The Journal of Organic Chemistry
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solution turn colorless. Meanwhile, to a stirred suspension of the
appropriate bromomethyl pyridine hydrobromide (2.00 mmol) in 25
mL of ethanol at 0 °C was added ice-cold 1 M NaOH solution (2.00
mmol, 2 mL) in 8 mL of ethanol. This cold solution was stirred for
another 10 min then added dropwise at room temperature into the anion
solution previously generated. The reaction mixture was left to stir
overnight under nitrogen. Ethanol was removed under reduced pressure
and the residue was taken up in diethyl ether (25 mL), 1 M HCl solution
was added to the organic phase, and the product was extracted into the
acidic aqueous phase (3 ꢀ 20 mL), which was then neutralized with 1 M
NaOH solution. The pure product was extracted from the neutralized
solution by using diethyl ether (3 ꢀ 20 mL), washed with water (3 ꢀ
20 mL) and then brine (3 ꢀ 20 mL), and dried over MgSO4, and then
solvent was removed under reduced pressure to afford the product. Solid
product was crystallized in n-pentane.
2-(Benzylselenomethyl)pyridine, 13b:. 0.47 g (92%); crystal-
line plates; mp 28.5-29.8 °C; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 500 MHz) δ 8.53 (d,
J = 5.0 Hz, 1H, Ar-H), 7.61 (ddd, J = 8.0, 8.0, 1.5 Hz, 1H, Ar-H), 7.33-
7.19 (m, 5H, Ar-H), 7.14 (t, J = 6.0 Hz, 2H, Ar-H), 3.86 (s, 2H, -CH2),
3.85 (s, 2H, -CH2); 13C NMR (CDCl3, 100 MHz) δ 159.4 (Ar-C),
148.9 (Ar-C), 138.8 (Ar-C), 136.2 (Ar-C), 128.7 (Ar-C), 128.1 (Ar-C),
126.3 (Ar-C), 122.6 (Ar-C), 121.2 (Ar-C), 28.7 (1JC-Se = 64.8 Hz, -CH2),
27.3 (-CH2); 77Se NMR (95 MHz, sample in CDCl3, external standard:
(PhSe)2 in CDCl3) δ 331.3; HRMS (ESI) calcd for C13H14NSeþ [M þ
H]þ 264.02860, found 264.02862; IR (thin film) ~ν 3077-2938 cm-1
(pyridine ring).
NMR (95 MHz, sample in CDCl3, external standard: (PhSe)2 in CDCl3) δ
375.6; HRMS (ESI) calcd for C13H14NSeþ [M þ H]þ 264.02860, found
264.02862; IR (thin film) ~ν 3067-2910 cm-1 (pyridine ring).
N-Methyl-4-(benzylselenomethyl)pyridinium
triflate,
10b:. A solution of 12b (50.0 mg, 0.19 mmol) in 0.5 mL of deuter-
ioacetonitrile was treated with neat methyl triflate (34.0 mg, 0.21 mmol,
24 μL). X-ray quality crystals of 10b as plates were obtained by slow
1
evaporation of solvent: mp 79.2-82.2 °C; H NMR (CD3CN, 500
MHz) δ 8.39 (d, J = 6.5 Hz, 2H, Ar-H), 7.73 (d, J = 6.0 Hz, 2H, Ar-H),
7.32-7.26 (m, 5H, Ar-H), 4.21 (s, 3H, -CH3), 3.93 (s, 2H, -CH2),
3.90 (s, 2H, -CH2); 13C NMR (CD3CN, 100 MHz) δ 162.2 (Ar-C),
145.6 (Ar-C), 139.6 (Ar-C), 130.1 (Ar-C), 129.7 (Ar-C), 128.6 (Ar-C),
128.1 (Ar-C), 48.6 (-CH3), 28.9 (-CH2), 26.1 (1JC-Se = 67.0 Hz,
-CH2); 77Se NMR (95 MHz, sample in CD3CN, external standard:
(PhSe)2 in CDCl3) δ 376.9; HRMS (ESI) calcd for C14H16NSeþ [M]þ
278.04425, found 278.04422; IR (thin film) ν~ 3027-2963 cm-1
(pyridine ring).
4-(Benzylselenomethyl)pyridinium trifluoroacetate, 12bH:.
A solution of 12b (50.0 mg, 0.19 mmol) in 0.5 mL of deuteriochloro-
form was treated with neat trifluoroacetic acid (26.1 mg, 0.23 mmol, 17.5
μL): 77Se NMR (95 MHz, sample in CDCl3, external standard: (PhSe)2
in CDCl3) δ 375.1.
(tert-Butylselenomethyl)pyridine: General Procedure. To
a solution of bis(2-methyl-2-propyl) diselenide (di-tert-butyl diselenide)
(1.29 mmol) in 20 mL of anhydrous ethanol was added sodium
borohydride (in excess) portionwise until the solution turned colorless.
Meanwhile, to a stirred suspension of the appropriate bromomethyl
pyridine hydrobromide (2.58 mmol) in 25 mL of ethanol at 0 °C was
added ice-cold 1 M NaOH solution (2.58 mmol, 2.6 mL) in 9 mL of
ethanol. This cold solution was stirred for another 10 min then added
dropwise at room temperature into the anion solution previously
generated. The reaction mixture was left to stir overnight under
nitrogen. Ethanol was removed under reduced pressure and the residue
was taken up in diethyl ether (25 mL) [alternatively, the reaction
mixture was diluted with 25 mL of diethyl ether then washed with water
(5ꢀ20 mL) to remove ethanol]. A 1 M HCl solution was added to the
organic phase and the product was extracted into the acidic aqueous
phase (3 ꢀ 20 mL), which was then neutralized with 1 M NaOH
solution. The pure product was extracted from the neutralized solution
with diethyl ether (3ꢀ20 mL), washed with water (3ꢀ20 mL) and then
brine (3ꢀ20 mL), and dried over magnesium sulfate, then the solvent
was removed under reduced pressure to afford the product. Solid
product was crystallized in n-pentane.
2-(tert-Butylselenomethyl)pyridine, 13c:. 0.48 g (81%); pale
yellow oil; 1H NMR (CD3CN, 500 MHz) δ 8.44 (dd, J = 4.9, 0.7 Hz, 1H,
Ar-H), 7.65 (td, J = 7.8, 1.9 Hz, 1H, Ar-H), 7.39 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 1H,
Ar-H), 7.15 (ddd, J = 7.4, 4.9, 0.9 Hz, 1H, Ar-H), 3.99 (s, 2H, -CH2),
1.47 (s, 9H, -C(CH3)3); 13C NMR (CD3CN, 125 MHz) δ 161.3
(Ar-C), 150.0 (Ar-C), 137.5 (Ar-C), 124.2 (Ar-C), 122.4 (Ar-C), 40.6
(-C(CH3)3), 32.7 (3C, -C(CH3)3), 28.6 (1JC-Se = 67.7 Hz, -CH2);
77Se NMR (95 MHz, sample in CD3CN, external standard: (PhSe)2 in
CDCl3) δ 448.1; HRMS (ESI) calcd for C10H16NSeþ [M þ H]þ
230.04425, found 230.04426.
4-(Benzylselenomethyl)pyridine, 12b:. 0.48 g (93%); crystal-
1
line plates; mp 33.3-34.9 °C; H NMR (CD3CN, 500 MHz) δ 8.47
(dd, J = 4.0, 1.8 Hz, 2H, Ar-H), 7.34-7.23 (m, 5H, Ar-H), 7.22 (dd, J =
4.5, 2.0 Hz, 2H, Ar-H), 3.81 (s, 2H, -CH2), 3.73 (s, 2H, -CH2); 13
C
NMR (CD3CN, 125 MHz) δ 150.8 (Ar-C), 150.1 (Ar-C), 140.4 (Ar-C),
129.9 (Ar-C), 129.6 (Ar-C), 127.8 (Ar-C), 124.9 (Ar-C), 28.4 (-CH2),
26.6 (1JC-Se = 65.5 Hz, -CH2); 77Se NMR (95 MHz, sample in
CD3CN, external standard: (PhSe)2 in CDCl3) δ 338.1; HRMS (ESI)
calcd for C13H14NSeþ [M þ H]þ 264.02860, found 264.02798; IR
(thin film) ν~ 3062-2927 cm-1 (pyridine ring).
N-Methyl-2-(benzylselenomethyl)pyridinium triflate, 11b:. A
solution of 13b (50.0 mg, 0.19 mmol) in 0.5 mL of deuterioacetonitrile
was treated with neat methyl triflate (34.0 mg, 0.21 mmol, 24 μL). After
removal of the solvent 11b was obtained as a pale yellow oil; 1H NMR
(CD3CN, 500 MHz) δ 8.57 (d, J = 5.5 Hz, 1H, Ar-H), 8.31 (td, J = 7.9,
1.5 Hz, 1H, Ar-H), 7.77 (t, J = 6.6 Hz, 1H, Ar-H), 7.46 (m, 1H, Ar-H),
7.34-7.24 (m, 5H, Ar-H), 4.17 (s, 3H, -CH3), 4.13 (s, 2H, -CH2),
3.99 (s, 2H, -CH2); 13C NMR (CD3CN, 125 MHz) δ 156.8 (Ar-C),
148.1 (Ar-C), 146.6 (Ar-C), 139.0 (Ar-C), 131.7 (Ar-C), 130.1 (Ar-C),
129.8 (Ar-C), 128.3 (Ar-C), 126.9 (Ar-C), 46.4 (-CH3), 29.5 (1JC-Se
=
61.7 Hz, -CH2), 23.4 (-CH2); 77Se NMR (95 MHz, sample in
CD3CN, external standard: (PhSe)2 in CDCl3) δ 312.2; HRMS (ESI)
calcd for C14H16NSeþ [M þ H]þ 278.04425, found 278.04428; IR
(thin film) ν~ 3072-2920 cm-1 (pyridine ring).
2-(Benzylselenomethyl)pyridinium picrate, 13bH:. To a
solution of 13b (50.0 mg, 0.19 mmol) in 2 mL of anhydrous ethanol
was added picric acid (43.7 mg, 0.19 mmol) at room temperature. Reac-
tion was left to stir overnight under nitrogen. Ethanol was removed under
reduced pressure and the resulting solids were dissolved in a mini-
mum amount of chloroform. X-ray quality crystals of 13b were obtained
from slow evaporation of solvent: yellow blocks; mp 122.1-123.0 °C; 1H
NMR (CDCl3, 500 MHz) δ8.66 (d, J= 5.5 Hz, 1H, Ar-H), 8.13 (td, J=7.9,
1.5 Hz, 1H, Ar-H), 7.63(t, J= 6.6 Hz, 1H, Ar-H), 7.48(d, J=8.1Hz, 1H, Ar-
H), 7.22-7.12 (m, 5H, Ar-H), 4.30 (s, 2H, -CH2), 3.96 (s, 2H, -CH2),
8.93 (s, 2H, Ar-H); 13C NMR (CDCl3, 125 MHz) δ 157.5 (Ar-C), 144.5
(Ar-C), 141.4 (Ar-C), 137.5 (Ar-C), 129.0 (Ar-C), 129.0 (Ar-C), 127.2
(Ar-C), 126.5 (Ar-C), 124.0 (Ar-C), 29.4 (1JC-Se = 62.7 Hz, -CH2), 22.8
(-CH2), 161.3 (Ar-C), 141.5 (Ar-C), 129.3 (Ar-C), 128.6 (Ar-C); 77Se
4-(tert-Butylselenomethyl)pyridine, 12c:. 0.46 g (78%); col-
orless plates; mp 31.9-33.5 °C; 1H NMR (CD3CN, 500 MHz) δ 8.45
(d, J = 4.4 Hz, 2H), 7.30 (d, J = 4.3 Hz, 2H), 3.85 (s, 2H), 1.48 (s, 9H);
13C NMR (CD3CN, 125 MHz) δ 150.8, 150.4, 125.1, 41.3, 32.7, 25.0
(1JC-Se = 67.3 Hz, -CH2); 77Se NMR (95 MHz, sample in CD3CN,
external standard: (PhSe)2 in CDCl3) δ 458.6; HRMS (ESI) calcd for
C10H16NSeþ [M þ H]þ 230.04425, found 230.04430.
N-Methyl-2-(tert-butylselenomethyl)pyridinium tosylate,
11c:. A solution of 13c (60.8 mg, 0.27 mmol) in 0.5 mL of deuter-
oacetonitrile was treated with neat methyl tosylate (54.6 mg, 0.29 mmol,
44.2 μL). X-ray quality crystals of 11c were obtained from slow
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dx.doi.org/10.1021/jo102307v |J. Org. Chem. 2011, 76, 1673–1682