3-PERFLUOROALKYL-5-HYDROXYISOXAZOLES

Abstract: A compound of the formula (I) in which: R is a perfluoroalkyl, R¹ is hydrogen, an alkyl or an option­ ally substituted phenyl; or a salt thereof. The compound is useful as an intermediate in the synthesis of pesticides, her­ bicides, fungicides and medicines.

Description: The present invention relates to 3-per-fluoroalkyl-5-hydroxyisoxazoles which are useful as intermediates for synthesizing pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and medicines. At the 50th spring annual meeting of the Chemical Society of Japan, April, 1985, K. Mitsuhashi et al. reported preparation of 3-trifluoromethyl-5-hydroxyisoxazoles substituted with methoxycarbonyl or ethoxycarbonyl at the 4-position. C. Baldoli et al., Gazz. Chem. Ital., 3 , 347 (1981) disclosed isoxazolin-5-ones substituted with phenyl or ethoxycarbonyl at the 3-position, and with alkyl, phenyl or benzyl at 4-position. In addition EP 0042732 discloses 5-aminoisoxazoles useful in the production of insecticides. However, no report has been made of the 3-perfluoroalkyl-5-hydroxyisoxazole derivatives of the present invention. The present invention provides a compound of the formula (I): wherein R is C₁₋₃ perfluoroalkyl; and R¹ is hydrogen, C₁₋₅ alkyl, phenyl or phenyl substituted by halogen, C₁₋₃ alkyl, C₁₋₃ alkoxy or methylenedioxy; and salts thereof. The perfluoroalkyl R may include for example trifluoromethyl (CF₃), pentafluoroethyl (C₂F₅) or heptafluoropropyl (C₃F₇). The alkyl R¹ may, include for example methyl, ethyl, propyl or isobutyl. A substituted phenyl R¹ may contain one or more substituents and examples thereof include halogen (e.g. chlorine, fluorine) C₁₋₃ alkyl (e.g. methyl, ethyl, propyl,) and c₁₋₃ alkoxy (e.g. methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy,). The substituents may form together with the carbon atom to which they are attched a group such as e.g. methylenedioxy, ethylenedioxy. Salts of the compound (I) may include alkaline metal salts, such as sodium or potassium salts and alkaline earth metal salts such as calcium or magnesium salts. Although the compounds of formula (I) are depicted herein as 5-hydroxyisoxazoles (enol form,) the compounds may be presented as isoxazolin-5-ones (keto form), represented by the following formula: wherein R and R¹ are as defined hereinbefore. The separated tautomeric forms of the compounds of the formula (I) and mixtures thereof fall within the scope of the present invention. Examples of the compounds of the present invention are: (1) the compound of the formula (I) in which R is trifluoromethyl and R¹ is hydrogen, or sodium salt thereof; (2) the compound of the formula (I) in which R is trifluoromethyl and R¹ is methyl, or sodium salt thereof; (3) the compound of the formula (I) in which R is trifluoromethyl and R¹ is phenyl; (4) the compound of the formula (I) in which R is trifluoromethyl and R¹ is 4-chlorophenyl; (5) the compound of the formula (I) in which R is trifluoromethyl and R¹ is 4-methoxyphenyl; (6) the compound of the formula (I) in which R is penta-fluoroethyl and R¹ is hydrogen or sodium salt thereof; (7) the compound of the formula (I) in which R is penta-fluroethyl and R¹ is methyl or sodium salt thereof; (8) the compound of the formula (I) in which R is penta-fluoroethyl and R¹ is phenyl; (9) the compound of the formula (I) in which R is penta-fluroethyl and R¹ is 4-chlorophenyl; and (10) the compound of the formula (I) in which R is pneta-fluoroethyl and R¹ is 4-methoxyphenyl. The compound of the present invention can be prepared by acid hydrolysis of a compound of the formula (II): wherein R and R¹ are as defined hereinbefore. The most preferred acid is hydrochloric acid. Preferably, this hydrolysis is carried out in a solvent such as an alkanol, for example, methanol, ethanol or n-propanol, preferably n-propanol, at 60-120°C for 10-50 hours. Alternatively, the compound of the formula (I) can be prepared by the reaction of β-ketoesters of the formula (III): wherein R and R¹ are as defined hereinbefore and R² is C₁₋₅ alkyl, with hydroxylamine or hydroxylamine hydrochloride. Preferably, this reaction is carried out in a solvent such as an alkanol, for example, methanol or ethanol or benzene, neutralized with an alkali such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide as necessary, at 40-80°C for 4-40 hours. Although the compound of the formula (I) can be directly produced by this reaction, optionally the corresponding oxime produced as the intermediate can be isolated and cyclized according to the procedure of E. Abigente and Pado de Capariis, J. Heterocyclic Chem., 20 , 1597 (1983) to obtain the compound of the formula (I). The resulting compound of the formula (I) can be converted to the sodium salt thereof according to the procedure of, for example, Francesco De Sarlo and G. Dini, J. Heterocyclic Chem., 4(4), 533 (1967). In particular, the compound of the formula (I) in which R¹ is hydrogen or alkyl such as methyl is preferably prepared in the form of a sodium salt in view of its stability. When R¹ is hydrogen, the reaction using the β-ketoester compound is preferred rather than hydrolysis of the compound of the formula (II) in view of the yield of the compound of the formula (I). The compound of the formula (II), which is used as the starting material for preparing the compound of the formula (I), is a novel compound. For example it may be prepared by the condensation reaction of the compound of the formula (IV): R - CO₂R² (IV) wherein R and R² are as defined hereinbefore, with the compound of the formula (V): R¹ CH₂CN (V) wherein R¹ is as defined hereinbefore, and then the cyclization reaction of the resulting ketonitrile compound with hydroxylamine or a salt thereof (hydrochloride or sulfate). The condensation reaction is illustrated below. (1) When a compound of the formula (V) wherein R¹ is hydrogen or alkyl is used, the reaction may be carried out in the presence of lithium diisopropylamide in a solvent such as tetrahydrofuran or diethyl ether at -78 - 0°C. (2) When a compound of the formula (V) wherein R¹ is optionally substituted phenyl is used, the reaction may be carried out in the presence of sodium metal in a solvent such as an alkanol, for example, ethanol with heating at about the boiling point of the solvent. The cyclization reaction of a ketonitrile compound, which is performed after the condensation reaction above, may be carried out in a solvent such as water or an alkanol, for example, methanol or ethanol with heating at about the boiling point of the solvent. When water is used as the solvent, the intermediate is preferably neutralized, as necessary, by the addition of inorganic base such as sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate. The compounds of the formula (IV) and (V) are known or can be made by known methods. The starting material represented by the formula (III) is also known or can be made by known methods, for example, the method described in J. Burdon and V.C.R. Melcughlin, Tetrahedron, 20 , 2163 (1963). The present invention includes any of the above intermediates or starting materials which are new. The compounds of the formula (I) of the present invention thus obtained are useful as intermediates for synthesizing pesticides such as herbicides, fungicides and medicines, in particular, herbicides. The reader is referrred to JA 5781467 (GB 2084140) which discloses analagous isoxazoles as intermediates for pesticides. The following Preparations and Examples further illustrate the present invention but are not to be construed to limit the scope thereof. Preparation 1 5-Amino-3-trifluoromethylisoxazole Diisopropylamine (96 ml, 0.690 mole) was dissolved in 615 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran and to this solution was added a solution of 15% n-butyllithium in n-hexane (420 ml, 0.660 mole), while maintaining the mixture below 0 o C. The mixture was stirred at 0°C for 30 minutes and then cooled to -72°C. While maintaining the mixture at the same temperature a solution of methyl trifluoroacetate (38.42 g, 0.300 mole) and acetonitrle (24.6 g, 0.600 mole) in dry tetrahydrofuran (385 ml) was added dropwise. After maintaining the mixture at -75°C for 45 minutes, the solution was allowed to warm to room temperature over 1 hour. Ice-water was added and then tetrahydrofuran and n-hexane were evaporated under reduced pressure. The residue was extracted with diethylether to remove neutral and basic components. The aqueous layer was adjusted to about pH 2 with 36 % HCl, extracted with methylene chloride to remove acetoacetonitrile and other by-products and then extracted with diethyl ether. The solvent was evaporated to give 43.15 g of crude trifluoroacetonitrile (b.p. of the pure product: 39°C/2.9 mmHg - 43°C/2.5 mmHg). Methanol (540 ml) and 97 % hydroxylamine hydrochloride (27.94 g, 0.490 mole) were added to the resulting product and the mixture was heated at reflux for 68 hours. Methanol was evaporated under reduced pressure and water (300 ml) was added to the residue. The solution was adjusted to pH 11 or above with 48 % aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and then extracted with methylene chloride. The solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure and then distilled under reduced pressure (78 - 79.5°C/3 mmHg) to give 24.00 g (52.6 %) of 5-amino-3-trifluoromethylisoxazole as colorless crystals. The solid product was recrystallized from benzene/cyclohexane to give colorless plate crystals, m.p. 57 - 58°C. The results of IR, NMR, UV and elemental analysis showed that the product was 5-amino-3-trifluoromethylisoxazle. Example 1 3-Trifluoromethyl-5-hydroxyisoxazole A solution of 36 % HCl (9.12 g, 15 eq.) and n-propanol (9.0 ml) was added to 5-amino-3-trifluoromethyl-isoxazole (0.91 g, 6.0 mmole) from Preparation 1 and heated at reflux for 23 hours. The reaction mixture was cooled, extracted with methylene chloride and distilled under reduced pressure to give 0.006 g (0.7 %) of the titled compound as a cololess liquid, b.p. 35 - 37°C/1.4 mmHg. This product was thought to be the keto form or a mixture of the keto and enol form by NMR and IR. Anal. Calcd. for C₄H₂NO₂F₃: C, 31.38; H, 1.32; N, 9.15. Found: C, 30.47; H, 1.84; N, 9.54. Examples 2 to 9: According to the same procedure as in Example 1, the compounds shown in Table 1 were prepared from the corresponding compound of the formula (II). Example 10 3-Trifluoromethyl-5-hydroxyisoxazole sodium salt (a) Ethanol (36 ml) and a small amount of phenolphthalein was added to 97 % hydroxylamine hydrochloride (2.15 g, 1.5 eq.) and then a solution of potassium hydroxide in ethanol (1 g/5 ml) was added dropwise with ice cooling to neutralize the mixture. Ethyl trifluoroacetoacetate (3.68 g, 0.02 mole) was added to this solution and the mixture was reacted with stirring under reflux for 4 hours. After completion of the reaction, water (300 ml) was added at room temperature and the mixture was extracted continuously for 10 hours with diethyl ether. After the ether layer was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate, diethyl ether was distilled off. Dry ethanol (20 ml) was added to the residue and a solution of sodium ethoxide in ethanol (1 g Na/20 ml) was added dropwise with ice cooling until phenolphthalein was colored. The solution was evaporated under reduced pressure to remove ethanol, and benzene was added to the residue. Precipitate was filtered off to give 1.99 g (51.5 % as monohydrate) of 3-trifluoro-methyl-5-hydroxyisoxazole sodium salt which can be represented by the formula: as colorless granular crystals. The filtrate was purified by subjecting it to silica gel chromatography to give 0.97 g (24.4 %) of ethyl trifluoromethylacetoacetate oxime of the formula: CF₃C(NOH)CH₂COOC₂H₅ . (b) Methanol (2 ml) and a solution of 1N sodium hydroxide (3.6 mmole) in methanol/water (1 : 2) was added to ethyl trifluoromethylacetoacetate oxime (0.6 g, 3 mmole) obtained from (a). The solution was stirred at 0°C for 2 hours, adjusted below pH 3 with 36 % HCl, added water (25 ml) and extracted continuously for 4 hours with diethyl ether. After the diethyl ether layer was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate, diethyl ether was evaporated. Dry ethanol (3 ml) was added to the residue and then a solution of sodium ethoxide in ethanol (1 g Na/10 ml) was added dropwise until phenolphthalein was colored. The solution was evaporated under reduced pressure to remove ethanol to give 0.51 g of a crude product containing 3-trifluoro-methyl-5-hydroxyisoxazole sodium salt. After purification, the product was recrystallized from ethanol/benzene to yield 3-trifluoromethyl-5-hydroxyisoxazole sodium salt (75.3 %) as colorless granular crystals, m.p. 210°C. Anal. Calcd. for C₄HNO₂F₃Na: C, 27.44; H,0.58; N, 8.00. Found: C, 27.51; H,0.65; N,7.44. (c) To ethyl trifluoroacetoacetate (3.68 g, 0.02 mole) was added ethanol (36 ml) and hydroxylamine(prepared from 2.15 g (0.03 mole) of hydroxylamine hydrochloride by neutralization with potassium/ethanol) and the mixture was reacted under reflux for 40 hours with stirring. After completion of the reaction, a solution of sodium hydroxide (0.88 g, 0.022 mole) in water (30 ml) was added and stirred for 3 hours. The solution was then adjusted below pH 3 with 36 % HCl and worked up according to the same manner as described in the above (b) to give 3.09 g of a crude product containing 3-trifluoromethyl-5-hydroxyisoxazole sodium salt. After the product was dissolved in dry ethanol, benzene was added to precipitate 3-trifluoromethyl-5-hydroxyisoxazole sodium salt as colorless crystals and the crystals (77.1 %) were filtered off. (d) To dry ethanol (200 ml) was added 97 % hydroxylamine hydrochloride (8.60 g, 0.120 mole), heated and dissolved. While maintaining the mixture below 25°C to this stirring solution was added a solution of sodium ethoxide in ethanol which was prepared by the addition of sodium metal (2.76 g, 0.120 g-atom) to dry ethanol (56 ml). Ethyl trifluoroacetoacetate (18.4 g, 0.100 mole) was then added and heated under reflux to allow to react for 4 hours. The reaction mixture was cooled with ice and a solution of sodium ethoxide in ethanol which was prepared by the addition of sodium metal (2.30 g, 0.100 g-atom) to ethanol (46 ml) was added and allowed to stand overnight at 0°C. A slight amount of phenolphthalein as an indicator was added and, while cooling with ice, a solution of soidum ethoxide in ethanol was added until the reaction mixture was colored to pale red. The precipitated inorganic crystals were filtered off. The crystals were well washed with dry ethanol (40 ml) and the washings were combined with the above filtrate and ethanol was evaporated under reduced pressure at 40°C. To the resulting residue was added benzene, the solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure, and then the residue was dried under reduced pressure (<1 mmHg) at 100°C for 1 hour to give 18.06 g of crude 3-trifluoromethyl-5-hydroxyisoxazole sodium salt (crude yield 103.2 %, yield calculated as the pure product 79.2 %) as a pale pink amorphous material. This sodium salt can be used to produce a desired pesticide and a medicine without further purification. (e) Crude 3-trifluoromethyl-5-hydroxy-isoxazole sodium salt (9.22 g, crude yield 105.3 %, yield calculated as the pure product 75.9 %) was prepared according to the same procedure as described in (d), except that sodium metal was replaced with 97 % granular sodium hydroxide for preparation of the solution of sodium ethoxide in ethanol. (f) Crude 3-trifluoromethyl-5-hydroxyisoxazole (10.94 g, crude yield 125.0 %, yield calculated as pure compound 67.0 %) was prepared according to the same procedure as described in (d) except that methanol was replaced with ethanol as the reaction solvent. Preparation 2 Ethyl pentafluoropropionylacetate Ethyl acetate (20.26 g, 0.23 mole) and sodium metal (2.3 g, 0.10 g-atom) was added to ethyl pentafluoropropionate (20.26 g, 0.23 mole) and the mixture was refluxed with stirring until sodium metal was dissolved. After sodium metal was dissolved, dry diethyl ether (100 ml) was added and the solution was further reacted under reflux overnight. After completion or the reaction, the solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure and the resulting residue was made acidic with 50 ml of 15 % sulfuric acid, while it was cool. The solution was extracted with diethyl ether and the ether layer was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate. Diethyl ether was then distilled off by distilling at atmospheric pressure using a fractionating column packed with Raschig ring and the resulting residue was further distilled under reduced pressure to give 9.90 g (42.3 %) of the title compound as a colorless liquid, b.p. 77-78°C/80 mmHg. The structure of this compound was confirmed by IR and NMR. Preparation 3 Ethyl p-chlorophenylacetate To p-chlorophenylacetic acid (85.30 g, 0.50 mole) was added ethanol (92 g, 2.0 mole), benzene (78.11 g) and conc. sulfuric acid (2.5 g, 0.025 mole) and the azeotropic dehydration reaction was performed for 6 hours. After completion of the reaction, water (200 ml) was added to the reaction mixture, while it was cool and the solution was extracted with diethyl ether. The ether layer was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate, diethyl ether was distilled off under reduced pressure and the resulting residue was distilled under reduced pressure to give 96.30 g (96.9 %) of the title compound as a colorless liquid, b.p. 105-106°C/2.5 mmHg (lit. 130°C/13 mmHg). Substituting p-methoxyphenylacetic acid for p-chlorophenylacetic acid and using the same manner as described above, ethyl p-methoxyphenylacetate was prepared. Preparations 4 to 7 Ethyl trifluoroacetate was reacted with ethyl propionate, ethyl phenylacetate or esters obtained from Preparation 3 according to the same procedure as described in Preparation 2 to give the corresponding β-ketoesters of the formula (III), respectively. The results are shown in Table 2. In Table 2, β-ketoesters obtained from 4-chlorophenyl compound and 4-methoxyphenyl compound are novel compounds and their elemental analysis are as follows. β-ketoesters obtained from 4-chlorophenyl compound: Anal. Calcd. for C₁₂H₁₀O₃F₃Cl · 1/2 H₂O: C, 47.46; H, 3.66. Found: C, 47.40; H, 3,80. β-ketoesters obtained from 4-methoxyphenyl compound: Anal. Calcd. for C₁₃H₁₃O₄F₃ · 1/2 H₂O: C, 52.17; H, 4.72. Found: C, 52.44; H, 4.88. Examples 11 to 15 The corresponding ester of trifluoracetoacetic acid was added to the desired amount of methanol and 97 % hydroxylamine hydrochloride and the mixture was reacted at reflux with stirring for 68 hours. After completion of the reaction, water was added to the cooled reaction mixture and the solution was extracted with diethyl ether. The ether layer was washed with a 8 % solution of sodium bicarbonate. After being adjusted below pH 2 with 36 % HCl, the solution was extracted with diethyl ether. The ether layer was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate and diethyl ether was evaporated to give the desired compound of the formula (I) wherein R is trifluoromethyl. The results are shown in Table 3. Example 16 5-Hydroxy-3-pentafluoroethylisoxazole sodium salt Ethyl pentafluoropropionylacetate (4.68 g, 0.02 mole) obtained from Preparation 2 was reacted with 97 % hydroxylamine hydrochloride according to the same procedure as described in Example 10 (a). After completion of the reaction, water (200 ml) was added and the reaction mixture was extracted continuously for 10 hours with diethyl ether. The ether layer was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate. Diethylether was then distilled off by distilling at atmospheric pressure using a fractionating column packed with Raschig ring and dry ethanol (20 ml) was added to the residue. A solution of sodium ethoxide/ethanol (1 g Na/20 ml) was added dropwise to the solution with ice cooling until phenolphthalein was colored. Ethanol was evaporated under reduced pressure to give 2.76 g (61.3 %) of title compound as reddish brown crystals. The structure of this compound was confirmed by NMR. Anal. Calcd. for C₅HNO₂F₅Na: C, 27.44; H, 0.57; N, 8.00. Found: C, 27.51; H, 0.65; N, 7.44. Examples 17 to 23 The compound of the formula (I) wherein R¹ is hydrogen was treated with sodium ethoxide/ethanol at 0°C according to the above method of Francesco De Sarlo et al. to be converted to the corresponding sodium salt because the compound was relatively unstable and not easily handled. The results are shown in Table 4.

Claims: A compound of the formula I wherein R is C₁₋₃ perfluoroalkyl R¹ is hydrogen, c₁₋₅ alkyl, phenyl or phenyl substituted by halogen, C₁₋₃ alkyl, C₁₋₃ alkoxy or methylenedioxy and the compound thus represented can exist in the keto or enol form. A compound as claimed in claim 1 wherein (a) R is trifluoromethyl and R¹ is hydrogen, methyl, phenyl or substituted phenyl as defined in Claim 1; or (b) R is pentafluoroethyl and R¹ is hydrogen, methyl, phenyl or substituted phenyl as defined in Claim 1. A compound as claimed in claim 1 wherein R¹ is 4-chlorophenyl or 4-methoxyphenyl methoxy. A salt of a compound, as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, e.g. a sodium salt. A process for the preparation of a compound as claimed in claim 1 which comprises either; (a) acid hydrolysing a compound of formula (II) or (b) reacting a B-ketoester of formula (III) wherein R² is c₁-C₅ alkyl, with hydroxylamine or hydroxylamine hydrochloride. The use of a compound as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in the production of a pesticide, herbicide, fungicide or medicine.

Inventors: ISHIZUKA, ICHIRO, KAI, HIROYUKI, SUMIMOTO, SHINZABURO, UEDA, SHIRO
Applicants: SHIONOGI & CO., LTD.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: C07D261
IPC codes: C07D261