Tautomer intermediates

Alkylation of ambident nucleophiles. Beak and Lee have reported several examples of alkylation of ambident compounds in which the product results from methylation at the hetero atom that does not bear the proton in the major tautomer. Intermediate salts such as (a) have been isolated and characterized in these reactions. The reaction is significant in that, at least in some cases, the... 

Kanemitsu H, Uehara K, Ogo S, Fukuzumi S (2008) Isolation and crystal structures of both enol and keto tautomer intermediates in a hydration of an alkyne-carboxylic acid ester catalyzed by iridium complexes in water. J Am Chem Soc 130 17141-17147... 

Clearly, in the case of (66) two amide tautomers (72) and (73) are possible, but if both hydroxyl protons tautomerize to the nitrogen atoms one amide bond then becomes formally cross-conjugated and its normal resonance stabilization is not developed (c/. 74). Indeed, part of the driving force for the reactions may come from this feature, since once the cycloaddition (of 72 or 73) has occurred the double bond shift results in an intermediate imidic acid which should rapidly tautomerize. In addition, literature precedent suggests that betaines such as (74) may also be present and clearly this opens avenues for alternative mechanistic pathways. 

Apart from the nuclear bromination observed (Section 2.15.13.1) in the attempted radical bromination of a side-chain methyl group leading to (396), which may or may not have involved radical intermediates, the only other reaction of interest in this section is a light-induced reduction of certain hydroxypyrido[3,4-f)]pyrazines or their 0x0 tautomers analogous to that well-known in the pteridine field (63JCS5156). Related one-electron reduction products of laser photolysis experiments with 1 -deazaflavins have been described (79MI21502). 

Photochemical studies on the ring degradation of 3-hydroxy-l,2-benzisoxazole also yielded benzoxazolone, and (40), (41) and (42) (Scheme 14) were believed to be potential intermediates. Low temperature IR measurements indicated the presence of (42) during the photochemical reaction (73JA919, 71DIS(B)4483, 71JOC1088). Sensitization studies indicate that the rearrangement is predominantly a triplet reaction, and the keto tautomer is believed to be the key orientation for the photolysis. 

Concerted cycloadditions are observed with heterocyclics of all ring sizes. The heterocycles can react directly, or via a valence tautomer, and they can utilize all or just a part of unsaturated moieties in their rings. With three-membered rings, ylides are common reactive valence tautomers. Open chain 47T-systems are observed as intermediates with four-membered rings, and bicyclic valence tautomers are commonly reactive species in additions by large rings. Very often these reactive valence tautomers are formed under orbital symmetry control, both by thermal and by photochemical routes. 

An ipso attack on the fluorine carbon position of 4-fIuorophenol at -40 °C affords 4-fluoro-4-nitrocyclohexa-2 5-dienone in addtion to 2-nitrophenol The cyclodienone slowly isomenzes to the 2-nitrophenol Although ipso nitration on 4-fluorophenyl acetate furnishes the same cyclodienone the major by-product is 4 fluoro-2,6-dinitrophenol [25] Under similar conditions, 4-fluoroanisole pnmar ily yields the 2-nitro isomer and 6% of the cyclodienone The isolated 2 nitro isomer IS postulated to form by attack of the nitromum ion ipso to the fluorine with concomitant capture of the incipient carbocation by acetic acid Loss of the elements of methyl acetate follows The nitrodienone, being the keto tautomer of the nitrophenol, aromatizes to the isolated product [26] (equation 20) Intramolecular capture of the intermediate carbocation occurs in nitration of 2-(4-fluorophenoxy)-2-methyIpropanoic acid at low temperature to give the spiro products 3 3-di-methyl-8 fluoro 8 nitro-1,4 dioxaspiro[4 5]deca 6,9 dien 2 one and the 10-nitro isomer [2d] (equation 21)... 

A large number of Brpnsted and Lewis acid catalysts have been employed in the Fischer indole synthesis. Only a few have been found to be sufficiently useful for general use. It is worth noting that some Fischer indolizations are unsuccessful simply due to the sensitivity of the reaction intermediates or products under acidic conditions. In many such cases the thermal indolization process may be of use if the reaction intermediates or products are thermally stable (vide infra). If the products (intermediates) are labile to either thermal or acidic conditions, the use of pyridine chloride in pyridine or biphasic conditions are employed. The general mechanism for the acid catalyzed reaction is believed to be facilitated by the equilibrium between the aryl-hydrazone 13 (R = FF or Lewis acid) and the ene-hydrazine tautomer 14, presumably stabilizing the latter intermediate 14 by either protonation or complex formation (i.e. Lewis acid) at the more basic nitrogen atom (i.e. the 2-nitrogen atom in the arylhydrazone) is important. 

It has been proposed that protonation or complex formation at the 2-nitrogen atom of 14 would enhance the polarization of the r,6 -7i system and facilitate the rearrangement leading to new C-C bond formation. The equilibrium between the arylhydrazone and its ene-hydrazine tautomer is continuously promoted to the right by the irreversible rearomatization in stage II of the process. The indolization of arylhydrazones on heating in the presence of (or absence of) solvent under non-catalytic conditions can be rationalized by the formation of the transient intermediate 14 (R = H). Under these thermal conditions, the equilibrium is continuously pushed to the right in favor of indole formation. Some commonly used catalysts in this process are summarized in Table 3.4.1. 

Substituted benzofurazan oxides 9 and 11 have been studied by NMR at low temperature and were observed as a mixture of tautomers, presumably interconverting via the ortho-dinitroso intermediate 10. When R = Cl, MeO, or AcO, tautomer 9 is the more stable... 

There is some debate in the literature as to the actual mechanism of the Beirut reaction. It is not clear which of the electrophilic nitrogens of BFO is the site of nucleophilic attack or if the reactive species is the dinitroso compound 10. In the case of the unsubstituted benzofurazan oxide (R = H), the product is the same regardless of which nitrogen undergoes the initial condensation step. When R 7 H, the nucleophilic addition step determines the structure of the product and, in fact, isomeric mixtures of quinoxaline-1,4-dioxides are often observed. One report suggests that N-3 of the more stable tautomer is the site of nucleophilic attack in accord with observed reaction products. However, a later study concludes that the product distribution can be best rationalized by invoking the ortho-dinitrosobenzene form 10 as the reactive intermediate. 

Interconversion between two tautomeric structures can occur via discrete cationic or anionic intermediates (scheme 24, where T is an anion capable of reacting with a proton at a minimum of two distinct sites). Alternatively, interconversion can occur by simultaneous loss and gain of different protons (scheme 25, w here T has the same definition as in scheme 24). These mechanisms are well established for acyclic compounds, but they have been much less thoroughly investigated for heteroaromatic systems. The rate of interconversion of two tautomers is greatest when both of the alternative atoms to which the mobile proton can be attached arc hetero atoms, and isolation of the separate isomers is usually impossible in this case. If one of the alternative atoms involved in the tautomerization is carbon, the rate of interconversion is somewhat slower, but still fast. When both of the atoms in question are carbon, however, interconversion is... 

Treatment of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is reported to lead to 2-phenylisoindole (17) in yields up to 40%. An interesting possibility in this case is involvement of the isoindole valence tautomer (67) as an intermediate. P. A. Barrelt, R. P. LinsteacI, G. A. P. Tuey, and J. M. Robertson, J. Chem. Soc. p. 1809 (1939). 

JCS(P1)2673 89H1121]. As proven by crossover experiments, interconversion of the tautomers occurs intermolecularly, an ion pair 37c being the intermediate in the dissociation-recombination mechanism of the rearrangement. 

Substitution of the hetero group (XR ) at C-1 by the amino group (intermediate 149) and cyclization of its tautomer (150) with the participation of the methylene group (formation of 2,4-isomer 147). 

Nucleophilic attack of the C-3 atom of the 1,3-enyne by the primary amino group (intermediate 153) and cyclization of its tautomer (154) via the Michael-like attack at C-1 with the r XH elimination (formation of 2,6-isomer 148). 

It is believed (54IZV47 72JPR353) that in the first stage the intermediate 282 is formed due to the addition of the CH acid to the enamine moiety with subsequent elimination of amine. The enol form of the intermediate 282 undergoes cyclization in two fashions, depending on the nature of substituent X. In the case of the ester (X = OMe) the attack is directed to the cyano group to form substituted 3-methoxycarbonyl-I//-pyridin-2-one (283) or its tautomer (2-hydroxy-3-methoxycarbonylpyridine). With the amide (X = NH2) intramolecular condensation leads to 3-cyano-l//-pyridin-2-one and its hydroxy tautomer (284). 

It is likely that initially the open-chain adducts 353 and 354 are formed by the addition of an amino group either to the carbonyl function or to the triple bond, whereupon these intermediates close up to the azepines 355 and their bis-imine tautomers 356. In the H NMR spectra, the methylene protons of 356 are at 2.85-2.97 ppm, whereas the methyl protons are fixed at 2.20-2.27 ppm. The IR spectra show absorption bands corresponding to the aromatic ring (1600 cm ) and to the diazepine cycle C=N double bonds (1580 cm ). However, there are no bands of... 

Replacement of a benzene ring by its isostere, thiophene, is one of the more venerable practices in medicinal chemistry. Application of this stratagem to the NSAID piroxicam, gives tenoxicam, 136, a drug with substantially the same activity, nie synthesis of this compound starts by a multi-step conversion of hydroxy thiophene carboxylic ester 130, to the sulfonyl chloride 133. Reaction of that with N-methylglycinc ethyl ester, gives the sulfonamide 134. Base-catalyzed Claisen type condensation serves to cyclize that intermediate to the p-keto ester 135 (shown as the enol tautomer). The final product tenoxicam (136) is obtained by heating the ester with 2-aminopyridine [22]. 

Interestingly, the product actually isolated from alkyne hydration is not the vinylic alcohol, or enol (ene + ol), but is instead a ketone. Although the enol is an intermediate in the reaction, it immediately rearranges to a ketone by a process called keto-enol tautomerisni. The individual keto and enol forms are said to be tautomers, a word used to describe constitutional isomers that interconvert rapidly. With few exceptions, the keto-enol tautomeric equilibrium lies on the side of the ketone enols are almost never isolated. We ll look more closely... 

The chemistry of alkynes is dominated by electrophilic addition reactions, similar to those of alkenes. Alkynes react with HBr and HC1 to yield vinylic halides and with Br2 and Cl2 to yield 1,2-dihalides (vicinal dihalides). Alkynes can be hydrated by reaction with aqueous sulfuric acid in the presence of mercury(ll) catalyst. The reaction leads to an intermediate enol that immediately isomerizes to yield a ketone tautomer. Since the addition reaction occurs with Markovnikov regiochemistry, a methyl ketone is produced from a terminal alkyne. Alternatively, hydroboration/oxidation of a terminal alkyne yields an aldehyde. 

Figure 22.1 MECHANISM Mechanism of acid-catalyzed enol formation. The protonated intermediate can lose H+, either from the oxygen atom to regenerate the kelo tautomer or from the a carbon atom to yield an enol.

Mechanism of base-catalyzed enol formation. The intermediate enolate ion, a resonance hybrid of two forms, can be protonated either on carbon to regenerate the starting keto tautomer or on oxygen to give an enol. 

Azabicyclo[4.2.0]octatriene systems (e.g. 8), formed as nonisolable intermediates during the photochemical addition of benzonitrile or 1-naphthonitriles to phenols,16 -19 isomerize to 2-hydroxyazocines which exist predominantly as the lactam tautomers. 

Katsumura, Kitaura and their coworkers [74] found and discussed the high reactivity of vinylic vs allylic hydrogen in the photosensitized reactions of twisted 1,3-dienes in terms of the interaction in the perepoxide structure. Yoshioka and coworkers [75] investigated the effects of solvent polarity on the product distribution in the reaction of singlet oxygen with enolic tautomers of 1,3-diketones and discussed the role of the perepoxide intermediate or the perepoxide-Uke transition state to explain their results. A recent review of the ene reactions of was based on the significant intervention of the perepoxide structure [76], which can be taken as a quasi-intermediate. 

The recently reported (757) conversion of 5-pyrazolones directly to a,j8-acetylenic esters by treatment with TTN in methanol appears to be an example of thallation of a heterocyclic enamine the suggested mechanism involves initial electrophilic thallation of the 3-pyrazolin-5-one tautomer of the 5-pyrazolone to give an intermediate organothallium compound which undergoes a subsequent oxidation by a second equivalent of TTN to give a diazacyclopentadienone. Solvolysis by methanol, with concomitant elimination of nitrogen and thallium(I), yields the a,)S-acetylenic ester in excellent (78-95%) yield (Scheme 35). Since 5-pyrazolones may be prepared in quantitative yield by the reaction of /3-keto esters with hydrazine (168), this conversion represents in a formal sense the dehydration of /3-keto esters. In fact, the direct conversion of /3-keto esters to a,jS-acetylenic esters without isolation of the intermediate 5-pyrazolones can be achieved by treatment in methanol solution first with hydrazine and then with TTN. 

As early as 1899, 8tieglitz proposed a tetrahedral intermediate for the hydrolysis of an imino ether to an amide. Thns it was clear qnite early that a complicated overall transformation, imino ether to amide, would make more sense as the result of a series of simple steps. The detailed mechanism proposed, althongh reasonable in terms of what was known and believed at the time, wonld no longer be accepted, but the idea of tetrahedral intermediates was clearly in the air. 8tieglitz stated of the aminolysis of an ester that it is now commonly snpposed that the reaction takes place with the formation of an intermediate prodnct as follows referring to work of Lossen. (Note that the favored tautomer of a hydroxamic acid was as yet unknown.)... 

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