Organic reactions catalyzed by methylrhenium trioxide: Reactions of ethyl diazoacetate and organic azides
- Ames Lab., IA (United States)
Methylrhenium trioxide (CH{sub 3}ReO{sub 3} or MTO) catalyzes several classes of reactions of ethyl diazoacetate, EDA. It is the first high valent oxo complex for carbene transfer. Under mild conditions and in the absence of other substrates, EDA was converted to a 9:1 mixture of diethyl maleate and diethyl fumarate. In the presence of alcohols, {alpha}-alkoxy ethyl acetates were obtained in good yield. The yields dropped for the larger and more branched alcohols, the balance of material being diethyl maleate and fumarate. An electron-donating group in the para position of phenols favors the formation of {alpha}-phenoxy ethyl acetates. The use of EDA to form {alpha}-thio ethyl acetates and N-substituted glycine ethyl esters, on the other hand, is hardly affected by the size or structure of the parent thiol or amine, with all of these reactions proceeding in high yield. MTO-catalyzed cycloaddition reactions occur between EDA and aromatic imines, olefins, and carbonyl compounds. Three-membered ring products are formed: aziridines, cyclopropanes, and epoxides, respectively. The reactions favor the formation of trans products, and provide a convenient route for the preparation of aziridines. Intermediate carbenoid and nitrenoid species have been proposed. In the presence of an oxygen source such as an epoxide, ethyl diazoacetate and azibenzil are converted to an oxalic acid monoethyl ester and to benzil; at the same time the epoxide was converted to an olefin. 75 refs., 1 fig., 7 tabs.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-82
- OSTI ID:
- 420838
- Journal Information:
- Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 118, Issue 41; Other Information: PBD: 16 Oct 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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