A practical, large-scale synthesis of pyrene-2-carboxylic acid
Pyrene-2-carboxylic acid is a versatile intermediate for introducing the unusual 2-pyrenyl unit into functional organic molecules. A classical preparation for this molecule has been revised and improved to give a robust and efficient three-step process. The method has been applied on a multigram scale to give pyrene-2-carboxylic acid in >70% overall yield from pyrene.
Casas-Solvas, Juan M.,Mooibroek, Tiddo J.,Sandramurthy, Shugantan,Howgego, Joshua D.,Davis, Anthony P.
Size-Driven Inversion of Selectivity in Esterification Reactions: Secondary Beat Primary Alcohols
Relative rates for the Lewis base-mediated acylation of secondary and primary alcohols carrying large aromatic side chains with anhydrides differing in size and electronic structure have been measured. While primary alcohols react faster than secondary ones in transformations with monosubstituted benzoic anhydride derivatives, relative reactivities are inverted in reactions with sterically biased 1-naphthyl anhydrides. Further analysis of reaction rates shows that increasing substrate size leads to an actual acceleration of the acylation process, the effect being larger for secondary as compared to primary alcohols. Computational results indicate that acylation rates are guided by noncovalent interactions (NCIs) between the catalyst ring system and the DED substituents in the alcohol and anhydride reactants. Thereby stronger NCIs are formed for secondary alcohols than for primary alcohols.
Mayr, Stefanie,Marin-Luna, Marta,Zipse, Hendrik
p. 3456 - 3489
(2021/03/01)
The Size-Accelerated Kinetic Resolution of Secondary Alcohols
The factors responsible for the kinetic resolution of alcohols by chiral pyridine derivatives have been elucidated by measurements of relative rates for a set of substrates with systematically growing aromatic side chains using accurate competitive linear regression analysis. Increasing the side chain size from phenyl to pyrenyl results in a rate acceleration of more than 40 for the major enantiomer. Based on this observation a new catalyst with increased steric bulk has been designed that gives enantioselectivity values of up to s=250. Extensive conformational analysis of the relevant transition states indicates that alcohol attack to the more crowded side of the acyl-catalyst intermediate is favoured due to stabilizing CH-π-stacking interactions. Experimental and theoretical results imply that enantioselectivity enhancements result from accelerating the transformation of the major enantiomer through attractive non-covalent interactions (NCIs) rather than retarding the transformation of the minor isomer through repulsive steric forces.
P?lloth, Benjamin,Sibi, Mukund P.,Zipse, Hendrik
supporting information
p. 774 - 778
(2020/12/01)
Mechanochemical Friedel-crafts acylations
Friedel-Crafts (FC) acylation reactions were exploited in the preparation of ketone-functionalized aromatics. Environmentally more friendly, solvent-free mechanochemical reaction conditions of this industrially important reaction were developed. Reaction parameters such as FC catalyst, time, ratio of reagents and milling support were studied to establish the optimal reaction conditions. The scope of the reaction was explored by employment of different aromatic hydrocarbons in conjunction with anhydrides and acylation reagents. It was shown that certain FC-reactive aromatics could be effectively functionalized by FC acylations carried out under ball-milling conditions without the presence of a solvent. The reaction mechanism was studied by in situ Raman and ex situ IR spectroscopy.