Weak Acids catalysis

When solid-phase peptide synthesis was initially being developed, the question of whether or not a separate neutralization step is necessary was considered. Since it was known from the work of others that the chloride ion promotes racemization during the coupling step in classical peptide synthesis, and since we were deprotecting the Boc group with HC1, it seemed advisable to neutralize the hydrochloride by treatment with TEA and to remove chloride by filtration and washing. This short, additional step was simple and convenient and became the standard protocol. Subsequently, we became aware of three other reasons why neutralization was desirable (1) to avoid weak acid catalysis of piperazine-2,5-dione formation, 49 (2) to avoid acid-catalyzed formation of pyroglutamic acid (5-oxopyr-rolidine-2-carboxylic acid), 50 and (3) to avoid amidine formation between DCC and pro-tonated peptide-resin. The latter does not occur with the free amine. 

Conducting the first two steps as a one-pit reaction10 was first suggested by Sharp less. Transacetalization of trimethyl orthoacetate with 10 under weakly acidic catalysis leads to the 2-methoxy-l,3-dioxolane 34. Addition of TMSC1 or acetyl chloride generates the 1,3-dioxolanylium cation 35, which is opened nucleophilically and regioselectively at the sterically least hindered position to chloro-acetate 36... 

Rotational Raman spectra of N2 and O2 Resonance fluorescence spectrum of Br2 Vibrational-rotational spectra of CD3H and CH3D Spectrophotometric study of stabihty of metal ion-EDTA complexes Kinetics of the H2 + I2 = 2HI reaction in the gas phase Weak-acid catalysis of BH4 decomposition Photochemistry of the cis-trans azobenzene interconversion Isotope effect on reaction-rate corrstants... 

Recently, a new MF resin, tri(methoxymethyl)trimethylmelamine (TMMTMM), has been developed which has been found to be very useful in HS coatings. This has been shown to give faster curing and a unique combination of properties as compared to HMM, with a response to weak acid catalysis at a lower cure temperature (125 °C). The major drawback with this resin is that the cured films undergo decomposition under 60 °C Cleveland humidity conditions. Film decomposition has been assumed to be due to the higher basicity of TMMTMM, which promotes accelerated acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the crosslinked sites. 

Structure Modification. Several types of stmctural defects or variants can occur which figure in adsorption and catalysis (/) surface defects due to termination of the crystal surface and hydrolysis of surface cations (2) stmctural defects due to imperfect stacking of the secondary units, which may result in blocked channels (J) ionic species, eg, OH , AIO 2, Na", SiO , may be left stranded in the stmcture during synthesis (4) the cation form, acting as the salt of a weak acid, hydrolyzes in aqueous suspension to produce free hydroxide and cations in solution and (5) hydroxyl groups in place of metal cations may be introduced by ammonium ion exchange, followed by thermal deammoniation. 

The sulfonated resin is a close analogue of -toluenesulfonic acid in terms of stmcture and catalyst performance. In the presence of excess water, the SO H groups are dissociated, and specific acid catalysis takes place in the swelled resin just as it takes place in an aqueous solution. When the catalyst is used with weakly polar reactants or with concentrations of polar reactants that are too low to cause dissociation of the acid groups, general acid catalysis prevails and water is a strong reaction inhibitor (63). 

The experimental detection of general acid catafysis is done by rate measurements at constant pH but differing buffer concentration. Because under these circumstances [H+] is constant but the weak acid component(s) of the buffer (HA, HA, etc.) changes, the observation of a change in rate is evidence of general acid catalysis. If the rate remains constant, the reaction exhibits specific acid catalysis. Similarly, general base-catalyzed reactions show a dependence of the rate on the concentration and identity of the basic constituents of the buffer system. 

The most intensively studied oxidizing system is that developed by Pfitzner and Moflatt in which the oxidation is carried out at room temperature in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) and a weak acid such as pyridinium trifluoroacetate or phosphoric acid. The DCC activates the DMSO which in turn reacts with the carbinol to give an oxysulfonium intermediate. This breaks down under mild base catalysis to give the desired ketone and dimethyl sulfide. 

Goi. As noted previously, an a-chlorine atom renders a ring-nitrogen atom very weakly basic. Cyanuric chloride (5) is a very weak base both because s-triazines are of low basicity and because each of the ring-nitrogen atoms is alpha to two chlorine atoms. Hence, this compound should be insensitive to acid catalysis or acid autocatalysis and this has been observed for the displacement of the first chlorine atom with alcohols in alcohol-acetone solution and with water (see, however. Section II,D,2,6). 

The first example of homogeneous transition metal catalysis in an ionic liquid was the platinum-catalyzed hydroformylation of ethene in tetraethylammonium trichlorostannate (mp. 78 °C), described by Parshall in 1972 (Scheme 5.2-1, a)) [1]. In 1987, Knifton reported the ruthenium- and cobalt-catalyzed hydroformylation of internal and terminal alkenes in molten [Bu4P]Br, a salt that falls under the now accepted definition for an ionic liquid (see Scheme 5.2-1, b)) [2]. The first applications of room-temperature ionic liquids in homogeneous transition metal catalysis were described in 1990 by Chauvin et al. and by Wilkes et ak. Wilkes et al. used weekly acidic chloroaluminate melts and studied ethylene polymerization in them with Ziegler-Natta catalysts (Scheme 5.2-1, c)) [3]. Chauvin s group dissolved nickel catalysts in weakly acidic chloroaluminate melts and investigated the resulting ionic catalyst solutions for the dimerization of propene (Scheme 5.2-1, d)) [4]. 

The major problem of these diazotizations is oxidation of the initial aminophenols by nitrous acid to the corresponding quinones. Easily oxidized amines, in particular aminonaphthols, are therefore commonly diazotized in a weakly acidic medium (pH 3, so-called neutral diazotization) or in the presence of zinc or copper salts. This process, which is due to Sandmeyer, is important in the manufacture of diazo components for metal complex dyes, in particular those derived from l-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid. Kozlov and Volodarskii (1969) measured the rates of diazotization of l-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid in the presence of one equivalent of 13 different sulfates, chlorides, and nitrates of di- and trivalent metal ions (Cu2+, Sn2+, Zn2+, Mg2+, Fe2 +, Fe3+, Al3+, etc.). The rates are first-order with respect to the added salts. The highest rate is that in the presence of Cu2+. The anions also have a catalytic effect (CuCl2 > Cu(N03)2 > CuS04). The mechanistic basis of this metal ion catalysis is not yet clear. 

Kishimoto et al. (1974, 1981) found a general acid catalysis by protonated pyridines in coupling reactions of the 1-naphthoxide ion if weakly electrophilic diazonium ions were used. In this case it is likely that the general acid protonates the carbonyl oxygen of the o-complex, with a concerted or stepwise deprotonation at the 4-position (transition stage 12.150). 

A reaction with a rate constant that conforms to Eq. (10-21)—particularly to the feature that the catalysts are H+ and OH-, and not weak acids and bases—is said to show specific acid-base catalysis. This phenomenon is illustrated by the kinetic data for the hydrolysis of methyl o-carboxyphenyl acetate16 (the methyl ester of aspirin— compare with Section 6.6) ... 

Weak acids and bases are, generally speaking, less effective catalysts than H+ and OH at the same concentrations. Proton transfer occurs in all acid-base catalysis, regardless of the detailed mechanism (this aspect is considered in the next section). It is only... 

These data suggest that o-QM reactivity is heavily affected by general acid catalysis in the gas phase or in low polar medium. The general acid catalysis can be provided by a water molecule for nucleophiles bearing weak acid hydrogens (such as those in ammonia). 

Acids that have weakly nucleophilic anions, e.g. HS04e from dilute aqueous H2S04, are chosen as catalysts, so that their anions will offer little competition to H20 any R0S03H formed will in any case be hydrolysed to ROH under the conditions of the reaction. Rearrangement of the carbocationic intermediate may take place, and electrophilic addition of it to as yet unprotonated alkene is also known (p. 185). The reaction is used on the large scale to convert cracked petroleum alkene fractions to alcohols by vapour phase hydration with steam over heterogeneous acid catalysts. Also under acid catalysis, ROH may be added to alkenes to yield ethers, and RCOzH to yield esters. 

Twenty weakly acidic drugs, including niclosamide, were determined by a nonaqueous catalytic thermometric titration method. Catalysis of the anionic polymerization of acetonitrile was used for endpoint indication. The solvent used was a mixture of acetonitrile and dimethylformamide or pyridine, and the titrant was sodium methoxide, potassium hydroxide, tertiary butanol, or tertiary butanol-sodium nitrite. Recoveries, limits of detection and relative standard deviations were tabulated [31]. 

Acid catalysis by titanium silicate molecular sieves another area characterized by recent major progress. Whereas only two categories of acid-catalyzed reactions (the Beckmann rearrangement and MTBE synthesis) were included in the review by Notari in 1996 (33), the list has grown significantly since then. In view of the presence of weak Lewis acid sites on the surfaces of these catalysts, they can be used for reactions that require such weak acidity. 

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