Starting materials, importance

Figure Bl.16.9. Background-free, pseudo-steady-state CIDNP spectra observed in the photoreaction of triethylamine with different sensitizers ((a), antliraquinone (b), xanthone, CIDNP net effect (c), xanthone, CIDNP multiplet effect, amplitudes multiplied by 1.75 relative to the centre trace) in acetonitrile-d3. The stmctiiral formulae of the most important products bearing polarizations (1, regenerated starting material 2, N,N-diethylvinylamine 3, combination product of amine and sensitizer) are given at the top R denotes the sensitizer moiety. The polarized resonances of these products are assigned in the spectra. Reprinted from [21].

Consideration of the reaction center or reaction site is of central importance in reaction searching. It does not suffice to specify the functional groups in the starting materials and in the products of a reaction when one is interested in a certain transformation. On top of that, one also has to specify that these functional groups shotfid participate directly in the reaction - that they should be part of the reaction center. 

Review Problem 4 This compound (TM 78) is an important intermediate in the synthesis of alkaloids Treatment with POCI3 gives the poppy alkaloid papaverine. How would you make TM 78 from simple starting materials ... 

The major problem in such conversions is the degradation of the branched carbon side-chain on C-17 which is present in all abundant steroids and lacking in all steroid hormones. The most important starting material used in industry today is diosgenin from the Mexican dioscorea plant. It is degraded by the method of Marker to 16-dehydropregnenolone in 45% total yield. This compound is a key substance in the production of several hormones with anabolic, catabolic, and sexual effects. 

An important method for construction of functionalized 3-alkyl substituents involves introduction of a nucleophilic carbon synthon by displacement of an a-substituent. This corresponds to formation of a benzylic bond but the ability of the indole ring to act as an electron donor strongly influences the reaction pattern. Under many conditions displacement takes place by an elimination-addition sequence[l]. Substituents that are normally poor leaving groups, e.g. alkoxy or dialkylamino, exhibit a convenient level of reactivity. Conversely, the 3-(halomethyl)indoles are too reactive to be synthetically useful unless stabilized by a ring EW substituent. 3-(Dimethylaminomethyl)indoles (gramine derivatives) prepared by Mannich reactions or the derived quaternary salts are often the preferred starting material for the nucleophilic substitution reactions. 

The reaction of phosphorus pentasulfide with a-acylamino carbonyl compounds of type Ilia also yields thiazoles. Even more commonly, a mercaptoketone is condensed with a nitrile of type IVa or a-mercaptoacids or their esters with Schiff bases. This ring closure is limited to the thiazolidines. In the Va ring-closure type, /3-mercaptoalkylamines serve as the principal starting materials, and ethylformate is the reactant that supplies the carbon at the 2-position of the ring. These syntheses constitute the most important route for the preparation of many thiazolidines and 2-thiazohnes. In the Vb t3fpe of synthesis, one of the reactant supplies only the carbon at the 5-position of the resultant thiazole. Then in these latter years new modern synthetic methods of thiazole ring have been developed (see Section 7 also Refs. 515, 758, 807, 812, 822). 

Organic compounds are grouped into families according to the functional groups they contain Two of the most important families are alcohols and alkyl halides Alco hols and alkyl halides are especially useful because they are versatile starting materials for preparing numerous other families Indeed alcohols or alkyl halides—often both— will appear m virtually all of the remaining chapters of this text... 

Many low molecular weight aldehydes and ketones are important industrial chem icals Formaldehyde a starting material for a number of plastics is prepared by oxida tion of methanol over a silver or iron oxide/molybdenum oxide catalyst at elevated temperature... 

The carboxylic acid produced m the greatest amounts is 1 4 benzenedicarboxylic acid (terephthahc acid) About 5 X 10 Ib/year is produced m the United States as a starting material for the preparation of polyester fibers One important process converts p xylene to terephthahc acid by oxidation with nitric acid... 

Acetaldehyde, first used extensively during World War I as a starting material for making acetone [67-64-1] from acetic acid [64-19-7] is currendy an important intermediate in the production of acetic acid, acetic anhydride [108-24-7] ethyl acetate [141-78-6] peracetic acid [79-21 -0] pentaerythritol [115-77-5] chloral [302-17-0], glyoxal [107-22-2], aLkylamines, and pyridines. Commercial processes for acetaldehyde production include the oxidation or dehydrogenation of ethanol, the addition of water to acetylene, the partial oxidation of hydrocarbons, and the direct oxidation of ethylene [74-85-1]. In 1989, it was estimated that 28 companies having more than 98% of the wodd s 2.5 megaton per year plant capacity used the Wacker-Hoechst processes for the direct oxidation of ethylene. 

Much more important is the hydrogenation product of butynediol, 1,4-butanediol [110-63-4]. The intermediate 2-butene-l,4-diol is also commercially available but has found few uses. 1,4-Butanediol, however, is used widely in polyurethanes and is of increasing interest for the preparation of thermoplastic polyesters, especially the terephthalate. Butanediol is also used as the starting material for a further series of chemicals including tetrahydrofuran, y-butyrolactone, 2-pyrrohdinone, A/-methylpyrrohdinone, and A/-vinylpyrrohdinone (see Acetylene-DERIVED chemicals). The 1,4-butanediol market essentially represents the only growing demand for acetylene as a feedstock. This demand is reported (34) as growing from 54,000 metric tons of acetylene in 1989 to a projected level of 88,000 metric tons in 1994. 

X5lenol is an important starting material for insecticides, xylenol—formaldehyde resins, disinfectants, wood preservatives, and for synthesis of a-tocopherol (vitamin E) (258) and i7/-a-tocopherol acetate (USP 34-50/kg, October 1994). The Bayer insecticide Methiocarb is manufactured by reaction of 3,5-x5lenol with methylsulfenyl chloride to yield 4-methylmercapto-3,5-xylenol, followed by reaction with methyl isocyanate (257). Disinfectants and preservatives are produced by chlorination to 4-chloro- and 2,4-dich1oro-3,5-dimethylpheno1 (251). 

Sulfonation. Sulfonation of naphthalene with sulfuric acid produces mono-, di-, tri-, and tetranaphthalenesulfonic acids (see Naphthalene derivatives), ah of the naphthalenesulfonic acids form salts with most bases. Naphthalenesulfonic acids are important starting materials in the manufacture of organic dyes (15) (see Azo dyes). They also are intermediates used in reactions, eg, caustic fusion to yield naphthols, nitration to yield nitronaphthalenesulfonic acids, etc. 

ROOC—COOH, are not. The dialkyl esters are characterized by good solvent properties and serve as starting materials in the synthesis of many organic compounds, such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and fine chemicals (qv). Among the diesters, dimethyl, diethyl, and di- -butyl oxalates are industrially important. Their physical properties are given in Table 7. 

Synthesis. The most important starting material for the synthesis of mthenium compounds is the commercial trichloride ttihydrate. Other useful starting materials include [RuCl3(OH2)]2- [3187-84-2], [Ru30(00CCH3)3(0H2)3]00CCH3 [38998-79-7], and [Ru3(CO) 2] [15243-33-1]. 

Synthesis. The most important starting material for rhodium compounds is rhodium(III) chloride hydrate [20765-98-4], RhCl3 nH2 O. Other commercially available starting materials useful for laboratory-scale synthesis include [Rh2(0000113)4] [5503-41 -3], [Rh(NH3)201]0l2 [13820-95-6], [Rh20l2(0O)4] [32408-34-7], and [Rh20l2(cod)2] [12092-47-6]. 

Ingredients. Nylon-6 is produced commercially from caprolactam [105-60-2] which is the most important lactam industrially. AH industrial production processes for caprolactam are multistep and produce ammonium sulfate [7783-20-2] or other by-products. Approximately 95% of the world s caprolactam is produced from cyclohexanone oxime [100-64-1] via the Beckmann rearrangement (144). The starting material for cyclohexanone can be... 

Alkanolamines in aqueous soludon react widi carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide to yield salts, important to gas condidoiiing reactions. Tlie dissociation of die salts upon heating results in recovery of the original starting material. Tliese reactions fomi the basis of an important industrial apphcadon, ie, die "sweetening" of natural gas. 

Significant quantities of amine and amide esters are formed by side reactions (9). In addition, with dialkanolamines, amide diesters, morpholines, and piperazines can be obtained, depending on the starting material. Reaction of dialkanolamines with fatty acids in a 2 1 ratio, at 140—160°C, produces a second major type of alkanolamide. These products, in contrast to the 1 1 alkanolamides, are water soluble they are complex mixtures of AJ-alkanolamides, amine esters, and diesters, and still contain a considerable amount of unreacted dialkanolamine, accounting for the water solubiUty of the product. Both the 1 1 and the 2 1 alkanolamides are of commercial importance in detergents. 

Gibbsite is aii important technical product and world production, predominantly by the Bayer process, is more than 50 million metric tons aimuaHy. Alost (90%) is calcined to alumina [1344-28-1 j, Al202, to be used for aluminum production. Tlie remainder is used by the chemical industry as filler for paper, plastics, rubber, and as the starting material for the preparation of various aluminum compounds, alumina ceramics, refractories, polishing products, catalysts, and catalyst supports. 

Formation of N-Carboxy-(X-Amino AeidAnhydride (NCA) (85), NCAs are important as starting materials for amino acid polymers. They are prepared by the reaction of amino acids with phosgene in an aptotic solvent. 

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