Highly substituted cyclohexanes: strong proximity effects influence synthetic access to 1,3,5-tris(bromomethyl)-1,3,5-trialkylcyclohexanes (alkyl = methyl, n-propyl)

Abstract

1,3,5-Tris(bromomethyl)-1,3,5-trialkylcyclohexanes (alkyl = methyl, n-propyl) were prepared. These are the first examples of 1,3,5-tris(halomethyl)-1,3,5-trialkylcyclohexanes. One synthetic method directly converted the corresponding triols with PPh 3Br 2, where an excess of the bromination reagent and high temperature (175 °C) were required. Stoichiometric use of PPh 3Br 2 under mild conditions, successfully employed for the synthesis of the parent tris(bromomethyl)cyclohexane, did not lead to the desired tribromides but rather to cyclic ethers. Proximity effects triggered by the 1,3,5-alkyl groups strongly influence the reactivity of such highly substituted cyclohexanes. An alternative synthetic access to the tris(bromomethyl) compounds was also developed, using 1,3,5-tris(triflatomethyl)-1,3,5-trialkylcyclohexanes (triflato = F 3CSO 3) as synthetic intermediates. An X-ray crystal structure of 1,3,5-tris(bromomethyl)-1,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane was obtained.