Substitution of pyridines

The alkylation of pyridine [110-86-1] takes place through nucleophiUc or homolytic substitution because the TT-electron-deficient pyridine nucleus does not allow electrophiUc substitution, eg, Friedel-Crafts alkylation. NucleophiUc substitution, which occurs with alkah or alkaline metal compounds, and free-radical processes are not attractive for commercial appHcations. Commercially, catalytic alkylation processes via homolytic substitution of pyridine rings are important. The catalysts effective for this reaction include boron phosphate, alumina, siHca—alurnina, and Raney nickel (122). 

The importance of metal catalysis is suggested by the fact that exclusive 4-substitution of pyridine with alkyllithiums or alkyl-magnesium halides occurs when free metal is present exclusive 2-substitution otherwise occurs. 

Nucleophilic substitution of pyridines is discussed in previous sections in relation to the following cyclic transition states (Section II, B, 5), hydrogen bonding and cationization (Section II, C), the leaving group (Section II, D,) and the effect of other substituents (Section II, E) and of the nucleophile (Section II, F). 

A kinetic study of the electrophilic substitution of pyridine-N-oxides has also been carried out50b,c. Rate-acidity dependencies were unfortunately given in graphical form only and the rate parameters (determined mostly over a 30 °C range) are given in Table 4b. There is considerable confusion in Tables 3 and 5 of the original paper, where the rate coefficients are labelled as referring to the free base. In fact the rate coefficients for the first three substituted compounds in... 

Directed metallation continues to be developed as a convenient method for regiospecific substitution of pyridines. A mild and general procedure for the preparation of structurally diverse 4-alkyl-2-aminopyridines 37 involves the lithiation/alkylation of aminopyridine derivative 36 <96JOC(61)4810>. 

This short summary has aimed to highlight a few of the more important aspects of the orientation of electrophilic substitution of pyridines and their benzo analogues. Strictly, reactions that involve metallation could be treated under this heading but they will be considered as involving a nucleophilic attack at a ring hydrogen (see Section 2.05.5). Electrophilic cyclizations of a substituent on to a pyridine will be mentioned briefly, but Chapter 2.06 should be consulted for those reactions. 

Free radical substitution of pyridines usually occurs principally at position 2 (Table 25), which is in agreement with theoretical calculations (69CCC1110). 2-Substitution is more favored in methylation than in phenylation of pyridine. This suggests that the methyl has more nucleophilic character than the phenyl radical. Furthermore, methylation of pyridine in acidic solution gives 13-fold excess of 2- over 4-substitution, although the overall yield is low. Alkyl and aryl radicals have been generated from diverse sources (Table 25). 

Methylation is taken as illustrative of alkylation for comparative purposes in Table 25 however, a wide range of other alkylations have been studied (76MI20503). Photolysis of di-r-butyl peroxide in a mixture of cyclohexane and pyridine gives cyclohexylation (equation 170) (7lCR(C)(272)854>. The relative rates for homolytic substitution of pyridines by cyclic alkyl radicals have been obtained (74JCS(P2)1699). A striking contrast can be seen (Table 26)... 

Nucleophilic aromatic substitutions Pyridine is more reactive than benzene towards nucleophilic aromatic substitutions because of the presence of electron-withdrawing nitrogen in the ring. Nucleophilic aromatic substitutions of pyridine occur at C-2 (or C-6) and C-4 positions. 

The intrinsic difficulty of electrophilic substitution of pyridines and azines is exacerbated because most of these reactions are carried out in acidic conditions where the pyridine nitrogen atom has become protonated. However, although electrophilic reagents react at the nitrogen atoms very readily, these reactions are often reversible, and even in strongly acidic solution there is a small proportion of the free base present. Thus, a priori, reaction is possible either on the conjugate acid majority species... 

Chloro platinum ylide complexes will undergo replacement of Cl for acetone in the presence of NaBPlu.437 The ylide complexes (35) undergo oxidative addition at platinum(II) by Mel, and substitution of pyridine by CO to give the carbonyl complex. The ylide ligand is not displaced.438... 

There is a very extensive range of complexes [AuC13L], which are easily prepared by reaction of either [AuCU]- or [Au y with the corresponding nitrogen donor ligand L. Bromo derivatives [AuBr3L] are prepared similarly. Complexes with L = pyridine are most commonly studied and the cationic [AuCl2L2]+ may be prepared by further displacement of chloride by pyridine or its derivatives.571-573 The vibrational spectra, electronic spectra and mechanisms of substitution of pyridine for chloride (and the reverse reaction) have been studied.92,574"580... 

In fact nucleophilic substitution of pyridine N-oxides occurs more easily than on simple pyridines, as the nitrogen atom is positively charged. 

Electrophilic substitution of pyridine is further hindered by the tendency of the nitrogen atom to attack electrophiles and take on a positive charge. The positively charged pyridinium ion is even more resistant than pyridine to electrophilic substitution. 

Two electrophilic substitutions of pyridine are shown here. Notice that these reactions require severe conditions, and the yields are poor to fair. 

We have considered nucleophilic aromatic substitution of pyridine at the 2-position and 3-position but not at the 4-position. Complete the three possible cases by showing the mechanism for the reaction of methoxide ion with 4-chloropyridine. Show how the intermediate is stabilized by delocalization of the charge onto the nitrogen atom. 

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