Oxidative rearrangement of imines to formamides using sodium perborate

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(97)00101-4

Oxidation of C-aryl or alkyl-N-arylaldimines 6 or 20 by sodium perborate tetrahydrate (SPB) in trifluoroacetic acid solution gives rearranged N,N-disubstituted formamides 9 and 21. Yields are variable and solvent dependant with the best yields (50-60%) being obtained for electronically neutral C-aryl substituents or C-s-alkyl substituents. Product formation is rationalised in terms of an intermediate oxaziridine 5 that rearranges via acid catalysed O-N bond cleavage. An alternative C-O bond cleavage of these intermediates accounts for the formation of aldehydes, which are common by products. Rearrangement appears to be favoured by N-aryl substituents and by C-substituents that do not stabilise a developing positive charge on carbon. Further support for an oxaziridine intermediate 5 is provided by the observation that MCPBA oxidation of benzaldehyde phenylimine gives rearranged N,N-diphenylformamide. Under the conditions of the SPB oxidative rearrangements, oxaziridine formation may well occur by initial formation of trifluoroperacetic acid. Stereochemical aspects of this novel rearrangement of aldimines 1 → 2 have been investigated using trans- and cis-myrtanal 25 and 30. The observed epimerisation using die N-4-tolyl imine of trans-myrtanal 26 is believed to arise from equilibration of the precursor imine 26 with the tautomeric enamine 35b.