The reaction of substituted glycols with catalytic dibutyltin oxide, stoichiometric p-toluenesulfonyl chloride, and triethylamine in CH2Cl2 resulted in the complete and rapid sulfonylation at the primary alcohol. The α-heterosubstituted primary alcohol moiety appeared optimal for best results, supporting the intermediacy of a five-membered chelate. The role of the amine is discussed, in addition to catalyst requirements and solvent effects.

This paper describes a convenient protocol for the regioselective sulfonylation of alpha-chelatable alcohols. Typically, the reaction of alpha-heterosubstituted alcohols with 1 equiv of p-TsCl and 1 equiv of Et(3)N in the presence of 2 mol % of Bu(2)SnO leads to rapid, regioselective, and exclusive monotosylation. The pK(a) of the amine was correlated to the reaction rate. A plausible mechanism for this reaction has been proposed on the basis of (119)Sn NMR studies.

A mild, high-yielding, and practical protocol for the direct amidation of alkyl cyanoacetates using DBU is presented. This method eliminates the need for activation of cyanoacetic acid and/or high temperatures. It has been applied to the large-scale synthesis of CP-690,550-10 (1), a compound under development for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Carbon dioxide catalyzes the reaction of imidazolides with amines to form amides. A substantial rate enhancement is observed in the presence of CO(2) compared to the CO(2)-free case. The scope and limitations of this reaction are discussed.

We describe the development and scale-up of a nickel-catalyzed reductive cross-electrophile coupling reaction between a substituted 2-chloropyridine and ethyl 3-chloropropanoate using manganese dust as the terminal reductant. Several additives were screened for the activation of the manganese reductant in situ, and chlorotriethylsilane (TESCl) was found to provide the optimal conversion. A focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) probe was utilized to monitor particle attrition as well as manganese activation during the reaction. Modeling was employed to garner an understanding of mixing requirements that would ensure effective suspension of the manganese during scale-up. The process was successfully demonstrated on a 7 kg scale and afforded 2 in 64% yield.