IChO 2017 · Theory problem 9

Into the Unknown

Organic compound A is chiral and contains only three elements with the molecular weight (MW) of 149 (rounded to an integer).

\({}^{1}\mathrm{H}\) NMR spectrum of compound A shows among others, three types of aromatic protons, and its \({}^{13}\mathrm{C}\) NMR spectrum shows eight signals, of which four signals are in the range of 120-140 ppm.

Compound A can be prepared by treating a carbonyl compound with methylamine followed by \(\ce{NaBH3CN}\).

9.1 Write all possible structural formulae of compound A. No stereochemistry is required, and do not include stereoisomers.

9.2 One of the position isomers of compound A (structure A1, A2 or A3) can be synthesized from compound B or C and D as shown in the diagram below. Write down the structural formulae of compounds B-F, and the position isomer of compound A.

9.3 Compound A is the \((R)\)-form of one of structures A1–A3. It can be prepared from vicinal diols X and Y as shown in the diagram below. Both diols are structural isomers, and each structure contains one carbon less than that of compound A.

Write down the structural formulae of compounds G-N, X, Y and the \((R)\)-form of compound A. You must show stereochemistry of all compounds.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

The labels A1–A3 below are assigned for this solution. \(\ce{Ph}\) denotes the phenyl group, attachment-point SMILES [*]c1ccccc1.

  • 9.1. The three intended constitutional isomers are:
Label Name Condensed structure SMILES
A1 N-Methyl-1-phenylpropan-1-amine \(\ce{PhCH(NHCH3)CH2CH3}\) CCC(NC)c1ccccc1
A2 N-Methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine \(\ce{PhCH2CH(NHCH3)CH3}\) CC(NC)Cc1ccccc1
A3 N-Methyl-2-phenylpropan-1-amine \(\ce{PhCH(CH3)CH2NHCH3}\) CC(CNC)c1ccccc1
  • 9.2. B–F and the selected position isomer cannot be identified uniquely: the reaction diagram containing their relationships and reagents is not printed in the problem.

  • 9.3. X and Y each contain nine carbon atoms. Their structures and stereochemistry, the assignments G–N, and the identity of the selected A cannot be determined without the missing diagram. The three possible \((R)\)-configured final structures are:

Candidate Name Stereochemical SMILES
\((R)\)-A1 (1R)-N-Methyl-1-phenylpropan-1-amine CC[C@@H](NC)c1ccccc1
\((R)\)-A2 (2R)-N-Methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine C[C@@H](NC)Cc1ccccc1
\((R)\)-A3 (2R)-N-Methyl-2-phenylpropan-1-amine C[C@@H](CNC)c1ccccc1

Solution

9.1

Methylamine, CN, and sodium cyanoborohydride, [Na+].[BH3-]C#N, perform reductive amination. The carbonyl group is converted into a carbon bearing an N-methylamino group, \(\ce{-NHCH3}\).

The balanced net transformation, with \(\ce{2[H]}\) representing the reducing equivalents supplied during reduction, is

\[ \ce{R^1C(=O)R^2 + CH3NH2 + 2[H] -> R^1CH(NHCH3)R^2 + H2O}. \]

The coproduct is water, O. For an aldehyde, one of the groups \(\ce{R^1}\) or \(\ce{R^2}\) is hydrogen.

Mechanistically, methylamine attacks the carbonyl carbon. Proton transfers and elimination of water generate an imine/iminium intermediate; hydride addition to its carbon produces the amine.

Since the product contains carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, these account for its three elements.

The usual interpretation of the NMR pattern is a monosubstituted benzene ring:

  • The aromatic protons occupy three environments: ortho, meta and para, normally corresponding to \(2:2:1\) protons.
  • The aromatic carbons occupy four environments: ipso, ortho, meta and para.

Thus six aromatic carbon atoms account for four carbon signals. The other four signals correspond to four different nonaromatic carbon atoms, giving ten carbon atoms altogether. With one nitrogen atom, the molecular mass requires fifteen hydrogens:

\[ 10(12)+15(1)+14=149. \]

Hence the molecular formula is

\[ \boxed{\ce{C10H15N}}, \qquad M\approx149\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

Its degree of unsaturation is

\[ \mathrm{DBE} =\frac{2(10)+2+1-15}{2} =4. \]

The benzene ring accounts for all four degrees of unsaturation. The remaining part must therefore be saturated and acyclic.

One of the four nonaromatic carbons belongs to the N-methyl group. Arranging the other three carbons between the phenyl and N-methylamino groups gives the three chiral structures listed in the answers:

  • A1: the stereogenic carbon bears \(\ce{NHCH3}\), phenyl, ethyl and hydrogen.
  • A2: the stereogenic carbon bears \(\ce{NHCH3}\), benzyl, methyl and hydrogen.
  • A3: the stereogenic carbon bears \(\ce{CH2NHCH3}\), phenyl, methyl and hydrogen.

Each has four distinct nonaromatic carbon environments, consistent with eight carbon signals overall.

The other saturated arrangements do not satisfy the chirality requirement. N-Methyl-3-phenylpropan-1-amine, CNCCCc1ccccc1, has no carbon stereocentre. N-Methyl-2-phenylpropan-2-amine, CNC(C)(C)c1ccccc1, has two identical methyl groups on its substituted carbon; it also lacks the carbon-bound hydrogen introduced by ordinary reductive amination. Nitrogen inversion does not furnish a configurationally stable stereocentre in these ordinary acyclic amines.

The corresponding carbonyl precursors confirm the stated preparation:

Product Carbonyl precursor Precursor SMILES
A1 1-Phenylpropan-1-one, or propiophenone CCC(=O)c1ccccc1
A2 1-Phenylpropan-2-one, or phenylacetone CC(=O)Cc1ccccc1
A3 2-Phenylpropanal CC(C=O)c1ccccc1

Their balanced net reactions are

\[ \ce{PhCOCH2CH3 + CH3NH2 + 2[H] -> PhCH(NHCH3)CH2CH3 + H2O}, \]

\[ \ce{PhCH2COCH3 + CH3NH2 + 2[H] -> PhCH2CH(NHCH3)CH3 + H2O}, \]

\[ \ce{PhCH(CH3)CHO + CH3NH2 + 2[H] -> PhCH(CH3)CH2NHCH3 + H2O}. \]

For A3, the stereogenic carbon is already present in the aldehyde precursor.

9.2

The supplied text gives no structures, reagents, reaction conditions or connectivity between the labels B–F. Those details reside in the missing diagram.

The carbonyl precursors above establish possible preparations of all three candidates, but they cannot be assigned to B–F without the scheme. Nor does the remaining text select one position isomer. Providing specific assignments would therefore require inventing information.

9.3

From part 9.1, A contains ten carbon atoms. Therefore,

\[ n_{\mathrm C}(X)=n_{\mathrm C}(Y)=10-1=\boxed{9}. \]

A vicinal diol has hydroxyl groups on adjacent carbon atoms. This condition, structural isomerism and the carbon count do not fix the carbon skeletons or absolute configurations of X and Y. The omitted reactions are also needed to determine where stereochemistry is retained, inverted or newly established in G–N.

The \((R)\) requirement can nevertheless be specified precisely for each possible final structure. Their Cahn–Ingold–Prelog priorities are:

Candidate Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3 Priority 4
A1 \(\ce{-NHCH3}\) Phenyl \(\ce{-CH2CH3}\) \(\ce{-H}\)
A2 \(\ce{-NHCH3}\) \(\ce{-CH2Ph}\) \(\ce{-CH3}\) \(\ce{-H}\)
A3 \(\ce{-CH2NHCH3}\) Phenyl \(\ce{-CH3}\) \(\ce{-H}\)

For A1, phenyl outranks ethyl because the next comparison is \((\ce{C},\ce{C},\ce{C})\) against \((\ce{C},\ce{H},\ce{H})\), applying the multiple-bond duplication convention. For A2, benzyl similarly outranks methyl. For A3, the aminomethyl carbon has the comparison list \((\ce{N},\ce{H},\ce{H})\), so it outranks the phenyl carbon.

To draw any of the required \((R)\) structures, orient hydrogen away from the viewer and arrange priorities \(1\rightarrow2\rightarrow3\) clockwise. The stereochemical SMILES in the answers encode these configurations. The missing diagram is necessary to choose which one is A.

The answers were checked against the official answers published by the organisers.