Hikaru Fujita

A Novel Acid-Catalyzed O-Benzylating Reagent with the Smallest Unit of Imidate Structure

Formal trimerization of the smallest unit of benzyl imidate leads to 2,4,6-tris(benzyloxy)-1,3,5-triazine (TriBOT), which can be used as an acid-catalyzed O-benzylating reagent. The reaction of various functionalized alcohols with 0.4 equiv of TriBOT in the presence of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid afforded the benzyl ethers in good yields. TriBOT is an inexpensive stable crystalline solid with high atom economy.

Study of the Reactivities of Acid-Catalyzed O-Benzylating Reagents Based on Structural Isomers of 1,3,5-Triazine

We have demonstrated O-benzylating abilities of both 4,6-bis(benzyloxy)-1,3,5-triazin-2(1H)-one (DiBOT) and 6-(benzyloxy)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (MonoBOT), which have been previously suggested as reaction intermediates of the acid-catalyzed benzylation of 2,4,6-tris(benzyloxy)-1,3,5-triazine (TriBOT). We studied the effect on the reactivity of acid-catalyzed O-benzylation caused by the isomeric core triazine structures in these compounds by carrying out a kinetic study and estimating relative basicities using model compounds. Since MonoBOT showed superior reactivity, 1,3,5-triazine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione is a promising core structure for acid-catalyzed alkylating reagents.

Cooperation of the Neutral and the Cationic Leaving Group Pathways in Acid-Catalyzed O-Benzylation of TriBOT

The reaction profile of acid-catalyzed O-benzylation with 2,4,6-tris(benzyloxy)-1,3,5-triazine (TriBOT) was analyzed to study the reaction kinetics. The first-order kinetic constant for the formation of benzyl cation species from N-protonated TriBOT (neutral leaving group pathway) was estimated and compared with that of the model compound for TriBOT. Since rapid consumption of TriBOT in the late stage could not be explained solely by this pathway, cooperation of another reaction mechanism, the cationic leaving group pathway, was proposed to rationalize the rate acceleration.

Triazine-Based Cationic Leaving Group: Synergistic Driving Forces for Rapid Formation of Carbocation Species

A new triazine-based cationic leaving group has been developed for the acid-catalyzed alkylation of O- and C-nucleophiles. There are two synergistic driving forces, namely, stable C═O bond formation and charge-charge repulsive effects, involved in the rapid generation of the carbocation species in the presence of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (∼200 mol %). Considerable rate acceleration of benzylation, allylation, and p-nitrobenzylation was observed as compared to the reactions with less than 100 mol % of the acid catalyst. The triazine-based leaving group showed superior p-nitrobenzylation yield and stability in comparison to common leaving groups, trichloroacetimidate and bromide. A plausible reaction mechanism (the cationic leaving group pathway) was proposed on the basis of mechanistic and kinetic studies, NMR experiments, and calculations.

Study of O-Allylation Using Triazine-Based Reagents

Acid-catalyzed allylating reagent 2,4,6-tris(allyloxy)-1,3,5-triazine (TriAT-allyl) and its substituted derivatives have been developed. The reaction of acid-, and alkali-labile alcohols with these reagents in the presence of a catalytic amount of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TfOH) afforded the corresponding allyl ethers in good yields. Reactions using these reagents with an unsymmetrically-substituted regioisometric allyl group suggested that a single isometric allylic cation species would be involved.