Unsaturated carboxylic acids, reactions

The intramolecular reaction oF allcenes with various O and N functional groups offers useful synthetic methods for heterocycles[13,14,166]. The reaction of unsaturated carboxylic acids affords lactones by either exo- or endo-cyclization depending on the positions of the double bond. The reaction of sodium salts of the 3-alkenoic acid 143 and 4-alkenoic acid 144 with Li2PdCl4 affords mostly five-membcrcd lactones in 30-40% yields[167]. Both 5-hexe-noic acid (145) and 4-hexenoic acid (146) are converted to five- or six-mem-bered lactones depending on the solvents and bases[168]. Conjugated 2,4-pentadienoic acid (147) is cyclized with Li2PdCl4 to give 2-pyrone (148) in water[i69]. 

The presence of the unsaturated substituent along this polyester backbone gives this polymer crosslinking possibilities through a secondary reaction of the double bond. These polymers are used in paints, varnishes, and lacquers, where the ultimate cross-linked product results from the oxidation of the double bond as the coating cures. A cross-linked polyester could also result from reaction (5.J) without the unsaturated carboxylic acid, but the latter would produce a gel in which the entire reaction mass solidified and is not as well suited to coatings applications as the polymer that crosslinks upon drying. ... 

According to Quinkert, photoexcited cyclic ketones may be transformed to open-chain unsaturated carboxylic acids in the presence of molecular oxygen. This reaction may compete efficiently with a-cleavage and secondary transformations thereof. Thus, both stereo iso meric 17-ketones (109) and (110) yield as much as 20% of the unsaturated acid (111) when irradiated in benzene under a stream of oxygen. This photolytic autoxidation has been used notably for partial syntheses of naturally occurring unsaturated 3,4-seco-acids from 3-oxo triterpenes (for references, see ref. 72). 

Rearrangements and other side-reactions are rare. The ester pyrolysis is therefore of some synthetic value, and is used instead of the dehydration of the corresponding alcohol. The experimental procedure is simple, and yields are generally high. Numerous alkenes have been prepared by this route for the first time. For the preparation of higher alkenes (> Cio), the pyrolysis of the corresponding alcohol in the presence of acetic anhydride may be the preferable method." The pyrolysis of lactones 9 leads to unsaturated carboxylic acids 10 ... 

Because of the mild reaction conditions, and its broad applicability, the Knoevenagel reaction is an important method for the synthesis of a ,/3-unsaturated carboxylic acids. Comparable methods are the Reformatsky reaction, the Perkin reaction, as well as the Claisen ester condensation. The Knoevenagel reaction is of greater versatility however the Reformatsky reaction permits the preparation of a ,/3-unsaturated carboxylic acids that are branched in a-position. 

The aldol-like reaction of an aromatic aldehyde 1 with a carboxylic anhydride 2 is referred to as the Perkin reaction. As with the related Knoevenagel reaction, an o ,/3-unsaturated carboxylic acid is obtained as product the /3-aryl derivatives 3 are also known as cinnamic acids. 

A cursory inspection of key intermediate 8 (see Scheme 1) reveals that it possesses both vicinal and remote stereochemical relationships. To cope with the stereochemical challenge posed by this intermediate and to enhance overall efficiency, a convergent approach featuring the union of optically active intermediates 18 and 19 was adopted. Scheme 5a illustrates the synthesis of intermediate 18. Thus, oxidative cleavage of the trisubstituted olefin of (/ )-citronellic acid benzyl ester (28) with ozone, followed by oxidative workup with Jones reagent, affords a carboxylic acid which can be oxidatively decarboxylated to 29 with lead tetraacetate and copper(n) acetate. Saponification of the benzyl ester in 29 with potassium hydroxide provides an unsaturated carboxylic acid which undergoes smooth conversion to trans iodolactone 30 on treatment with iodine in acetonitrile at -15 °C (89% yield from 29).24 The diastereoselectivity of the thermodynamically controlled iodolacto-nization reaction is approximately 20 1 in favor of the more stable trans iodolactone 30. 

Unsaturated carboxylic acid 17 possesses the requisite structural features for an iodolactonization reaction.16 A source of electrophilic iodine could conceivably engage either diastereoface of the A20,21 double bond in 17. The diastereomeric iodonium ion inter-... 

Curran s synthesis of ( )-A9(l2)-capnellene [( )-2] is detailed in Schemes 30 and 31. This synthesis commences with the preparation of racemic bicyclic vinyl lactone 147 from ( )-norbomenone [( )-145] by a well-known route.61 Thus, Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of (+)-145 provides unsaturated bicyclic lactone 146, a compound that can be converted to the isomeric fused bicyclic lactone 147 by acid-catalyzed rearrangement. Reaction of 147 with methylmagne-sium bromide/CuBr SMe2 in THF at -20 °C takes the desired course and affords unsaturated carboxylic acid 148 in nearly quantitative yield. Iodolactonization of 148 to 149, followed by base-induced elimination, then provides the methyl-substituted bicyclic vinyl lactone 150 as a single regioisomer in 66% overall yield from 147. 

Since anhydrides are much more reactive than carboxylic acids, reaction kinetics is controlled by the second step. The scope and apphcations of this reaction are the same as direct polyesterification but are practically limited to the synthesis of unsaturated polyesters and alkyd resins from phtliahc and maleic anhydrides (see Sections 2.4.2.1 and 2.4.23). 

Isomerization has been observed with many a,j3-unsaturated carboxylic acids such as w-cinnamic 10), angelic, maleic, and itaconic acids (94). The possibility of catalyzing the interconversion of, for example, 2-ethyl-butadiene and 3-methylpenta-l,3-diene has not apparently been explored. The cobalt cyanide hydride will also catalyze the isomerization of epoxides to ketones (even terminal epoxides give ketones, not aldehydes) as well as their reduction to alcohols. Since the yield of ketone increases with pH, it was suggested that reduction involved reaction with the hydride [Co" (CN)jH] and isomerization reaction with [Co (CN)j] 103). A related reaction is the decomposition of 2-bromoethanol to acetaldehyde... 

Polycarboxylated polyalkoxylates and their sulfate derivatives may be prepared by reacting an ethoxylated or propoxylated alcohol with a water-soluble, alkali or earth alkali metal salt of an unsaturated carboxylic acid [339]. The reaction occurs in aqueous solution in the presence of a free radical initiator and gives products of enhanced yield and reduced impurity levels, compared with the essentially anhydrous reactions with free carboxylic acids, which have been used otherwise. The method provides products that give solutions that are clear on neutralization, remain clear and homogeneous on dilution, and are useful as cleaning agents in drilling and other oil field operations. 

Reactants with internal nucleophiles are also subject to cyclization by electrophilic sulfur reagents, a reaction known as sulfenylcyclization.92 As for iodolactonization, unsaturated carboxylic acids give products that result from anti addition.93... 

The mechanism of such reactions using unsaturated carboxylic acids and Ru(BINAP)(02CCH3)2 is consistent with the idea that coordination of the carboxy group establishes the geometry at the metal ion.26 The configuration of the new stereocenter is then established by the hydride transfer. In this particular mechanism, the second hydrogen is introduced by protonolysis, but in other cases a second hydride transfer step occurs. 

Z)-y 6-unsaturated ketals (41) using this method has been published.29 A potentially general route to (Z)-unsaturated carboxylic acids is provided by the highly stereoselective reaction... 

Nickel-catalyzed carbonylation of a-ketoalkynes has also been reported by Arzoumanian et al. under phase-transfer conditions.94 The carbonylation gave either furanone or unsaturated carboxylic acids depending on the substituents of substrates (Eq. 4.53). A similar reaction, nickel-catalyzed cyanation of a-ketoalkynes with KCN in water, was also reported to afford unsaturated hydroxylactams (Eq. 4.54).95... 

These compounds can be converted by hydrolysis into the corresponding carboxylic acids RCH2CO2H, or they can undergo a Wittig reaction, albeit only in moderate yield, to produce a,/ -unsaturated carboxylic acids. 

Scheme 5.11 Reaction routes for various saturated and unsaturated carboxylic acids and alcohols using a rhodium catalyst and a lipase. s-g indicates sol-gel encapsulation of the catalyst superscript u and s indicate unsaturated and saturated compounds,...

Few other examples of such reaction sequences have been described to date. Oh has reported the palladium-catalyzed reductive cyclizations of 1,6-enynes in the presence of formic acid or triethylsilane via an alkylpalladium intermediate and its application to organic synthesis. Palladium complexes also catalyze the conversion of a range of enynes to cyclic 6,7-unsaturated carboxylic acids in the presence of CO.260... 

The bisfunctionalization of alkynes by both C02 and another electrophile can also be achieved, as shown in Scheme 9.17,17a The titanium-carbon bond in the titanacycle complex 31, which was formed by reaction of C02 with the titanacyclopropene 30, can be substituted with various electrophiles. For example, its reaction with NBS or I2 afforded the synthetically useful vinyl bromide or iodide 32, respectively, while the reaction with D20 yielded the /3-deuterated a,/ -unsaturated carboxylic acid. When an aldehyde such as PhCHO was used as an electrophile, butenolide 33 was produced after acidic workup. 

The 1,4-addition of RCu to a diene compound can generate allylcopper species, which is active toward electrophiles.53 The silylcupration of 1,3-dienes with PhMe2SiCuCNLi56 followed by reaction with C02 yielded the /3,7-unsaturated carboxylic acids 110 as shown in Scheme 39.57 The carboxylation took place regioselectively at the 7-position of the cr-allylcopper intermediate 113. 

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