1-Imidoalkylphosphonium salts with modulated Cα–P+ bond strength: synthesis and application as new active α-imidoalkylating agents

• Main Authors: Jakub Adamek, Roman Mazurkiewicz, Anna Węgrzyk, Karol Erfurt
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beilstein-Institut 2017-07-01
• Series: Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry
• Subjects: N-(1-arylalkyl)imides; α-imidoalkylating agents; imidoalkylation reactions; 1-imidoalkylphosphonium salts; Tscherniac–Einhorn-type reaction
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3762/bjoc.13.142

An effective synthesis of the hitherto unknown 1-imidoalkylphosphonium salts has been developed in the reported study. The crucial step in the method included the decarboxylative α-methoxylation of N-phthaloyl- or N-succinylamino acids to the corresponding N-(1-methoxyalkyl)imides, followed by the displacement of the methoxy group by the triarylphosphonium group through melting of the imide derivative with triarylphosphonium tetrafluoroborate. The imidoalkylating properties of the obtained 1-imidoalkylphosphonium salts were tested using the Tscherniac–Einhorn-type reaction with aromatic hydrocarbons as a model reaction. It was found that the Cα–P+ bond strength can be considerably reduced and the imidoalkylation of arenes can be markedly facilitated using 1-imidoalkylphosphonium salts derived from triarylphosphines with electron-withdrawing substituents such as tris(m-chorophenyl)phosphine, tris(p-chlorophenyl)phosphine and tris[p-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]phosphine. Microwave irradiation also considerably facilitates the cleavage of the highly polar Cα–P+ bond.