Sulfonic acid salts, alkylation with aryl halides

Alkyl halides are often used as substrates instead of alcohols. In such cases the salt of the inorganic acid is usually used and the mechanism is nucleophilic substitution at the carbon atom. An important example is the treatment of alkyl halides with silver nitrate to form alkyl nitrates. This is used as a test for alkyl halides. In some cases there is competition from the central atom. Thus nitrite ion is an ambident nucleophile that can give nitrites or nitro compounds (see 0-60).731 Dialkyl or aryl alkyl ethers can be cleaved with anhydrous sulfonic acids.732... 

Because of the special structural requirements of the resin-bound substrate, this type of cleavage reaction lacks general applicability. Some of the few examples that have been reported are listed in Table 3.19. Lactones have also been obtained by acid-catalyzed lactonization of resin-bound 4-hydroxy or 3-oxiranyl carboxylic acids [399]. Treatment of polystyrene-bound cyclic acetals with Jones reagent also leads to the release of lactones into solution (Entry 5, Table 3.19). Resin-bound benzylic aryl or alkyl carbonates have been converted into esters by treatment with acyl halides and Lewis acids (Entry 6, Table 3.19). Similarly, alcohols bound to insoluble supports as benzyl ethers can be cleaved from the support and simultaneously converted into esters by treatment with acyl halides [400]. Esters have also been prepared by treatment of carboxylic acids with an excess of polystyrene-bound triazenes here, diazo-nium salts are released into solution, which serve to O-alkylate the acid (Entry 7, Table 3.19). This strategy can also be used to prepare sulfonates [401]. 

Salts of sulfinic acids ace converted to sulfones by the action of pri-lary/ secondary, and benzyl halides, alkyl sulfates, and aryl halides in which the halogen atoms are activated by nitro groups in the ortbo or para positions. The reaction fails with t-amyl halide. The yields vary widely, depending upon the nature of the reactants. From salts of benzenesulfinic acid and simple alkylating agents, sulfones are produced in 50-90% yields. Satisfactory results have been obtained when the aryl sulfinic acid contains nitro, cyano, and acetamido groups. Keto sulfones are made in 48-62% yields by alkylation with a-halo ketones. ... 

Sulfonyl chlorides as well as esters and amides of sulfonic acids can be hydrolyzed to the corresponding acids. Sulfonyl chlorides can by hydrolyzed with water or with an alcohol in the absence of acid or base. Basic catalysis is also used, though of course the salt is the product obtained. Esters are readily hydrolyzed, many with water or dilute alkali. This is the same reaction as 10-4, and usually involves R —O cleavage, except when R is aryl. However, in some cases retention of configuration has been shown at alkyl R, indicating S—O cleavage in these cases. Sulfonamides are generally not hydrolyzed by alkaline treatment, not even with hot concentrated alkali. Acids, however, do hydrolyze sulfonamides, but less readily than they do sulfonyl halides or sulfonic esters. Of course, ammonia or the amine appears as the salt. However, sulfonamides can be hydrolyzed with base if the solvent is HMPA. ... 

Chlorobenzene is employed in the synthesis of certain amino-containing vat dye intermediates. When reacted with phthalic anhydride, the product is 2-chloroanthraquinone, which, with ammonia, is converted readily into 2-aminoanthraquinone (61). Other routes include replacement of halogen by amino groups, with ammonia or ammonium salts of urea, and alkyl- and aryl amines to afford secondary amines. Modification of the amino group by alkylation, with dimethyl sulfate, alkyl halides or esters of toluenesul-fonic acids, is of synthetic value. Arylation of the amino groups is of importance only in the reaction between aminoanthraquinones and nitro- or chloroanthraquinones to yield dianthraquinonylamines, or anthrimides48. For example, the reaction between 62 and 63 yields 64, which can then be converted into carbazole 65, Cl Vat Brown R (Scheme 14). Amination of haloanthraquinones such as l-amino-4-bromoanthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid (bromamine acid) (66), prepared from 1-aminoanthraquinone, is of industrial use. 

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