Having trouble closing the ring in your imidazolium salt synthesis?

  • Thread starter gravenewworld
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In summary: I'm trying to synthesize the imidazolium salts combining mesityl with methyl and cyclohexyl group."What you are trying to do is synthesize the imidazolium chloride. You are combining the methyl group with the amine and the cyclohexyl group with the pyridine.
  • #1
gravenewworld
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Anyone ever try it with an amine moiety present? It doesn't seem to be working for me. I basically have a vinyl amino pyridine that I am trying to react with another olefin. I have tried the 1st and 2nd generation catalysts with no luck. I also have tried a Schrock rxn. I have searched the literature and there really isn't any precedent for what I am trying to do. Could it be the pyridine ring that is giving me the problem?

I really don't want to have to spend $500 for 500 mg of the 3rd generation catalyst if it won't work.
 
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  • #2
Substrates that contain functional groups that are good ligands for Grubbs catalysts are generally not successful. Your example contains both amine and pyridine which are very good ligands. The chiral Grubbs catalyst actually contains a couple of pyridines as ligands as you are probably aware. Allyl amines have been sucessfully metathesized using Grubbs chiral catalyst when the amine was secondary and had an adjacent bulky aryl group. (Toste, F.D., et al, Pure Appl. Chem., Vol 74, No. 1, pp 7-10, 2002.) They note that Fmoc and boc-protected amines only produced enamines so amino protection with those groups may not work. Amides are usually OK with the catalyst, so you might consider protection as an amide. This will still leave you with the pyridine functionality but it may work if the pyridine is 2,6-disubstituted with bulky enough groups (2,4-substituted thiazoles have been used successfully as well.). You may also consider using a vinyl-substituted nitropyridine N-oxide for the metathesis followed by conversion to the aminopyridine. I believe that refluxing with iron and acid will accomplish the reduction.
 
  • #3
I just found this article over on OrgPrepDaily (thanks, Milkshake!):

Yin, J., Xiang, B. JOC 72(2007),4554-4557.
http://orgprepdaily.wordpress.com/

In this article, a substituted pyridine N-oxide is treated with tert-butylamine and [tex]Ts_2O[/tex] in [tex]PhCF_3[/tex]. Deprotection with TFA gives a 2-aminopyridine (or a 6-amino if that side is available). This protection may be suitable for the Grubbs catalyst since the substitution on the amine is very sterically blocked and the pyridine is in the N-oxide form. Deprotection/reduction appears to be trivial (TFA in solvent at 70C). The reported yields were in the range of 70%-90% for the N-oxide to aminopyridine step.
 
  • #4
Totally forgot about this post. Thanks for the info though. I was able to get around the problem by reacting the vinyl amino pyridine with a suitable boronic acid via a rhodium cyclooctene chloride dimer catalyzed reaction. I had to use an exotic ligand, something called tppds that I ordered from STREM. The reaction actually also took place in water and toluene and SDS was used as the phase transfer catalyst. Stirred at room temperature for a couple of hours. Worked like a charm.


I will keep your reference though. It will definitely be useful in the future.
 
  • #5
You still doing medicinal chemistry?
 
  • #6
chemisttree said:
You still doing medicinal chemistry?

For the time being. We will submit a response to the FDA (3Q) very soon which would trigger a 6 month period before we get a response. Based on the facts, I'd say there is about 0.5% chance of getting approval. Word has it that our CSO/VP is looking to bail which tells you pretty much what the outlooks is for our company.

The only thing that we have going for us right now is our delta opioid agonist which is the first of its kind. It has been generating a lot of buzz in the industry. It is only in phase II right now and is years away from getting approval. The company won't be able to last that long IMO. The only way to stay afloat, that I can reasonably see, is to sell our delta compound to big pharma.I'd say I have another 6-10 months left. Even if I didn't get laid off, who would want to work for a company that is on the very brink? They will just unload all the work from the people that they will lay off on the people that they keep. So far we have had about 1-2 people leave every week for about the past two months.
 
  • #7
See here.

http://www.swri.org/hr/ViewJob.asp?JobID=963&Type=Exempt

The winters are nice. There is a medical school in town.


August sucks!
 
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  • #8
Hi! I'm working on synthesis of assimetric imidazolium chlorides but I'm having problems in the last step. I'm following exactly the steps in the general procedure of Waltman and Grubbs (Organometallics, 23, 2004, 3105). I'm trying to synthesize the imidazolium salts combining mesityl with methyl and cyclohexyl group. The reduction of the oxalamides with BH3.THF is complete but in the last step I never get to close the ring with HC(EtO)3. After leaving the reaction mixture heating at 120 ºC and refluxing overnight, the next day I always find some very dark solution (almost black, like carbonized) and when I filtered the solid that appeared once in that solution I only could see in H-NMR and C-NMR that no peak of carbon at about 160 ppm was present (the one closing the ring, linked to two N). I also distilated EtOH formed during the reaction to force it to the right side and added more HCl to increase acidic conditions...

Could someone help me, please?

Thanx a lot in advance,

Cheers,

Ana
 

FAQ: Having trouble closing the ring in your imidazolium salt synthesis?

What is Grubbs olefin metathesis?

Grubbs olefin metathesis, also known as the Grubbs catalyst, is a type of chemical reaction that involves the breaking and forming of carbon-carbon double bonds in organic molecules. It was first discovered by chemist Robert H. Grubbs in the 1990s and has since become an important tool in organic synthesis.

How does Grubbs olefin metathesis work?

The reaction involves the use of a ruthenium-based catalyst, which acts as a molecular pair of scissors, breaking the double bond in an olefin molecule. This creates a highly reactive intermediate that can then react with another olefin molecule, resulting in the formation of a new carbon-carbon double bond. The catalyst can then be regenerated and used again, making it a sustainable and efficient process.

What are the applications of Grubbs olefin metathesis?

Grubbs olefin metathesis has a wide range of applications in organic synthesis, including the production of pharmaceuticals, natural products, and materials such as polymers. It is also used in industrial processes, such as the production of fuels and chemicals. Additionally, it has been used in the synthesis of complex molecules in the field of drug discovery.

What are the advantages of using Grubbs olefin metathesis?

Compared to other methods of carbon-carbon bond formation, Grubbs olefin metathesis offers several advantages. It is a relatively simple and efficient process, requiring only mild reaction conditions and producing minimal waste. It also allows for the synthesis of complex molecules with high selectivity and stereoselectivity, making it a valuable tool for organic chemists.

Are there any limitations or challenges associated with Grubbs olefin metathesis?

While Grubbs olefin metathesis is a highly versatile and useful reaction, there are some limitations and challenges to consider. One limitation is that the reaction is sensitive to air and moisture, requiring special precautions to be taken during the process. Additionally, the catalyst can be expensive and may not be suitable for certain types of olefin molecules. Some challenges also arise in controlling the regioselectivity and stereoselectivity of the reaction, which can affect the outcome of the synthesis.

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