Tetra-n-butylammonium formate

Corey and Terashima used the Sn2 displacement with tetra-n-butylammonium formate in one step in a synthesis of ent-l l.lS-epi-POF.j (6). Thus reaction of (4) with 6.7 eq. of tetra-n-butylammonium formate in acetone at 25° for 16 hr. gave the inverted formate (5), which was transformed, by a sequence used previously, into (6). 

In addition, NaOMe, and NaNH2, have also been employed. Applieation of phase-transfer conditions with tetra-n-butylammonium iodide showed marked improvement for the epoxide formation. Furthermore, many complex substituted sulfur ylides have been synthesized and utilized. For instance, stabilized ylide 20 was prepared and treated with a-D-a/lo-pyranoside 19 to furnish a-D-cyclopropanyl-pyranoside 21. Other examples of substituted sulfur ylides include 22-25, among which aminosulfoxonium ylide 25, sometimes known as Johnson s ylide, belongs to another category. The aminosulfoxonium ylides possess the configurational stability and thermal stability not enjoyed by the sulfonium and sulfoxonium ylides, thereby are more suitable for asymmetric synthesis. 

The ammonium catalyst can also influence the reaction path and higher yields of the desired product may result, as the side reactions are eliminated. In some cases, the structure of the quaternary ammonium cation may control the product ratio with potentially tautomeric systems as, for example, with the alkylation of 2-naph-thol under basic conditions. The use of tetramethylammonium bromide leads to predominant C-alkylation at the 1-position, as a result of the strong ion-pair binding of the hard quaternary ammonium cation with the hard oxy anion, whereas with the more bulky tetra-n-butylammonium bromide O-alkylation occurs, as the binding between the cation and the oxygen centre is weaker [11], Similar effects have been observed in the alkylation of methylene ketones [e.g. 12, 13]. The stereochemistry of the Darzen s reaction and of the base-initiated formation of cyclopropanes under two-phase conditions is influenced by the presence or absence of quaternary ammonium salts [e.g. 14], whereas chiral quaternary ammonium salts are capable of influencing the enantioselectivity of several nucleophilic reactions (Chapter 12). 

Tetrabromopyridine reacts with 1,2-dihydroxybenzcne to yield the dibromoazaphenoxane [34], Tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride catalyses the conversion of 5-chloro-l-phenyltetrazole into tetrazol-5-yl glycosides, which are useful precursors for the formation of glycosyl fluorides [45]. 

As the integrity of chiral alcohols are retained in the phase-transfer catalysed O-alkylation, the procedure is valuable for the synthesis of chiral ethers under mild conditions as, for example, in the preparation of alkoxyallenes via the initial formation of chiral propargyl ethers [8]. It has been proposed that a combination of 18-crown-6 and tetra-n-butylammonium iodide provide the best conditions for the O-benzylation of diethyl tartrate with 99% retention of optical purity [9]. 

The almost instantaneous intramolecular ether formation by reaction of phenoxy anions, generated from the silyl ethers with a stoichiometric amount of tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride, on mesylate esters has been used to synthesize labile benzo-0-2-isocephams (>90%) [20]. 

The direct formation of A-substituted phthalimides from phthalic anhydride and alkyl azides, via the intermediate RN=PPh, compound, is catalysed by the presence of tetra-n-butylammonium cyanide [34],... 

A phase-transfer catalysed nucleophilic displacement reaction on chloro-acetanilides by cyanate ions, followed by ring-closure (Scheme 5.10), provides a simple and viable synthesis of hydantoins [41], The formation of the hydantoins is inhibited by substituents in the orf/to-position of the aryl ring, but the addition of potassium iodide, or tetra-n-butylammonium iodide, generally increases the overall rate of formation of the cyclic compounds, presumably by facilitating the initial nucleophilic substitution step. 

Zirconium tetrachloride promotes a tandem nucleophilic addition and aldol-type condensation reaction of methyl propynoate, or /V,/V-dimethylpropynamidc, with aldehydes, or ketones, in the presence of tetra-n-butylammonium iodide (Scheme 6.13) [8] with a high selectivity towards the formation of Z-isomers. A similar reaction occurs between aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes and penta-3,4-dien-2-one to yield 1-substituted 2-acetyl-3-iodobut-3-enols (50-75%) [9]. 

Carbanions, generated by the reaction of benzylsilanes with tetra-n-butylammo-nium fluoride react with non-enolizable aldehydes to produce the alcohol [67], When a stoichiometric amount of the ammonium fluoride is used, the methylarene corresponding to the benzylsilane is frequently a by-product and arises from formation of the hydrogen difluoride salt during the reaction. When only catalytic amounts of the ammonium fluoride initiate the reaction, the formation of the methylarene is suppressed. In a similar type of reaction (although the mechanism is not known) between aldehydes and ketones, allyl bromide, and tin in the presence of trimethylsilyl chloride the yield of the but-l-en-4-ol is raised significantly by the addition of tetra-n-butylammonium bromide, particularly in the reactions with... 

Cyloheptatrienylidene carbene is generated when trimethylsilyltropylium tetra-fluonoborate is treated with a stoichiometric excess of tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride in dichloromethane [50], Although the carbene dimerizes readily, it will react with electron-deficient alkenes (see Section 7.3). Tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride in a stoichiometric amount promotes the formation of adamantylidenevinylidene from 2-bromo-2-(trimethylsilylethynyl)adamantane [51 ]. 

Compared with primary and secondary amines, tertiary amines are virtually unreac-tive towards carbenes and it has been demonstrated that they behave as phase-transfer catalysts for the generation of dichlorocarbene from chloroform. For example, tri-n-butylamine and its hydrochloride salt have the same catalytic effect as tetra-n-butylammonium chloride in the generation of dichlorocarbene and its subsequent insertion into the C=C bond of cyclohexene [20]. However, tertiary amines are generally insufficiently basic to deprotonate chloroform and the presence of sodium hydroxide is normally required. The initial reaction of the tertiary amine with chloroform, therefore, appears to be the formation of the A -ylid. This species does not partition between the two phases and cannot be responsible for the insertion reaction of the carbene in the C=C bond. Instead, it has been proposed that it acts as a lipophilic base for the deprotonation of chloroform (Scheme 7.26) to form a dichloromethylammonium ion-pair, which transfers into the organic phase where it decomposes to produce the carbene [21]. 

Complex iron(III) salts are frequently used in oxidative arene coupling reactions and quinone formation and tetra-n-butylammonium hexacyanoferrate(III) has several advantages in it use over more conventional oxidative procedures. When used as the dihydrogen salt, Bu4N[H2Fe(CN)6], it oxidizes 2,6-di-z-buty 1-4-methylphenol (1) to the coupled diarylethane (2), or aryl ethers (3) and (4) (Scheme 10.4), depending on the solvent. It is noteworthy that no oxidation occurs even after two days with the tris-ammonium salt. 

A difference in the reactivities and selectivities between tetra-n-butylammonium borohydride and sodium borohydride in the reduction of conjugated ketones is well illustrated with A1-9 2-octalone (Scheme 11.3) [17], Reduction with the sodium salt in tetrahydrofuran is relatively slow and produces the allylic alcohol (1) and the saturated alcohol (2) in a 1.2 1 ratio whereas, in contrast, tetra-n-butylammonium borohydride produces the non-conjugated alcohol (3) (50%) and the saturated alcohol (2) (47%), with minor amounts of the ketone (4), and the allylic alcohol (1) [16]. It has been proposed that (3) results from an initial unprecedented formation of a dienolate anion and its subsequent reduction. 

Alkali metal borohydrides are frequently used for the reduction of rc-electron-deficient heteroaromatic systems, but reduction of jt-electron-excessive arenes is generally possible only after protonation of the systems [e.g. 35-37]. The use of tetra-n-butylammonium borohydride under neutral conditions for the conversion of alkylindoles into indolines [38] is therefore somewhat unusual. Reduction of indoles by diborane under strongly alkaline conditions involves the initial interaction of the indolyl anion with the diborane to form an amino-borane which, under the basic conditions, reacts with a second molecule of diborane to produce the indoline [39]. The reaction of tetra-n-butylammonium borohydride with indoles could also proceed via the intermediate formation of diborane. 

Tetra-n-butylammonium hydrogen sulphate facilitates the enantiomeric epoxida-tion of alkenes by persulphates in the presence of chiral ketones (10.6.8). The reaction proceeds via the initial formation of chiral dioxiranes [23]. 

A similar dependence of the first-order rate constants with respect to the quantity of added water has been reported for the reaction of sodium formate with 1,4-dichlorobutane and related displacement reactions, In these studies tetra- n-butylammonium hydrogen sulphate and tetra- n-butylammonium bromide were used as catalysts and chlorobenzene as the solvent. 

A reagent composed of tetra-n-butylammonium nitrate and TFAA in methylene chloride has been used to nitrate a series of A-alkyl and A-aryl amides (40-90 %). The formation of significant amounts of A-nitrosamides was noted. Tetra-n-butylammonium nitrate and triflic anhydride in methylene chloride has been used to successfully nitrate a variety of heterocyclic amides, imides and ureas (66). ... 

The phenomena enumerated in Section 2.4 do not, of course, fully describe all the differences between chemical and electrode processes of ion radical formation. From time to time, effects are found that cannot be clearly interpreted and categorized. For instance, one paper should be mentioned. It bears the symbolic title ir- and a-Diazo Radical Cations Electronic and Molecular Structure of a Chemical Chameleon (Bally et al. 1999). In this work, diphenyldiazomethane and its 15N2, 13C, and Di0 isotopomers, as well as the CH2-CH2 bridged derivative, 5-diazo-10,ll-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptene, were ionized via one-electron electrolytic or chemical oxidation. Both reactions were performed in the same solvent (dichloromethane). Tetra-n-butylammonium tetrafluoroborate served as the supporting salt in the electrolysis. The chemical oxidation was carried out with tris(4-bromophenyl)-or tris(2,4-dibromophenyl)ammoniumyl hexachloroantimonates. Two distinct cation radicals that corresponded to it- and a-types were observed in both types of one-electron oxidation. These electromers are depicted in Scheme 2-28 for the case of diphenyldiazomethane. 

Fig. 4. Danishefsky s total synthesis formation of cyclobutanone, sulfenylation, and successive oxidation reactions. DME = 1,2-dimeth-oxyethane, TBAF = tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride, NMO = A/-methyl-morpholine-N-oxide.

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