Polymer-supported analogues of t-butyl hypohalites. Preparation and applications in synthetic organic chemistry

Crosslinked polymer-supported analogues of t-butyl hypochlorite and t-butyl hypobromite were prepared and developed as a new class of recyclable solid-phase oxidizing and halogenating reagents. The preparation of these new reagents involved a three-step polymer-analogous reaction starting from styrene-divinylbenzene crosslinked polymer. A ketone functional group was introduced into the copolystyrene-2% divinylbenzene resin beads by a Friedel-Crafts reaction with bromoacetone. This functional group was then converted to a tertiary alcoholic function on the polymer support by a Grignard reaction with methylmagnesium iodide. The treatment of this tertiary alcohol resin with sodium hypochlorite or sodium hypobromite yielded the polymeric t-butyl hypochlorite or hypobromite. These hypohalites were estimated iodometrically. These reagents were found to oxidize primary and secondary alcohols to the corresponding carbonyl compounds in high yields. They were also found to be suitable for halogenation of carbonyl compounds and amides. The spent polymeric reagent after the oxidation or halogenation step can be easily removed by filtration and can be regenerated many times by treating with the sodium hypohalite without any loss of capacity.