Thiocyanates, displacement reactions

Solvent for Displacement Reactions. As the most polar of the common aprotic solvents, DMSO is a favored solvent for displacement reactions because of its high dielectric constant and because anions are less solvated in it (87). Rates for these reactions are sometimes a thousand times faster in DMSO than in alcohols. Suitable nucleophiles include acetyUde ion, alkoxide ion, hydroxide ion, azide ion, carbanions, carboxylate ions, cyanide ion, hahde ions, mercaptide ions, phenoxide ions, nitrite ions, and thiocyanate ions (31). Rates of displacement by amides or amines are also greater in DMSO than in alcohol or aqueous solutions. Dimethyl sulfoxide is used as the reaction solvent in the manufacture of high performance, polyaryl ether polymers by reaction of bis(4,4 -chlorophenyl) sulfone with the disodium salts of dihydroxyphenols, eg, bisphenol A or 4,4 -sulfonylbisphenol (88). These and related reactions are made more economical by efficient recycling of DMSO (89). Nucleophilic displacement of activated aromatic nitro groups with aryloxy anion in DMSO is a versatile and useful reaction for the synthesis of aromatic ethers and polyethers (90). 

Alkylthiocyanates have been prepared in higji yield by reaction of alkali metal thiocyanates with various primary and secondary alkyl halides under phase transfer conditions. Quaternary alkylammonium salts [12—14], crown ethers [15], cryptates [16], and tertiary amines [14] have all proved effective phase transfer catalysts for this reaction (Eq. 13.7 and Table 13.4). The mechanism of the thiocyanate displacement is probably similar to that of the cyanide displacement reaction (see Sect. 7.2). 

The effect of a substituent may be substantially modified by fast, concurrent, reversible addition of the nucleophile to an electrophilic center in the substituent. Ortho- and para-CS.0 and pam-CN groups have been found by Miller and co-workers to have a much reduced activating effect on the displacement of halogen in 2-nitrohaloben-zenes with methoxide ion [reversible formation of hemiacetal (143) and imido ester anions (144)] than with azide ion (less interaction) or thiocyanate (little, if any, interaction). Formation of 0-acyl derivatives of 0x0 derivatives or of A-oxides, hydrogen bonding to these moieties, and ionization of substituents are other examples of reversible and often relatively complete modifications under reaction conditions. If the interaction is irreversible, such as hydrolysis of a... 

Attempted selective displacement (96) of the primary tosylate function in 34 with sodium iodide in refluxing 2-butanone led to the 6-deoxy-6-iodo derivative 35 in 32% yield only, while the di-iodo derivative 36 was formed in 45% yield. These results are to be compared with those reported by Owen and Ragg (85) who observed no reaction with either potassium thiolacetate or potassium thiocyanate in the corresponding / -series. 

Displacement by cyanide works particularly well, and many other nucleophilic substitution reactions are enhanced by PTC. Most monovalent anions can be transferred, including alkoxides, phenoxides, thiocyanates, nitrates, nitrites, superoxides and all of the halides. Divalent anions are usually too hydrophilic to be transferred into the organic phase. 

Trifluoromethyl thioethers are produced in a fluoride-catalysed one-pot reaction of alkyl or aryl thiocyanates with trifluoromethyl silanes [37]. The reaction is initiated by fluoride ion displacement of the trifluoromethyl anion from the silane the thioether is formed from the thiocyanate by displacement by the trifluoromethyl anion of the cyanide ion, which then perpetuates the reaction. Trifluoromethyl selenoethers are obtained by an analogous route. In a similar manner, disulphides can be converted into trifluoromethyl thio- or selenoethers [38],... 

In the unconventional synthesis of thioethers (Scheme 4.11), cyanide ion is displaced from thiocyanates by carbanions [52, 53], which have been generated under phase-transfer catalytic conditions (cf. 4.1.12). Thiocyanates are readily obtained by a standard catalysed nucleophilic substitution reaction [4, 54-58] (see Table 4.19). Aryl thiocyanates are obtained from activated aryl halides [4, 57] (see Chapter 2). 

Some alkyl and aryl-thio compounds are known, most being prepared by nucleophilic displacement of halo or nitro groups. Examples of furazans fused to dithianes have also been described bis-furazan (75) can be prepared either by dehydration of the tetraoxime or by reaction of potassium thiocyanate with dinitrofurazan <95MI 405-03). 

This approach applies only when we are certain that the substrate is mainly in the form of the free ion at the lowest anion concentrations. This is true in the chloride exchange of cw-[Co en2 Cl2]+ in methanol and we can safely conclude that the mechanism is unimolecular (8, 9. 10, 11, 26, 27). This condition did not exist when we studied the displacement of water in trans-[Co en2N02H20]+2 by anions where, because of the large ion association constants, none of the substrate was in the free ion form under reaction conditions. However, in the reaction between trans-[Co en2N02Br]+ and thiocyanate in sulfolane, the substrate was mainly in the free ion form. The observed second-order kinetic form was fully consistent with assigning a bimolecular mechanism to the rearrangement of the ion pair. 

Nondestructive reactions of trisacetylacetonates of chromium(lll), cobalt(lll), and rhodium(lll) are reviewed. Halogenation, nitration, thiocyanation, acylation, formylation, chloromethylation, and aminomethylation take place at the central carbon of the chelate rings. Trisubstituted chelates were obtained in all cases except acylation and formylation. Unsymmetrically and partially substituted chelates have been prepared. Substitutions on partially resolved acetylacetonates yielded optically active products. NMR spectra of unsymmetrically substituted, diamagnetic chelates were interpreted as evidence for aromatic ring currents. Several groups were displaced from the chelate rings under electrophilic conditions. The synthesis of the chromium(lll) chelate of mal-onaldehyde is outlined. 

The reaction of a 1,10-phenanthroline complex of iridium, [Ir(cod)-(phen)]+, with dioxygen in methanol solution has been studied (38). When the anion for this cationic complex is chloride, no anion-cation interaction occurs, and the iridium system remains four-coordinate. However, when either iodide or thiocyanate is present due to the addition of their sodium salts (or in the presence of added triphenylphos-phine when the anion is chloride), the iridium system becomes five-coordinate because of the interaction between I", SCN", or PPh3 and the iridium center. These five-coordinate systems react more rapidly with dioxygen than did the four-coordinate system at both normal and elevated pressures. An end-on oxidative addition of the dioxygen moiety, with displacement of the , SCN, or PPh3 ligands, was postulated. 

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