The Mannich reaction

Reactions of Carbon Nucleophiles with Carbonyl Compounds 

The Mannich reaction is the condensation of an enolizable carbonyl compound with an iminium ion.180 It is usually done using formaldehyde and introduces an a-dialkylaminomethyl substituent. 

The electrophile is often generated in situ from the amine and formaldehyde. CH2=0 + HN(CH3)2 — HOCH2N(CH3)2 CH2=N(CH3)2 

The reaction is normally limited to secondary amines, because dialkylation can occur with primary amines. The dialkylation reaction can be used to advantage in ring 

The dialkylaminomethyl ketones formed in the Mannich reaction are useful synthetic intermediates.184 Thermal elimination of the amines or the derived quaternary salts provides a-methylene carbonyl compounds. 

The Mannich reaction consists in the condensation of formaldehyde with ammonia or a primary or a secondary amine and a compound containing at least one hydrogen atom of pronounced reactivity the active hydrogen atom may be derived from a methylene group activated by a neighbouring keto group, or from a nitroparaffin, or it may be the o- or p-hydrogen atoms in phenols. Thus when acetophenone is boiled in alcoholic solution with formaldehyde and dimethylamine hydrochloride, the Mannich base P-dimethylamino-propiopbenone hydrochloride (I) is readily formed  

HjCOCHj -hCHjO + (CH3),NH,HC1- C,HjCOCH CH2N(CH,)j,HC1 (I) + H,0 The exact mechanism of the reaction is not known with certainty. It has 

The Mannfch bases have many synthetical applications. These include — 

Heating or steam distillation affords ethylenic compounds thus (I) yields pheuyl vinyl ketone (II)  

Reduction of the ethylenic compound gives a ketone, propiophenone (III), with one more methylene group than the ketone used in the original preparation  

The electrophilic species is often generated in situ from the amine and formaldehyde. 

A/V- Di methylmethyleneammonium iodide is commercially available and is known as Eschenmoser s salt .96 This compound is sufficiently electrophilic to react directly with silyl enol ethers in neutral solution.97 The reagent can be added to a solution of an enolate 

2b CH3COCH3 + CH20 + (CH3CH2)2NH2C1- — CH3COCH2CH2N(C2H5)2Cl- 66-75% 

SECTION 2.2. ADDITION REACTIONS OF MINES AND MINIUM IONS 

The Mannich reaction is very closely related to the Knoevenagel condensation reaction in that it involves iminium intermediates. The reaction, which is carried out in mildly acidic solution, effects a-alkylation of ketones and aldehydes with dialkylaminomethyl groups. The electrophilic species is the iminium ion derived 

CHAPTER 2 REACTIONS OF CARBON NUCLEOPHILES WITH CARBONYL GROUPS 

A procedure in which the iminium salt shown, A, N-dimethyl(methylene) ammonium trifluoroacetate, is isolated and added separately to an enolate ion allows Mannich bases to be prepared by routes other than those involving acidic media. This procedure is exemplified by entry 4. N,iV-Dimethyl(methylene) ammonium iodide is commercially available as Eschenmoser s salt and is sufficiently electrophilic so as to react directly with enol silyl ethers in neutral media. Ketone enolates have been converted to Mannich bases with Eschen-moser s salt (entry 5). 

The importance of the Mannich reaction stems from the synthetic utility of the resulting aminoketones. Thermal decomposition of the amines or the derived quaternary salts leads to a-methylene ketones. The decomposition of the quaternary salts is particularly facile, and they can be used as in situ sources of many a,j3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. These are useful synthetic intermediates, for 

Schreiber, H. Maag, N. Hashimoto, and A. Eschenmoser, Angew. Chem. Internet. Ed. Engl. 10, 330 (1971). 

iV-Dimethylmethyleneammonium iodide is commercially available and is known as Eschenmoser s salt. This compound is sufficiently electrophilic to react directly 

SECTION 2.2. CONDENSATION REACTIONS OF IMINES AND IMINIUM IONS 

The exact mechanism of the reaction is not known with certainty. It has 

The -substituted amino ketones can be reduced readily to the more stable fhdialkylamino alcohols, many of which are useful local anaesthetics. Thus the looal anaesthetic Tutocaine is made from the Mannich base derived from formaldehyde, methyl ethyl ketone and dimethylamine, followed by reduction and conversion into the p-aminobenzoate  

At first sight formaldehyde (methanal, CH2=0) seems the ideal electrophilic partner in a mixed aldol reaction. It cannot enolize, (Usually we are concerned with oc hydrogen atoms in an aldehyde. Formaldehyde does not even have a carbon atoms.) And it is a super aldehyde. Aldehydes are more electrophilic than ketones because a hydrogen atom replaces one of the alkyl groups. Formaldehyde has two hydrogen atoms. 

The trouble is that it is too reactive. It tends to react more than once and to give extra unwanted reactions as well. You might think that condensation between acetaldehyde and formaldehyde in base would be quite simple. The acetaldehyde alone can form an enolate, and this enolate will attack the more electrophilic carbonyl group, which is formaldehyde, like this. 

This aldol is formed all right but it is not the final product of the reaction because, with an electrophile as powerful as formaldehyde, a second and a third aldol follow swiftly on the heels of the first. Here is the mechanism ofthe second aldol. 

In each reaction the only possible enolate attacks another molecule of formaldehyde. By now you have got the idea so we simply draw the next enolate and the structure of the third aldol. 

Even this is not all. A fourth molecule of formaldehyde reacts with hydroxide ion and then reduces the third aldol. This reduction is known as the Cannizzaro reaction, and is described in the box. The final product is the highly symmetrical pentaerythritol , CfCTbOH) with four CH2OH groups joined in a tetrahedral array about the same carbon atom. 

A basic group removes a proton from the P-carbon of the iminium and forms the enamine. This enamine then reacts as a nucleophile towards the aldehyde group of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate in a simple addition reaction, and the proton necessary for neutralizing the charge is obtained from an appropriately placed amino acid residue. Finally, the iminium ion loses a proton and hydrolysis releases the product from the enzyme. 

The reaction is exactly analogous to the chemical aldol reaction (also shown), but it utilizes an enamine as the nucleophile, and it can thus be achieved under typical enzymic conditions, i.e. around neutrality and at room temperature. There is one subtle difference though, in that the enzyme produces an enamine from a primary amine. We have indicated that enamine formation is a property of secondary amines, whereas primary amines react with aldehydes and ketones to form imines (see Section 7.7.1). Thus, a further property of the enzyme is to help stabilize the enamine tautomer relative to the imine. 

We saw in Section 7.7.1 that imines and iminium ions could act as carbonyl analogues and participate in nucleophilic addition reactions. 

One simple example was the hydrolysis of imines hack to carbonyl compoimds via nucleophilic attack of water. The Mannich reaction is only a special case of nucleophilic addition to iminium ions, 

The Mannich reaction is best discussed via an example. A mixture of dimethylamine, formaldehyde and acetone under mild acidic conditions gives N,N-dimethyl-4-aminobutan-2-one. This is a two-stage process, beginning with the formation of an iminium cation from the amine and the more reactive of the two carbonyl compounds, in this case the aldehyde. This iminium cation then acts as the electrophile for addition of the nucleophile acetone. Now it would be nice if we could use the enolate anion as the nucleophile, as in the other reactions we have looked at, but under the mild acidic conditions we cannot have an anion, and the nucleophile must be portrayed as the enol tautomer of acetone. The addition is then unspectacular, and, after loss of a proton from the carbonyl, we are left with the product. 

Most reports in this category deal with asymmetric processes. For example, classic Mannich reaction of unmodified ketones, aqueous formaldehyde, and aromatic amines produces a-aminomethylation of the ketones in 99% ee, using L-proline as catalyst. 24 Methyl ketones regioselectively reacted on the methylene carbon. The method is simple, using wet solvents in the presence of air. 

Direct Mannich reactions of cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls with acyl imines, R1-CH=N-CO2R2, gives o -quaternary-carbon-bearing products (9 X = CH2, O Y = Me, OMe, OEt) with yieldIdelee up to 98/90/99%, using cinchona alkaloid catalysts 25  

A highly enantioselective direct Mannich reaction of simple /V-Boc-aryl and alkyl- imines with malonates and /1-kclo esters has been reported.27 Catalysed by cinchona alkaloids with a pendant urea moiety, bifunctional catalysis is achieved, with the urea providing cooperative hydrogen bonding, and the alkaloid giving chiral induction. With yields and ees up to 99% in dichloromethane (DCM) solvent, the mild air- and moisture-tolerant method opens up a convenient route to jV-Boc-amino acids. 

Several other asymmetric Mannich-type processes have been described. Propargyl alcohols (11) undergo an addition to imines (12), to give 2-acylallylic carbamates (13), using an oxovanadium catalyst.28 The reaction always gave the (Z)-enone, but a trial with a chiral propargyl alcohol showed virtually no enantioselectivity. 

A-Sulfonylaldimines undergo Mannich-type addition to silyl enol ethers of ketones, giving /)-amino carbonyl derivatives in up to 93% ee in the presence of a chiral ferrocene bearing S- and P-substituents complexed to copper(II).29 

Compounds capable of forming an enol react with imines from formaldehyde and a primary or secondary amine to yield /3-aminoaIkyl carbonyl componnds called Mannich bases. The following reaction of acetone, formaldehyde, and diethylamine is an example  

The Mannich reaction apparently proceeds through a variety of mechanisms depending on the reactants and the conditions that are employed. The mechanism below appears to operate in neutral or acidic media. Note the aspects in common with imine formation and with reactions of enols and carbonyl groups. 

Reaction of the secondary amine with the aldehyde forms a hemiaminal. 

The hemiaminal loses a molecule of water to form an iminium cation. 

The enol form of the active hydrogen compound reacts with 

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In a second attempt to extend the scope of Lewis-acid catalysis of Diels-Alder reactions in water, we have used the Mannich reaction to convert a ketone-activated monodentate dienophile into a potentially chelating p-amino ketone. The Mannich reaction seemed ideally suited for the purpose of introducing a second coordination site on a temporary basis. This reaction adds a strongly Lewis-basic amino functionality on a position p to the ketone. Moreover, the Mannich reaction is usually a reversible process, which should allow removal of the auxiliary after the reaction. Furthermore, the reaction is compatible with the use of an aqueous medium. Some Mannich reactions have even been reported to benefit from the use of water ". Finally, Lewis-acid catalysis of Mannich-type reactions in mixtures of organic solvents and water has been reported ". Hence, if both addition of the auxiliary and the subsequent Diels-Alder reaction benefit from Lewis-acid catalysis, the possibility arises of merging these steps into a one-pot procedure. 

In another attempt to achieve efficient coordination, we have used a strongly chelating diamine (4.43) in the Mannich reaction with 4.39 (Scheme 4.12). The reaction was performed in aqueous ethanol, producing 4.44-2HC1 in 64% yield. 

The desired pyridylamine was obtained in 69 % overall yield by monomethylation of 2-(aminomethyl)pyridine following a literature procedure (Scheme 4.14). First amine 4.48 was converted into formamide 4.49, through reaction with the in situ prepared mixed anhydride of acetic acid and formic acid. Reduction of 4.49 with borane dimethyl sulfide complex produced diamine 4.50. This compound could be used successfully in the Mannich reaction with 4.39, affording crude 4.51 in 92 % yield (Scheme 4.15). Analogous to 4.44, 4.51 also coordinates to copper(II) in water, as indicated by a shift of the UV-absorption maximum from 296 nm to 308 nm. 

There also exists an acidregioselective condensation of the aldol type, namely the Mannich reaction (B. Reichert, 1959 H. Hellmann, 1960 see also p. 291f.). The condensation of secondary amines with aldehydes yields Immonium salts, which react with ketones to give 3-amino ketones (=Mannich bases). Ketones with two enolizable CHj-groupings may form 1,5-diamino-3-pentanones, but monosubstitution products can always be obtained in high yield. Unsymmetrical ketones react preferentially at the most highly substituted carbon atom. Sterical hindrance can reverse this regioselectivity. Thermal elimination of amines leads to the a,)3-unsaturated ketone. Another efficient pathway to vinyl ketones starts with the addition of terminal alkynes to immonium salts. On mercury(ll) catalyzed hydration the product is converted to the Mannich base (H. Smith, 1964). 

The Mannich reaction can be realized with formaldehyde and secondary amines. 

The yields of this reaction are typically 40—80%. C-nmr studies (41) indicate that the reaction is a second-order process between polyacrylamide and dim ethyl am in om eth an ol, which is one of the equiUbrium products formed in the reaction between formaldehyde and dimethylamine [124-40-3] C2H2N. The Mannich reaction is reversible. Extensive dialysis of Mannich polyacrylamides removes all of the dimethyl aminomethyl substituents (42). 

Methyl vinyl ketone can be produced by the reactions of acetone and formaldehyde to form 4-hydroxy-2-butanone, followed by dehydration to the product (267,268). Methyl vinyl ketone can also be produced by the Mannich reaction of acetone, formaldehyde, and diethylamine (269). Preparation via the oxidation of saturated alcohols or ketones such as 2-butanol and methyl ethyl ketone is also known (270), and older patents report the synthesis of methyl vinyl ketone by the hydration of vinylacetylene (271,272). 

Primary nitroparaffins react with two moles of formaldehyde and two moles of amines to yield 2-nitro-l,3-propanediamines. With excess formaldehyde, Mannich bases from primary nitroparaffins and primary amines can react further to give nitro-substituted cycHc derivatives, such as tetrahydro-l,3-oxa2iaes or hexahydropyrimidines (38,39). Pyrolysis of salts of Mannich bases, particularly of the boron trifluoride complex (40), yields nitro olefins by loss of the amine moiety. Closely related to the Mannich reaction is the formation of sodium 2-nitrobutane-1-sulfonate [76794-27-9] by warming 1-nitropropane with formaldehyde and sodium sulfite (41). 

Compounds of type (42) are widely used in the dye industry (see Azo dyes). The Mannich reaction also takes place at C, as does halogenation and nitration. The important analgesic aminoantipyrine [83-07-8] (43) on photolysis in methanol undergoes ring fission to yield (44) (27). 

Disubstituted pyridazine-3,6(l//,2//)-diones add halogens to the 4,5-double bond, followed by dehydrohalogenation to give 4-halo derivatives. 1,2-Disubstituted 5-bromopyridazine-3,6(l//,2F0 diones react with bromine to give the corresponding 4,5-dibromo derivative. The Mannich reaction with 2-arylpyridazin-3(2//)-one occurs at position 4. 

Frontier orbital theory predicts that electrophilic substitution of pyrroles with soft electrophiles will be frontier controlled and occur at the 2-position, whereas electrophilic substitution with hard electrophiles will be charge controlled and occur at the 3-position. These predictions may be illustrated by the substitution behaviour of 1-benzenesulfonylpyr-role. Nitration and Friedel-Crafts acylation of this substrate occurs at the 3-position, whereas the softer electrophiles generated in the Mannich reaction (R2N=CH2), in formylation under Vilsmeier conditions (R2N=CHC1) or in formylation with dichloromethyl methyl ether and aluminum chloride (MeO=CHCl) effect substitution mainly in the 2-position (81TL4899, 81TL4901). Formylation of 2-methoxycarbonyl-l-methylpyrrole with... 

The benzo[6] heterocycles are generally less reactive than their monocyclic counterparts. Thus benzo[6]thiophene unlike thiophene does not undergo Vilsmeier formylation or the Mannich reaction. 

An important extension of these reactions is the Mannich reaction, in which aminomethyl-ation is achieved by the combination of formaldehyde, a secondary amine and acetic acid (Scheme 24). The intermediate immonium ion generated from formaldehyde, dimethyl-amine and acetic acid is not sufficiently reactive to aminomethylate furan, but it will form substitution products with alkylfurans. The Mannich reaction appears to be still more limited in its application to thiophene chemistry, although 2-aminomethylthiophene has been prepared by reaction of thiophene with formaldehyde and ammonium chloride. The use of A,iV-dimethyf (methylene) ammonium chloride (Me2N=CH2 CF) has been recommended for the iV,iV-dimethylaminomethylation of thiophenes (83S73). 

Perhaps the most important application of the Mannich reaction is in the synthesis of 3-dialkylaminoindoles. Intramolecular versions of this reaction are also possible, as illustrated by the formation of the /S-carboline (73). 

N-Unsubstituted pyrazoles and imidazoles add to unsaturated compounds in Michael reactions, for example acetylenecarboxylic esters and acrylonitrile readily form the expected addition products. Styrene oxide gives rise, for example, to 1-styrylimidazoles (76JCS(P1)545). Benzimidazole reacts with formaldehyde and secondary amines in the Mannich reaction to give 1-aminomethyl products. 

Pyrazolones show a great variety of reactions with carbonyl compounds (B-76MI40402). For instance, antipyrine is 4-hydroxymethylated by formaldehyde and it also undergoes the Mannich reaction. Tautomerizable 2-pyrazolin-5-ones react with aldehydes to yield compound (324) and with acetone to form 4-isopropylidene derivatives or dimers (Scheme 8 Section 4.02.1.4.10). 

The Mannich reaction of 2-oxo- (146) and 2-thioxotetrahydro-pyrimidines yields the hexahydropyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidin-2(l//)-one (147) and the corresponding thione. 

The Mannich reaction has been employed to obtain the pyr-N-substituted l,2,3,4-tetrahydro-j8-carboline 319, and intramolecular Mannich reactions at the pyr-N of suitably 1-substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-jS-carbohnes with formaldehyde 149,359-361... 

Heterocycles as reagents and substrates in modem modifications of the Mannich reaction 98AG(E)1045. 

TABLE XX. Aminomethylethynylpyrazoles Prepared by the Mannich Reaction [72IZV2524 93MIP1],... 

The condensation reaction of a CH-acidic compound—e.g. a ketone 3—with formaldehyde 1 and ammonia 2 is called the Mannich reaction, the reaction products 4 are called Mannich bases. The latter are versatile building blocks in organic synthesis, and of particular importance in natural products synthesis. 

The Mannich reactions plays an important role in pharmaceutical chemistry. Many /3-aminoalcohols show pharmacological activity. The Mannich reaction can take place under physiological conditions (with respect to pH, temperature, aqueous solution), and therefore can be used in a biomimetic synthesis e.g. in the synthesis of alkaloids. 

The synthesis of tropinone 14, a precursor of atropine and related compounds, is a classical example. In 1917 Robinson has prepared tropinone 14 by a Mannich reaction of succindialdehyde 11 and methylamine 12 with acetone 13 better yields of tropinone were obtained when he used the calcium salt of acetonedicar-boxylic acid instead of acetone. Modern variants are aimed at control of regio-and stereoselectivity of the Mannich reaction. ... 

An a-amino acid 3 can be prepared by treating aldehyde 1 with ammonia and hydrogen cyanide and a subsequent hydrolysis of the intermediate a-amino nitrile 2. This so-called Strecker synthesis - is a special case of the Mannich reaction-, it has found application for the synthesis of a-amino acids on an industrial scale. The reaction also works with ketones to yield a, a -disubstituted a-amino acids. 

A rather more complex amino alcohol side chain is accessible by a variation of the Mannich reaction. Taking advantage of the acidic proton in acetylenes, propargyl acetate (62) is condensed with formaldehyde and dimethylamine to give the acetylated amino... 

Thus, reduction of the Mannich reaction product (65) from acetophenone leads to alcohol 66. Replacement of the hydroxyl group by chlorine (67) followed by displacement of halogen with the anion from o-cresol affords the ether 68. Removal of one of the methyl groups on nitrogen by means of the von Braun reaction or its modem equivalent (reaction with alkyl chloroformate followed by saponification) leads to racemic 69 which is then resolved with L-(+)-mandelic acid to give the levorotary antidepressant tomoxetine (69) [16]. 

The Mannich reaction of polyacrylamide with formaldehyde and an amine may be used for the obtaining product that contains N-methylol groups (or ethers or ethers thereoO-... 

Radical copolymerization is used in the manufacturing of random copolymers of acrylamide with vinyl monomers. Anionic copolymers are obtained by copolymerization of acrylamide with acrylic, methacrylic, maleic, fu-maric, styrenesulfonic, 2-acrylamide-2-methylpro-panesulfonic acids and its salts, etc., as well as by hydrolysis and sulfomethylation of polyacrylamide Cationic copolymers are obtained by copolymerization of acrylamide with jV-dialkylaminoalkyl acrylates and methacrylates, l,2-dimethyl-5-vinylpyridinum sulfate, etc. or by postreactions of polyacrylamide (the Mannich reaction and Hofmann degradation). Nonionic copolymers are obtained by copolymerization of acrylamide with acrylates, methacrylates, styrene derivatives, acrylonitrile, etc. Copolymerization methods are the same as the polymerization of acrylamide. 

Phenols, secondary and tertiary aromatic amines, pyrroles, and indoles can be aminomethylated by treatment with formaldehyde and a secondary amine. Other aldehydes have sometimes been employed. Aminoalkylation is a special case of the Mannich reaction (16-15). When phenols and other activated aromatic compounds are treated withA-hydroxymethylchloroacetamide, amidomethylation takes place " ... 

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