Unsymmetrically substituted benzophenones

A novel synthetic route for the preparation of unsymmetrically substituted benzophenones was developed in the laboratory of C.-M. Andersson utilizing an iron-mediated aromatic substitution as one of the key steps. The power of this method was demonstrated by the formal synthesis of the benzophenone moiety of the protein kinase C inhibitor balanol. In the late stages of the synthesis, it became necessary to convert the aromatic methyl ketone functionality of the highly substituted benzophenone substrate to the corresponding carboxylic acid. Bromine was added to sodium hydroxide solution, and the resulting sodium hypobromite solution was slowly added to the substrate at low temperature. Upon acidification the desired carboxylic acid was obtained in fair yield. 

Catecholborane, as an achiral co- reagent, has also been recommended for the reductions of ketophosphonates [ML2, ML4J, a p-aminosubstituted a-enone [LOl], cyclopropylisopropylketone 3.73, some cobaltcarbonyl complexed ynones 3.74, and unsymmetrically substituted benzophenones 3.75 [CH6, CH7J (Figure 3.26). The reduction of 2,2-diphenylcyclopentanone 3.76 by (5)-3.71 (Ar = Ph, R = Me) leads... 

If, on the other hand, unsymmetrically substituted carbonyl compounds such as monosubstituted benzophenones (X = OCH3, CH3, Cl), tert-butyl methyl ketone, acetophenone, acetaldehyde, or benzaldehyde are used for trapping 39a, diastere-omeric mixtures are formed in each case they could all be resolved except for the products obtained with p-methoxybenzophenone and acetophenone 33>. An X-ray structure analysis has been performed for the E-isomer 57g 36) which, in conjunction with H-NMR studies, permitted structural assignment in cases 56 and 57e, g and h35>. Additional chemical evidence for the structure of the six-membered heterocycles is provided by the thermolysis of 56 a considered in another context (see Sect. 3.1). In general the reaction 39a- 56 or 57 is accompanied by formation of phosphene dimers, presumably via [4 + 4]- and via [4 + 2]-cycloaddition 35). 

The [2+2] cycloaddition reaction of the unsymmetrically substituted disilene with benzophenone proceeded with a high degree of regioselectivity to yield the 1,2,3-oxadisiletane 45 (Scheme 16) <1995CB935>. 

Scheme7.12 Site selectivity (chemoselectivity) in the PB reaction of unsymmetrically substituted furans with benzophenone.

Recently, a notable temperature-related effect was reported for site-selectivity (double-bond selectivity or chemoselectivity) in the PB reaction of unsymmetrically substituted furans (Scheme 7.14) [30]. For example, the selective formation of the more substituted oxetane, OX1, was observed during the PB reaction of 2-methyl-furan with benzophenone at a high temperature (61 °C). However, a 58 42 mixture of the oxetanes, 0X1 and 0X2, was reported at low temperature (—77 °C). This notable effect of temperature could be explained by the relative population of conformers of the intermediary triplet 1,4-biradicals, T-BR1 andT-BR2. The excited benzophenone was considered to attack the double bonds equally so as to produce a mixture of the conformers of T-BR1 and T-BR2 however, at low temperature the conformational change was suppressed. Thus, the site-random formation of oxetanes 0X1 and 0X2 was observed after the ISC process. Nonetheless, at high... 

Storm, J. P., Andersson, C.-M. Iron-Mediated Synthetic Routes to Unsymmetrically Substituted, Sterically Congested Benzophenones. J. Org. Chem. 2000, 65, 5264-5274. 

Proton acidity in oxazole follows the order C-2 > C-5 > C-4. The use of 2-lithiooxazoles in synthesis is problematic, however, because they are in tautomeric equilibrium with their open chain form. When 2-lithiooxazole was reacted with DMF at — 75°C and the mixture was warmed to RT, oxazole-2-carbaldehyde (53) was formed quantitatively. Reaction of this product with a second equivalent of lithiooxazole did not give the expected product, but rather an unsymmetrical bis(oxa-zolyl)methanol (54) <9iJOC449> (Scheme 12). Reaction at the 4 position of lithiooxazole was found to be general for aldehydes. Less reactive electrophiles, such as, DMF, benzophenone, and ethyl formate, gave 2-substituted products, and iodobutane, benzyl bromide and ethyl carbonate did not react at all after an extended age at RT. Acylation of 2-lithio-5-phenyloxazole may be accomplished using A-methyl-7V-(2-pyridinyl)-carboxamides <84S1048>. 

Recently, two dibenzofuran- and dibenzothiophene-substituted ethenes 42 and 43 (Figure 8.18) were prepared by McMurry coupling [31]. Since McMurry coupling of unsymmetrical benzophenone derivatives yields cis and trans products, which are generally difficult to isolate by column chromatography. 

The acetylation (with AC2O and HC104) and Vilsmeier formylation of sterically hindered phenols have been investigated. Substituted o-hydroxy-benzophenones have been prepared in 18-68% yields by treatment of the HMPT complexes of bromomagnesium phenoxides with aromatic aldehydes. " Phenolic O- vs. C-benzoylation has been studied, with particular reference to 3,4-disubstituted phenols. Previous work on the use of trifluoroacetic anhydride to promote aromatic acylation has been extended to the preparation of symmetrical and unsymmetrical benzophenones via reaction between the methyl and benzyl ethers of orcinol and the same ethers of phloroglucinolcarboxylic acid. " Other phenolic acylations include some chalcone syntheses and the acetylation and benzoylation of 2-hydroxy-4-methoxyacetophenone (peonol). ... 

Contrary to the rotationally symmetric bridgehead substitution (azoalkanes 5a,b,c), which leads to the unselective triplet reaction channel and selective formation of anti-configured (retained) housanes (Scheme 7), the direct photolysis of the rotationally unsymmetric bridgehead-substituted azoalkanes 5d,e is moderately diastereoselective for both the singlet and triplet modes of photolysis (Scheme 9), as evidenced by the synjanti (inversion/retention) ratio. Thus, the photolysis of 5d,e affords under singlet conditions (high-temperature direct photolysis) predominantly the retained housanes anti-14d,e syn anti 21 79 for housane 14d and 33 67 for 14e) while under triplet conditions (low-temperature direct or benzophenone-sensitized photolysis), the inverted diastereomer syn-14d,e is favored syn anti 61 39 for 14d and 70 30 14e). 

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