Solvent-controlled selective transformation of 2-bromomethyl-2-methylaziridines to functionalized aziridines and azetidines

J Org Chem. 2012 Apr 6;77(7):3181-90. doi: 10.1021/jo202637a. Epub 2012 Mar 15.

Abstract

The reactivity of 2-bromomethyl-2-methylaziridines toward oxygen, sulfur, and carbon nucleophiles in different solvent systems was investigated. Remarkably, the choice of the solvent has a profound influence on the reaction outcome, enabling the selective formation of either functionalized aziridines in dimethylformamide (through direct bromide displacement) or azetidines in acetonitrile (through rearrangement via a bicyclic aziridinium intermediate). In addition, the experimentally observed solvent-dependent behavior of 2-bromomethyl-2-methylaziridines was further supported by means of DFT calculations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Azetidines / chemical synthesis*
  • Azetidines / chemistry*
  • Aziridines / chemical synthesis*
  • Aziridines / chemistry*
  • Carbon / chemistry*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Oxygen / chemistry*
  • Quantum Theory
  • Solvents / chemistry*
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Sulfur / chemistry*

Substances

  • Azetidines
  • Aziridines
  • Solvents
  • Sulfur
  • Carbon
  • Oxygen