Sodium epoxides

C—C double bonds may be protected against electrophiles by epoxidation and subsequent removal of the oxygen atom by treatment with zinc and sodium iodide in acetic acid (J.A. Edwards, 1972 W. Kndll, 1975). Halogenation has often been used for protection, too. The C—C double bond is here also easily regenerated with zinc (see p. 138, D.H.R. Barton, 1976). 

Reaction of perfluoroaLkenes and hypochlorites has been shown to be a general synthesis of perfluoroepoxides (32) (eq. 7). This appears to be the method of choice for the preparation of epoxides from internal fluoroalkenes (38). Excellent yields of HFPO from hexafluoropropylene and sodium hypochlorite using phase-transfer conditions are claimed (34). 

Medroxyprogesterone acetate (74) is stmcturaHy related to and has been prepared from hydroxyprogesterone (39) (Fig. 10). Formation of the bis-ketal accomplishes the protection of the ketones and the required migration of the double bond. Epoxidation with peracetic acid produces a mixture of epoxides (75), with a predominating. Treatment of the a-epoxide with methyl magnesium bromide results in diaxial opening of the epoxide. Deprotection of the ketones provides (76), which is dehydrated to (77) by treatment with dilute sodium hydroxide in pyridine. Upon treatment with gaseous hydrochloric... 

Arsenic Peroxides. Arsenic peroxides have not been isolated however, elemental arsenic, and a great variety of arsenic compounds, have been found to be effective catalysts ia the epoxidation of olefins by aqueous hydrogen peroxide. Transient peroxoarsenic compounds are beheved to be iavolved ia these systems. Compounds that act as effective epoxidation catalysts iaclude arsenic trioxide, arsenic pentoxide, arsenious acid, arsenic acid, arsenic trichloride, arsenic oxychloride, triphenyl arsiae, phenylarsonic acid, and the arsenates of sodium, ammonium, and bismuth (56). To avoid having to dispose of the toxic residues of these reactions, the arsenic can be immobi1i2ed on a polystyrene resia (57). 

Obsolete uses of urea peroxohydrate, as a convenient source of aqueous hydrogen peroxide, include the chemical deburring of metals, as a topical disinfectant and mouth wash, and as a hairdresser s bleach. In the 1990s the compound has been studied as a laboratory oxidant in organic chemistry (99,100). It effects epoxidation, the Baeyer-Villiger reaction, oxidation of aromatic amines to nitro compounds, and the conversion of sodium and nitrogen compounds to S—O and N—O compounds. 

Reaction conditions depend on the reactants and usually involve acid or base catalysis. Examples of X include sulfate, acid sulfate, alkane- or arenesulfonate, chloride, bromide, hydroxyl, alkoxide, perchlorate, etc. RX can also be an alkyl orthoformate or alkyl carboxylate. The reaction of cycHc alkylating agents, eg, epoxides and a2iridines, with sodium or potassium salts of alkyl hydroperoxides also promotes formation of dialkyl peroxides (44,66). Olefinic alkylating agents include acycHc and cycHc olefinic hydrocarbons, vinyl and isopropenyl ethers, enamines, A[-vinylamides, vinyl sulfonates, divinyl sulfone, and a, P-unsaturated compounds, eg, methyl acrylate, mesityl oxide, acrylamide, and acrylonitrile (44,66). 

Hydrogen Sulfide andMercaptans. Hydrogen sulfide and propylene oxide react to produce l-mercapto-2-propanol and bis(2-hydroxypropyl) sulfide (69,70). Reaction of the epoxide with mercaptans yields 1-aLkylthio- or l-arylthio-2-propanol when basic catalysis is used (71). Acid catalysts produce a mixture of primary and secondary hydroxy products, but ia low yield (72). Suitable catalysts iaclude sodium hydroxide, sodium salts of the mercaptan, tetraaLkylammonium hydroxide, acidic 2eohtes, and sodium salts of an alkoxylated alcohol or mercaptan (26,69,70,73,74). 

Epoxid tion. Epoxidation, also referred to as saponification or dehydrochlorination, of propylene chlorohydrin (both isomers) to propylene oxide is accompHshed using a base, usually aqueous sodium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide. 

After epoxidation, propylene oxide, excess propylene, and propane are distilled overhead. Propane is purged from the process propylene is recycled to the epoxidation reactor. The bottoms Hquid is treated with a base, such as sodium hydroxide, to neutralize the acids. Acids in this stream cause dehydration of the 1-phenylethanol to styrene. The styrene readily polymerizes under these conditions (177—179). Neutralization, along with water washing, allows phase separation such that the salts and molybdenum catalyst remain in the aqueous phase (179). Dissolved organics in the aqueous phase ate further recovered by treatment with sulfuric acid and phase separation. The organic phase is then distilled to recover 1-phenylethanol overhead. The heavy bottoms are burned for fuel (180,181). 

Ca.ta.lysts, A small amount of quinoline promotes the formation of rigid foams (qv) from diols and unsaturated dicarboxyhc acids (100). Acrolein and methacrolein 1,4-addition polymerisation is catalysed by lithium complexes of quinoline (101). Organic bases, including quinoline, promote the dehydrogenation of unbranched alkanes to unbranched alkenes using platinum on sodium mordenite (102). The peracetic acid epoxidation of a wide range of alkenes is catalysed by 8-hydroxyquinoline (103). Hydroformylation catalysts have been improved using 2-quinolone [59-31-4] (104) (see Catalysis). 

Cationic poly(vinyl alcohol) has been prepared by the reaction of A/-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl)-Ai,Ai,A/-trimethylammonium chloride, PVA, and sodium hydroxide (143). Reactions between alkyUdene epoxide and PVA in particulate, free-flowing form in an alkaline environment have been reported (144). 

The epoxidation is generally conducted in two steps (/) the polyol is added to epichlorohydrin in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst (stannic chloride, boron triduoride) to produce the chlorohydrin intermediate, and (2) the intermediate is dehydrohalogenated with sodium hydroxide to yield the aliphatic glycidyl ether. A prominent side-reaction is the conversion of aliphatic hydroxyl groups (formed by the initial reaction) into chloromethyl groups by epichlorohydrin. The aliphatic glycidyl ether resins are used as flexibilizers for aromatic resins and as reactive diluents to reduce viscosities in resin systems. 

Epichlorhydrin (ECH) detection starts with detecting epoxide cycle using hydrochloric acid in combination with sodium chloride the reaction product - 1,3-dichlorhydrin - is extracted in diethyl ether and concentrated by removing the latter. Gas-liquid chromatography with a flame-ionization detector is used to detect glycerin 1,3-dichlorhydrin. The sensitivity of the method is 0.01 mg/dm. ... 

The chemical resistance of PTFE is exceptional. There are no solvents and it is attacked at room temperature only by molten alkali metals and in some cases by fluorine. Treatment with a solution of sodium metal in liquid ammonia will sufficiently alter the surface of a PTFE sample to enable it to be cemented to other materials using epoxide resin adhesives. 

A commonly used alternative to the direct bromination of ketones is the halogenation of enol acetates. This can be carried out under basic conditions if necessary. Sodium acetate, pyridine or an epoxide is usually added to buffer the reaction mixture. The direction of enolization is again dependent upon considerations of thermodynamic and kinetic control therefore, the proportion of enol acetates formed can vary markedly with the reaction conditions. Furthermore, halogenation via enol acetates does not necessarily give the same products as direct halogenation of ketones 3. 23... 

The ready reduction of iodohydrins is utilized in the Cornforth reaction for preparing olefins from epoxides. Here the opening and reduction are carried out in one step by treatment of the epoxide, in an acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer, with sodium iodide and zinc. A less common use of iodohy-drin reduction is illustrated in the synthesis of the diene (127) ... 

In analogy with the peracid attack on steroidal double bonds, the formation of the bromonium ion, e.g., (81a), occurs from the less hindered side (usually the a-side of the steroid nucleus) to give in the case of the olefin (81) the 9a-bromo-l l -ol (82). Base treatment of (82) provides the 9 5,1 l S-oxide (83). Similarly, reaction of 17/3-hydroxyestr-5(10)-en-3-one (9) with A -bromosuccinimide-perchloric acid followed by treatment with sodium hydroxide and sodium borohydride furnishes the 3, 17 5-dihydroxy-5a,l0a-oxirane. As mentioned previously, epoxidation of (9) with MPA gives the 5, 10 -oxirane. °... 

A detailed procedure for the use of MCPBA recently appeared in Reagents for Organic Synthesis by Fieser and Fieser. The commercially available MCPBA (Aldrich) is 85% pure the contaminant, m-chlorobenzoic acid, can be removed by washing with a phosphate buffer of pH 7.5. The epoxidation is usually performed as follows a solution of 3 -acetoxy-5a-androst-16-ene (2.06 g, 6.53 mmoles) in 25 ml of chloroform (or methylene dichloride) is chilled to 0° in a flask fitted with a condenser and drierite tube and treated with a solution of commercial MCPBA (1.74 g, 20% excess) in 25 ml chloroform precooled to the same temperature. The mixture is stirred and allowed to warm to room temperature. After 23 hr (or until TLC shows reaction is complete) the solution is diluted with 100 ml chloroform and washed in sequence with 100 ml of 10% sodium sulfite or sodium iodide followed by sodium thiosulfate, 200 ml of 1 M sodium bicarbonate and 200 ml water. The chloroform extract is dried (MgS04) and evaporated in vacuo to a volume of ca. 10 ml. Addition of methanol (10 ml) followed by cooling of the mixture to —10° yields 0.8 gof 16a,17a-epoxide mp 109.5-110°. Additional product can be obtained by concentration of the mother liquor (total yield 80-90%). 

The azidohydrins obtained by azide ion opening of epoxides, except for those possessing a tertiary hydroxy group, can be readily converted to azido mesylates on treatment with pyridine/methanesulfonyl chloride. Reduction and subsequent aziridine formation results upon reaction with hydrazine/ Raney nickel, lithium aluminum hydride, or sodium borohydride/cobalt(II)... 

A mixture of the epoxide ca. 5 mmol), sodium azide (6 g, activated by the method of Smith) and 0.25 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid in 70 ml of dimethyl sulfoxide is heated in a flask fitted with a reflux condenser and a drierite tube on a steam bath for 30-40 hr. (Caution carry out reaction in a hood.) The dark reaction mixture is poured into 500 ml of ice water and the product may be filtered, if solid, and washed well with water or extracted with ether and washed with sodium bicarbonate and the water. The crude azido alcohols are usually recrystallized from methanol. 

To the epoxide dissolved in a minimal amount of chloroform or ether is added a corresponding solution of freshly prepared thiocyanic acid (20 fold excess) as described above (acetic acid has also been used as solvent). The resulting solution is allowed to stand at least 70 hr at room temperature. (Some workers have protected the reaction mixture from light during this period). The reaction mixture is worked up by washing first with a 10% solution of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate, and then water. The remaining ether extract is dried (Na2S04) and evaporated under vacuum. The crude thiocyanatohydrin is crystallized from an appropriate solvent or treated with methanesulfonyl chloride s (see below). 

Reductive Opening of a 17a,20-Epoxide 17a,20-Oxidopregn-4-en-3-one (0.7 g) in 90 ml of dioxane (previously distilled over sodium) is added gradually to a solution of 1 g of lithium aluminum hydride in 50 ml of dry ether. 

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