Tautomerization, importance

This reaction is a clear example of the importance of tautomeric equilibrium studies in this series since, to the extent that the starting thiazolone does not epimerize in the medium, asymmetric induction may be expected in this reaction (453, 455). 

In the first chapter, devoted to thiazole itself, specific emphasis has been given to the structure and mechanistic aspects of the reactivity of the molecule most of the theoretical methods and physical techniques available to date have been applied in the study of thiazole and its derivatives, and the results are discussed in detail The chapter devoted to methods of synthesis is especially detailed and traces the way for the preparation of any monocyclic thiazole derivative. Three chapters concern the non-tautomeric functional derivatives, and two are devoted to amino-, hydroxy- and mercaptothiazoles these chapters constitute the core of the book. All discussion of chemical properties is complemented by tables in which all the known derivatives are inventoried and characterized by their usual physical properties. This information should be of particular value to organic chemists in identifying natural or Synthetic thiazoles. Two brief chapters concern mesoionic thiazoles and selenazoles. Finally, an important chapter is devoted to cyanine dyes derived from thiazolium salts, completing some classical reviews on the subject and discussing recent developments in the studies of the reaction mechanisms involved in their synthesis. 

In mordant dyes, phenols, naphthols, and enolizable carbonyl compounds, such as pyrazolones, are generally the couplers. As a rule, 2 1 metal complexes are formed ia the afterchroming process. A typical example of a mordant dye is Eriochrome Black T (18b) which is made from the important dyestuff iatermediate nitro-l,2,4-acid, 4-amiQO-3-hydroxy-7-nitro-l-naphthalenesulfonic acid [6259-63-8]. Eriochrome Red B [3618-63-1] (49) (Cl Mordant Red 7 Cl 18760) (1, 2,4-acid — l-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone) is another example. The equiUbrium of the two tautomeric forms depends on the nature of the solvent. 

The tautomeric equilibria of these heterocycles always involve one or more non-aromatic tautomers. An important factor in determining the extent to which such non-aromatic tautomers are involved is the magnitude of the potential loss of resonance energy. 

Complex tautomerism for azoles with heteroatoms in the 1,2-positions occurs for pyrazoles which are not substituted on nitrogen. Scheme 10 shows the four important tautomeric structures (148)-(151) for 3-methylpyrazolin-5-one, and (152) and (153) as examples of other possible structures. A detailed investigation of this system disclosed that in aqueous solution (polar medium) the importance of the tautomers is (149) > (151) (150) or (148), whereas in cyclohexane solution (non-polar medium) (151) > (148) (149) or (150). 

These compounds are usually written in the unionized form as in (8 Z = NH, NR, O, S). Canonical forms of types (9) or (10) are important, i.e. these compounds can also be considered as betaines formally derived from azolium ions. Many compounds of this type are tautomeric and such tautomerism is discussed in Section 4.01.5.2. 

The use of UV spectroscopy as an identification method is continuously decreasing in relative importance compared to the use of NMR or mass spectrometry. However, due to the general validity of Beer s law, it continues to be an appropriate method for quantitative studies such as the measurement of ionization constants (Section 4.04.2.1.3(iv) and (v)) and the determination of tautomeric equilibrium constants (Section 4.04.4.1.5). 

Annular tautomerism does not occur in isothiazoles or benzisothiazoles. Substituent tautomers can sometimes be distinguished by chemical methods, but it is important that reaction mechanisms and the relative rates of interconversion of tautomeric starting materials or isomeric reaction products are carefully investigated. Physical methods only will be considered in this section, and references to original publications can be found in a comprehensive review (76AHC(S1)1). 

Any heterocycle containing the OCH=CH moiety can in principle extrude the superfluous fragment and form oxirene, as illustrated for a five-membered ring in Scheme 105. Probably the most propitious AB fragment would be nitrogen, but the required 1,2,3-oxadiazole (123) is unknown (see Chapter 4.21), probably because of ready valence tautomerization to diazoethanal (Scheme 106) (this approach has been spectacularly successful with the sulfur analogue of (2) (8UA486)). The use of (123) as an oxirene precursor is thus closely linked to the important diazo ketone decompositions discussed in Section 5.05.6.3.4(f). 

In the genuine low-temperature chemical conversion, which implies the incoherent tunneling regime, the time dependence of the reactant and product concentrations is detected in one way or another. From these kinetic data the rate constant is inferred. An example of such a case is the important in biology tautomerization of free-base porphyrines (H2P) and phtalocyanins (H2PC), involving transfer of two hydrogen atoms between equivalent positions in the square formed by four N atoms inside a planar 16-member heterocycle (fig. 42). 

This type of mesomerisin is much more important in enamines possessing a tertiary nitrogen atom than in those possessing a secondary nitrogen atom since the latter exist largely in the tautomeric imino form (2). 

The position of the equilibrium is determined not only by ring size and polar and steric factors but also by the environment of the molecule. The experimental evidence for the existence of three tautomeric forms has been based on the study of their reactivity and, to a lesser degree, on physicochemical measurements 175-177). Often the existence of the corresponding carbinolamine or its acyclic tautomeric form in addition to the basic dehydrated form is quite important. 

The importance of ring size holds also for tautomerism of -pyrrol-5-ones and. d -dihydro-6-pyridones. While the former compounds behave as cyclic 1-methyl-2-alkyl-2-hydroxy-5-pyrrolidones 179) (76) [or, on distillation, as the dehydrated l-methyl-2-alkyl-J -pyrrolones (77)], the latter compounds exist as acyclic N-methylamides of 8-oxo-acids (78) [as shown by infrared spectroscopy (/80)j. The dehydration of 78 during distillation to form l-methyl-2-alkyl-. -dihydro-6-pyridones (79) is achieved only with difficulty. 

Modern concepts have been extended to the chemistry of heterocyclic compounds more slowly than to the chemistry of aromatic and aliphatic systems, but efforts are now being made to classify and explain the properties and reactions of heterocyclic compounds in terms of these newer ideas (cf. reference 11). However, many of the most important heterocyclic compounds are potentially tautomeric, and elucidation of their tautomeric composition must precede a logical treatment of their properties. Further, many natural products such as the nucleic acids and alkaloids contain potentially tautomeric groups and information of this type is needed for a detailed explanation of th reactions which they undergo,... 

Methods of the first type have been used for both qualitative and quantitative investigation. An important limitation is that the rates of interconversion of the tautomeric forms must be small as compared with those of the test reaction (s). The method is further complicated since the test reactions are sometimes complex and it is difficult to be certain that only one tautomer is reacting. An even more fundamental objection is that much chemical evidence is based on incorrect reaction mechanisms. Thus, the formation of condensation products (30) with aldehydes has repeatedly been quoted as evidence for structures of type 31 and against type 32,. whereas if 31 does react with an aldehyde it must either first tautomerize to 32 or ionize to 33. 

The whole concept of direct methylation has recently been critically reviewed and rejected by Gompper as a method to study tautomerism. The difference in the proportions of the two methyl derivatives produced w hen diazomethane is in excess, or the reverse, has now been ascribed to the relative importance of the Sn and Sn reactions of the tautomeric compound with diazomethane. The proportions of N- and 0-methyl derivatives formed by the reaction of cyclic amides with diazomethane has been related to the infrared vC—O frequencies. ... 

In general, physical methods have been used to study tautomerism more successfully than chemical methods, and, of the physical methods, those involving measurements of basicities and ultraviolet spectra are the most important, followed by those involving measurement of infrared and proton resonance spectra. An attempt is made here to delineate the scope and to indicate the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods. A short review by Mason of the application of spectroscopic methods appeared in 1955. Recently a set of reviews on the applications of physical methods to heterocyclic chemistry has appeared, which treats incidentally the determination of tautomeric structure. 

Techniques such as Raman spectroscopy and the determination of heate of combustion and reaction could possibly be applied to the study of tautomerism, but so far they have not become important. 

According to a molecular orbital calculation of Veber and Lwowski, isoindole should be favored over its tautomer, isoindolenine, by about 8 kcal/mole. However, the calculated electronic distribution is markedly different in the two oases, particularly at position 1, and it is to be expected that the nature and pattern of substituents will play an important role in determining the position of tautomeric equilibrium between these two species. 

The phenomenon of tautomerism comprises many different types of which the prototropic tautomerism that we consider here is only one. Prototropic tautomerism exists when the two tautomers differ only in the position of a proton (this is, of course, an approximation there are other differences between two tautomers, for example, in precise bond lengths). Other important types of tautomerism include the following (1) anioniotropy, where the two tautomers differ only in the position of an anion, which moves from one place to another in the molecule (2) cationiotropy, where the two tautomers differ in the position of a cation (other than a proton), which moves from one place to another in the molecule (3) ring-chain tautomerism and (4) bond-valence tautomerism. 

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