Tetrahydrofuran ring systems

The oxolane (tetrahydrofuran) ring system can be incorporated into polymers either by polymerization of the suitably substituted heterocycle itself or by addition polymerization of a dihydrofuran derivative. A prime example of the former case is found in the utilization, as a component of adhesives and coatings for example, of the acrylate (38) and methacrylate (39) esters of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol. Although the bulk of the investigations concerning these monomers is recorded in the patent literature, a detailed study of the polymerization behavior of ester (39) has appeared (74MI11101) that indicates it is a fairly typical methacrylate monomer. 

The bis(silyloxy)furans also react with substituted benzaldehydes in the presence of titanium tetrachloride to give diaryldioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane-4,8-diones (39 equation 1) (80TL3427). Bis-lactones of this structure type have been isolated from the cultured mushroom Inonotus sp. K-1410. The bis(silyloxy)furans also hold promise for the construction of natural lignans that exhibit a skeleton made up of two fused tetrahydrofuran ring systems. 

A novel series of chiral grass herbicides based on the benzyloxy substituted tetrahydrofuran ring system has been prepared. These compounds are readily accessible synthetically from diacetone-D-glucose which serves as a chiral template possessing the appropriate stereochemistry for elaboration to the active herbicides. The degree of herbicidal activity is related to the molecular shape of these compounds and especially to the orientation of the substituents around the tetrahydrofuran ring. The chemistry and empirical structure-activity relationships of these compounds will be discussed. 

Propiolactones have been studied, as have polyesters derived from cis and trans 2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofuran ring systems where properties have been related to stereochemistry. 

Polymerization of alkynes by Ni" complexes produces a variety of products which depend on conditions and especially on the particular nickel complex used. If, for instance, O-donor ligands such as acetylacetone or salicaldehyde are employed in a solvent such as tetrahydrofuran or dioxan, 4 coordination sites are available and cyclotetramerization occurs to give mainly cyclo-octatetraene (cot). If a less-labile ligand such as PPhj is incorporated, the coordination sites required for tetramerization are not available and cyclic trimerization to benzene predominates (Fig. A). These syntheses are amenable to extensive variation and adaptation. Substituted ring systems can be obtained from the appropriately substituted alkynes while linear polymers can also be produced. 

The spontaneous polymerization of furan adsorbed on carbon black with or without SnCl4 vapours35 has been explained by a similar cationic mechanism. Also, the polymerization of gaseous furan on liquid acidic surfaces35 has the same origin, but in these systems the polymers suffer an acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of their tetrahydrofuran rings which produces a considerable proportion of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups. 

For the depiction of structural formulas of hexofuranoses, a combination of a three-dimensional, Haworth-perspective tetrahydrofuran ring with a Fischer projection of the C-5-C-6 side-chain is commonly used, as exemplified by formulas 3 and 6. With the formal closure of the second ring and formation of a 2,6-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane system, however, the depiction of the C-6-C-3 ring, as in formula 7, also assumes three-dimensional geometry, and this does not correspond to the Fischer projection rule.11 Consequently, structural representations of such bicyclic molecules should be as close as possible to the actual steric situation, as shown by structures 4 and 8. 

These authors found that nucleophilic additions to the unsubstituted ring system 1 can be carried out to yield a number of 7-substituted dihydro products or, in some cases, where an oxidation can follow this addition, also 7-substituted heteroaromatic derivatives (Scheme 6). Thus, reaction of 1 with indole under acidic conditions (in trifluoroacetic acid) yields 7-(177-indol-3-yl)-7,8-dihydrotetrazolo[l,5- ][l,2,4]triazine 24 <1998ZOR450>. Reaction of 1 with 3,4-difluoroacetophenone in the presence of potassium /frt-butoxide in tetrahydrofuran followed by... 

The ring system in these dianhydro hexitols is of interest and worthy of some discussion. The formula of isomannide (LXX) based on the Fischer projection formula for sugars does not convey the real character of the molecule and the author has chosen to write these substances as two fused tetrahydrofuran rings. Scale models show this to be a more exact representation. Thus isomannide is written as LXXI, isosorbide as LXXII, and L-isoidide as LXXIII. 

Hydroxymethylfurfural. 2,5-Di(hydroxymethyl)furan can be synthesized from 5-HMF via hydrogenation (Scheme 16). Under a hydrogen pressure of 7 MPa at 140 °C in the presence of platinum or copper catalysts, practically quantitative yields of 2,5-di(hydroxymethyl)furan can be obtained.However, under similar conditions but with palladium or nickel as catalyst, hydrogenation of the ring system occurs so that 2,5-di(hydroxymethyl)-tetrahydrofuran is obtained as the predominant product. 

Carbonyl ylides were first reported to undergo intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to C—C double bonds in 1980.121 New polycyclic ring systems containing a tetrahydrofuran are formed. Dipola-... 

Compounds containing furan, tetrahydrofuran, and thiophene ring systems. 

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