylmolybdenum tricar-bonyl chloride, under conditions similar to those described for the preparation of o-- and 7r-allyl complexes, afforded the o--benzyl complex (64) in 89% yield. Use of benzyl chloride as substrate results in a considerably... 

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