Solvomercuration-Demercuration. 12. The Solvomercuration-Demercuration of Olefins in Alcohol Solvents with Mercuric Trifluoroacetate--An Ether Synthesis of Wide Generality

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00208a005

Studies on the solvomercuration-demercuration (SM-DM) of olefins in methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, and tert-butyl alcohols with mercuric trifluoroacetate have been extended. 1-Dodecene undergoes the SM-DM sequence with typical results for a monosubstituted olefin.Cyclopentene similarly exhibited behavior characteristic of a 1,2-disubstituted olefin in methanol, ethanol, and 2-propanol, giving high yields, >90percent of the corresponding ethers.However, in tert-butyl alcohol, the yields of ether were lower than normal and decreased somewhat with time. 2-Methyl-1-butene gives >90percent yields of the Markovnikov methyl ether.On the other hand, the yields of ethyl, isopropyl, and tert-butyl ethers are lower and decrease with time.Major improvements in yields, however, are possible by lowering the reaction temperature from room temperature to 0 deg C.Cyclooctene, surprisingly, behaves more like a tri-, tetra-, or isosubstituted olefin than a 1,2-disubstituted olefin.The yields of cyclooctyl methyl ether are >90percent and do not decrease with time.However, yields of the ethyl, isopropyl, and tert-butyl ethers are lower and drop with time.Again, lowering the reaction temperature from room temperature to 0 deg C markedly improves the yields of the cyclooctyl ethers.These results, coupled with those of a previous study, clearly reveal the exceptional superiority of mercuric trifluoroacetate for the SM-DM of olefins in alcohol solvents.