Search

The dual role of nitrogen bases is shown in the ARGET ATRP with ascorbic acid acetonide. High pKa bases lead to more ascorbate anion (faster polymerizations) but in presence of oxygen/water are detrimental to the catalyst (hydroxide formation).

An anomalous polystyrene gel was obtained during the copper-catalyzed “activators regenerated by electron transfer” “atom transfer radical polymerization” (ARGET ATRP) of styrene at 60–70 °C, using ascorbic acid/Na2CO3 as the reducing system and EtOAc/EtOH as the solvent mixture. The result is remarkable since no branching nor cross-linking reagents were added to the reaction mixture and their formation in situ was excluded. The anomalous PS branching, at the origin of the phenomenon, requires a generic bifunctional initiator and is mechanistically bound to termination reactions between bifunctional macroinitiators. As a matter of fact, the branching/cross-linking phenomenon loses intensity, or even disappears, under reaction conditions that cause the built-up of CuII or increase the chain polymerization rate. The temperature is also a critical variable since no branching was observed for temperatures higher than 90 °C. We believe that the route toward gelation starts with a controlled chain polymerization of styrene from the bifunctional initiator, soon integrated by a step-growth polymerization due to radical coupling of the terminal units. The progressive decrease in the number of chains and free radicals in the reaction mixture should make more and more probable the intramolecular coupling between the C−Cl ends of the remaining long and entangled chains, producing a polycatenane network. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

“Activator regenerated by electron transfer” “atom transfer radical polymerization” (ARGET ATRP) process catalyzed by CuCl2/tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPMA) (1/1) in ethyl acetate/ethanol (EtOAc/EtOH) for the polymerization of styrene from ethyl 2,2-dichloropropanoate (EDCP) is described. The (re)generation of the activating CuI complex is accomplished by Na2CO3 without the addition of any explicit reducing agent. Differently from the analogous process operating in the presence of ascorbic acid/carbonate as the reducing system, branching is not present and control over polymerization is improved. The activation mechanism should follow a composite route, where both EtOH and TPMA contribute to the regeneration of the catalyst. The oxidation of TPMA is suggested by the absence of the ligand in the final reaction mixture and by the reduction of CuII even in t-BuOAc/t-BuOH, notwithstanding the very poor ability of t-BuOH as a reducing agent. Oxidative degradation of TPMA causes a progressive malfunctioning of the redox catalyst. Consequently, the polymerization rate, after a prompt start, becomes slower and slower, fixing conversions at around 50% (4.5 h). This means a gradual decrease of the free radical concentration, which develops unfavorable conditions for the reductive coupling (termination) between the bifunctional growing chains, preserving a controlled growth of the polymer.

A new copper(II) chloride/tris(2-piridylmethyl)amine (1/1) catalysed “Activators Regenerated by Electron Transfer” “Atom Transfer Radical Polymerisation” (ARGET ATRP) process for the polymerisation of styrene is described. The salient features of the method are the simultaneous use of ascorbic acid (reducing agent) and Na2CO3 (basic agent), the employment of a bifunctional initiator (ethyl 2,2-dichloropropionate) and the utilisation of a green solvent mixture composed of ethyl acetate and ethanol (AcOEt/EtOH). Na2CO3 plays a central role since not only preserves the ligand from protonation, but it can also activate the reducing agent. The quantity of monomer in the reaction mixture, the AcOEt/EtOH ratio and the load of ascorbic acid/carbonate are important factors for achieving a regular transformation. Working at 100 °C and with a metal load of only 0.025 mol%, an almost perfectly controlled telechelic polystyrene is produced, provided that conversion is kept below 50%. If conversion is higher, the control is gradually lost due superimposition of a step-growth process to the main chain polymerisation process. Two interesting phenomena, encountered during this study, are activation of the redox complex by using only Na2CO3 and gelation of polystyrene at 60 °C.

Copper mediated cyclization of activated 1-substituted enamides occurs via a 5-endo radical-polar crossover process. Trichloroacetyl derivatives can undergo further reactions post cyclization (elimination of HCl or dimerization potentially via copper carbenoid intermediates). Reaction of α-halo trienamides derived from β-ionone furnish either β- or γ-lactams via 4-exo or 5-exo cyclizations respectively depending upon the enamide tautomer undergoing reaction. For the less reactive dichloroacetamide derivative a competing regioselective methyl migration-aromatization prior to cyclization is observed.\ud \ud

Recently we found that a copper catalysed Ueno–Stork cyclization can be a very useful means for the expedient synthesis of dichloro-γ-lactones, but, to take advantage of this step, the method still lacks of an efficient and selective follow-up. This Letter describes our progress in that field, unveiling the use of a supported and recyclable Cr (VI) catalyst for the simultaneous deprotection and oxidation of cyclic dichloro hemiacetals.

The rearrangement of eight new Z -arylhydrazones of 3-benzoyl-5-phenylisoxazoles ( 3d – k ) into the relevant 2-aryl-4-phenacyl-2 H -1,2,3-triazoles ( 4d – k ) in dioxane/water solution at different proton concentrations has been quantitatively studied in a wide temperature range (293–333 K). The data collected together with some our previous ones on compounds 3a – c have allowed a deep study of the substituent effects on the course of the rearrangement, thus increasing our knowledge on the Boulton–Katritzky reactions in isoxazole derivatives and on the temperature effects on free energy relationships.

A new practical route to chaetomellic acid A (ACA), based on the copper catalysed radical cyclization (RC) of (Z)-3-(2,2-dichloropropanoyl)-2-pentadecylidene-1,3-thiazinane, is described. Remarkably, the process entailed: (i) a one-pot preparation of the intermediate N-alpha-perchloroacyl-2-(Z)-alkyliden-1,3-thia-zinanes starting from N-(3-hydroxypropyl)palmitamide, (ii) a two step smooth transformation of the RC products into ACA and (iii) only one intermediate chromatographic purification step. The method offers a versatile approach to the preparation of ACA analogues, through the synthesis of an intermediate maleic anhydride with a vinylic group at the end of the aliphatic tail, a function that can be transformed through a thiol-ene coupling. Serendipitously, the disodium salt of 2-(9-(butylthio)nonyl)-3-methylmaleic acid, that we prepared as a representative sulfurated ACA analogue, was a more competent FTase inhibitor than ACA. This behaviour was analysed by a molecular docking study. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The discovery that cycloalkanes can form thermomorphic systems with typical polar organic solvents has led to the development of less-polar electrolyte solutions. Their mixing and separation can be regulated reversibly at a moderate temperature range. The phase switching temperature can be controlled by changing the solvent compositions. While biphasic conditions are maintained below the phase switching temperature, conductive monophasic conditions as less-polar electrolyte solutions are obtained above the phase switching temperature. After the electrochemical transformations, biphasic conditions are reconstructed below the phase switching temperature, facilitating the separation of cycloalkane where hydrophobic products or designed hydrophobic platforms are selectively partitioned. Several polar organic solvents, including acetonitrile, methanol, and pyridine, can be used in this system according to the requirement of the reactions.

The preparation of -perchloroacyl chlorides, from reaction of the corresponding unfunctionalized acyl halides with chlorine, was efficiently achieved under base-catalysis, using a tetraalkylammonium chloride as catalyst. The process is solvent-free and the procedure is easy, inexpensive, and suitable for scale-up.

The reaction rates for the rearrangement of eleven (Z)-arylhydrazones of 5-amino-3-benzoyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole 3a-k into the relevant (2-aryl-5-phenyl-2H-1, 2,3-triazol-4-yl)ureas 4a-k in the presence of trichloroacetic acid or of piperidine have been determined in toluene at 313.1 K. The results have been related to the effect of the aryl substituent by using Hammett and/or Ingold-Yukawa-Tsuno correlations and have been compared with those previously collected in a protic polar solvent (dioxane/water) as well as with those on the analogous rearrangement of the corresponding (Z)-arylhydrazones of 3-benzoyl-5-phenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole 1a-k in benzene. Some light can thus be shed on the general differences of chemical reactivity between protic polar (or dipolar aprotic) and apolar solvents.

A ‘green’ ARGET-ATRC, for the CuCl[PMDETA] catalysed cyclo -isomerization of N -allyl-α-polychloroamides to γ-lactams is described. The process works efficiently (yields 78–96%), uses a bio-solvent, as ethanol, and exploits the reducing feature of ascorbic acid to limit, at a low level (2–4%), the amount of catalyst. To preserve the efficacy of the catalytic cycle, addition of Na 2 CO 3 is essential, which quenches the HCl released during the CuCl[PMDETA] regeneration step. Profitable features of the process are: mild reaction temperatures (25–37 °C), relatively short reaction times (usually 5 h) and low solvent volumes (2 mmol of substrate/mL of ethanol). The method, upon stoichiometric adjustment, was also used for the synthesis of α,β-unsaturated-γ-lactams from N -(2-chloroallyl)-α-polychloroamides, via a tandem process involving an ATRC and a reductive [1,2]-elimination.

The preparation of 3-alkyl-4-(chloromethyl)-1-RSO 2 -1 H-pyrrol-2(5 H)-oneswas efficiently accomplished through a [1,2]-eliminationof γ-lactams derived from the copper(I)-catalysed ATRCof 2,2-dichloro- N-(2-chloroallyl)- N-RSO 2 -amides. The two reactionscan be integrated into a sequential one-pot process.

Chaetomellic anhydride A and an analog (with two additional carbons) were obtained, on a preparative scale, starting from amides derived from the acylation of 2-(2-propenylamino)pyridine with 2,2-dichloropalmitic or 2,2-dichlorostearic acid. An alternative approach, in which the methyl substituent of the target anhydride is introduced by the carboxylic acid reactant and the long aliphatic chain is added through the allylamino moiety, proved unviable.

The constants of ion-pair formation with 3-nitroaniline (3NO(2)A) for eight halogenoacetic acids (HAAs, 3a-h: TFA, TCA, TBA, DFA, DCA, DBA, MCA, and MBA), and five 2,2-dichloroalkanoic acids containing 3-8 carbon atoms (HAs, 5a-e: DCPA, DCBA, DCMBA, DCVA, and DCOA) have been determined in TOL at 298.1 K. The results obtained brought to evidence for HAAs the formation of ion-pairs with two different stoichiometries (base-acid, 1:1 or 1:2), while in contrast the HAs furnish only the 1:1 pairs. The different steric and electronic requirements of HAAs and HAs seem to be responsible for such an unlikely behavior. At the same time, the acid-catalyzed MRH of the (Z)-phenylhydrazone of 5-amino-3-benzoyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole (1) into (2,5-diphenyl-2H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)urea (2) in the presence of the five HAs above has been investigated in TOL at 313.1 K. Thus, in contrast with previous results in the presence of several HAAs, a unique pathway for the rearrangement has been observed, again pointing out the importance of the above effects on the initial acid/base interactions. Finally the acidic strength of TFA against seven nitroanilines (NA, 4a-g: 4NO(2)A, 3NO(2)A, 3Me4NO(2)A, 4Me3NO(2)A, 2Me3NO(2)A, 2NO(2)A, and 3,5diNO(2)A) characterized by a very different basicity has been measured in TOL at 298.1 K.

Atom transfer radical cyclization (ATRC) of N-alkyl N-allyl dichloroamides to γ-lactams, catalyzed by 'naked' CuCl, worked efficiently in DMF, whereas, when the same dichloroamides were N-sulfonylated, DMF needed to be replaced by acetonitrile. The outcome of the cycloisomerization with N-substituted N-allyl trichloroacetamides was less affected by solvent choice, although for an effective reaction to occur, the solvent had to dissolve the cuprous salt. Catalyst loading ranged between 5 and 20 mol%.

The study of the reaction with MeONa/MeOH of chlorinated γ-lactams, prepared from the atom transfer radical cyclization of N-allyl-α-perchloroamides, has been extended to the case of substrates carrying an exo halogen atom on a branched carbon. Only with secondary exo C–Cl groups, that are not located on a fused ring, does the functional rearrangement follow the typical transformation route, which with trichloro-lactams can proceed further to give 4-alkylidene derivatives. From a practical point of view, the outcome of the reaction with di- or trichloro N-cinnamylamides is synthetically valuable, affording the 5-methoxy-1H-pyrrol-2(5H)-one or 3-benzylidenepyrrolidine-2,5-dione, respectively, in good to excellent yield.

The preparation of the 3,4-dialkyl-substituted maleic anhydride nucleus, through the functional rearrangement of dichloro γ-lactams, allowed the comparison of various N-substituents in the functional rearrangement step. The 2-pyridyl group proved to be the most appropriate N-substituent for the hydrolysis of the 5-methoxy-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one intermediate into the 5-hydroxy adduct, and for the hydrolysis of the maleimide nucleus into the maleic anhydride. The oxidation of the 5-hydroxy-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one into the corresponding maleimide was achieved with manganese(IV) oxide.

A key intermediate for the synthesis of Tyromycin A, a C-20 tetrachlorodicarboxylic acid, was produced in six steps starting with the dimerization of methyl 10-undecenoate which was obtained from a renewable resource, e.g. castor oil. The acyloin condensation product was then oxidized, transformed to the diene, followed by ozonization, chlorination and finally oxidation to the corresponding tetrachlorodicarboxylic acid.

2-Propylbenzo[d][1,3,2]dioxaborole and related derivatives are shown to initiate a range of radical reactions under mild conditions.

Enantioselective deacetylation of a-(±)-botryodiplodin acetate was successfully accomplished by means of lipase PS to afford (+)-botryodiplodin and a-(+)-botryodiplodin acetate with high enantiomeric excesses. Enzyme-mediated transesterification of the acetylated molecule with n-butanol, as well as its hydrolysis in several organic solvents, are also reported. The CD spectra of (+)-botryodiplodin and a-(+)-botryodiplodin acetate are also presented.

Chaetomellic anhydride A was efficiently attained in three steps, starting from 2,2-dichloropalmitic acid and 2-(3-chloro-2-propenylamino)pyridine. Atom transfer radical cyclisation selectively formed the cis-stereoisomer of the trichloropyrrolidin-2-one, which underwent a stereospecific functional rearrangement to form a substituted maleimide. The choice of 2-pyridyl, as ‘cyclisation auxiliary’ in the atom transfer radical cyclisation step, proved beneficial for hydrolysis of the maleimide to form the desired anhydride.

—(±)-Botryodiplodin and (±)-epi-botryodiplodin acetates were prepared in good yields following a practical four step route. The method, for the construction of the strategic tetrahydrofuran ring, hinged on an unprecedented halogen atom transfer Ueno–Stork cyclization of an O-allyl a,a-dihalohemiacetal acetate, catalyzed by the redox complex CuCl/N,N,N0,N00,N00-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine.

A new and efficient approach to chaetomellic anhydride A has been devised starting from 2,2-dichloropalmitic acid. This involves the atom transfer radical cyclization of an N-alkyl-N-(3-chloro-2-propenyl)amide followed byrearrangement of the resulting trichloro-pyrrolidin-2-one.

The reaction of N-substituted 4-methyl-2-pyrrolidinones or 4-diethoxyphosphoryl analogues, carrying at least two chlorine atoms between the C(3) and C(6) carbons, with alkaline methoxide in methanol afforded the corresponding 5-methoxylated 3-pyrrolin-2-ones, useful adducts for the preparation of agrochemicals or medicinal compounds.

The benzoylamino group was identified as a useful radical cyclization auxiliary that can be smoothly removed on hydro-de-halogenation of chlorinated N-substituted-pyrrolidin-2-ones with Raney-Ni. This methodology was successfully implemented in a new and appealing route to the anti-epileptic drug gabapentin.

A number of N-benzylic protecting groups and allylic substituents have been investigated for the rearrangement, promoted by CuCl-TMEDA, of N-allyl-2,2-dihaloamides to 3,4-disubstituted γ-lactams. An appreciable chiral induction was observed at the C-4 site when α-phenylethylamine was used as a chiral protecting group, while an unexpected Diels-Alder reaction occurred when using a 2-furyl-methyl protection. This rearrangement has been applied to the synthesis of pilolactam, a drug with muscarinic activity.

3-Aza-2-oxo-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes, which are opened to 2,3-methano-γ-aminobutyric acids, are obtained in very high yields by a two step procedure from N-protected-N-allyl-α-Br-amides.

3-Benzylimino-2-pyrrolidinones can be prepared in good yield by heating 3-chloro-4-chloromethyl-2-pyrrolidinones, benzylamine and NaI in THF at 80°C. An endo -dehydrohalogenation followed by a SN 2 ′ substitution on the intermediate allyl chloride, and finally a shift of the exo -double bond to Δ 3 with attendant tautomerization, appears to be the most probable reaction mechanism.

The Kharasch addition of methyl 2,2-dichlorocarboxylates to 1-alkenes is promoted by ferrocene in DMF at 100°C, affording 1:1 adducts in satisfactory yields.

The halogen atom transfer radical cyclization of a N-allyl-N-benzyl-2,2-dihaloamides to 2-pyrrolidinones has been carried out in high yields under mild conditions, in a reaction promoted by CuCl-TMEDA or Fe0-FeCl3 in acetonitrile or N,N-dimethylformamide, respectively.

The Kharasch addition of methyl 2,2-dichlorocarboxylates or trichloro acetic acid derivatives to alkenes, affording the corresponding 1:1 adducts, is promoted by the iron filings/N,N-dimethylformamide system.

α-Halo aldehydes are regenerated in excellent yields from the corresponding dimethyl acetals by acetic anhydride-acetyl chloride-sodium acetate trihydrate in chloroform.

Methyl 2-Br-2-Cl-carboxylates react with 1-octene in DMF/CH 2 Cl 2 in a radical process promoted by CuBr/Fe, yielding 2-alkyl-2-Cl-4-Br-carboxylates smoothly and efficiently.

Dimethyl 2,3-dialkyl-2,3-dichloro-butanedioates are efficiently prepared in dimethylformamide or dimethylsulphoxide, through reductive homo-coupling of methyl 2-bromo-2-chlorocarboxylates promoted by CuBrFe 0 .

Thioethers are transformed by manganese(IV) oxide-trimethylchlorosilane in CH3OH in high yields to sulphoxides, exclusively.

Alcohols are oxidized to carbonylic compounds by aqueous persulfate in the presence of catalytic amounts (0.2%) of ruthenium trichloride and of a choice of ruthenium(II) complexes. Secondary alcohols are quantitatively converted to ketones, whereas primary alcohols can be converted to aldehydes with good selectivities. A kinetic investigation suggests a concerted mechanism for the bi-electronic oxygen transfer.

α-Chloroacetals are obtained in almost quantitative yields, by treating acetals with MnO 2 -trimethylchlorosilane in CH 3 OH:CH 3 CN (1:1). The halogenation is explained by a ligand-transfer process on an enolether intermediate, mediated by a Mn(IV)-chloride species.

O-Silylation of acylcobalt tetracarbonyls, RC(O)Co(CO)4, gives the dinuclear carbene complexes [{mu-2-RC(OSiR'3)}(mu-2-CO)Co2(CO)6], of which one derivative (R = Me, R' = Ph) was characterized by X-ray diffraction.