Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) is an organic compound with chemical formula C13H22N2 whose primary use is to couple amino acids during artificial peptide synthesis. Under standard conditions, DCC exists in the form of white crystals with a heavy, sweet odor. The low melting point of this material allows it to be melted for easy handling. DCC is highly soluble in dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile and dimethylformamide, but insoluble in water.
Structure and spectroscopyThe C-N=C=N-C core of carbodiimides is nonplanar, being related to the structure of allene. Three principal resonance structures describe carbodiimides:
The N=C=N moiety gives characteristic IR spectroscopic signature at 2117 cm-1.[1] The 15N NMR spectrum shows a characteristic shift of 275.0 ppm upfield of nitric acid and the 13C NMR spectrum features a peak at about 139 ppm downfield from TMS.[2] Syntheses of DCCOf the several syntheses of DCC, Pri-Bara et al. use palladium acetate, iodine, and oxygen to couple cyclohexyl amine and cyclohexyl isocyanide.[3] Yields of up to 67% have been achieved using this route:
Tang et al. condense two isocyanates using the catalyst OP(MeNCH2CH2)3N in yields of 92%:[1] DCC has also been prepared from the urea using phase transfer catalysis by Jaszay et al. The disubstituted, arenesulfonyl chloride, and potassium carbonate react in the presence of benzyl trimethylammonium chloride.[4] Reactivity of DCCDCC is a dehydrating agent for the preparation of amides, ketones, nitriles. In these reactions, DCC hydrates to form dicyclohexylurea (DCU), a compound that is insoluble in water. DCC can also be used to invert secondary alcohols. Moffatt oxidationA solution of DCC and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) effects the so-called Pfitzner-Moffatt oxidation. This procedure is used for the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and ketones. Unlike metal-mediated oxidations, the reaction conditions are sufficiently mild to avoid over-oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids. Generally, three equivalents of DCC and 0.5 equivalent of proton source in DMSO and allowed to react overnight at room temperature. The reaction is quenched with acid: DehydrationAlcohols can also be dehydrated using DCC. This reaction proceeds by first giving the O-acylurea intermediate which is then hydrogenolyzed to produce the corresponding alkene:
Inversion of secondary alcoholsSecondary alcohols can be stereochemically inverted by formation of a formyl ester followed by saponification. The secondary alcohol is mixed directly with DCC, formaldehyde, and a strong base such as sodium methoxide. EsterificationA range of alcohols, including even some tertiary alcohols, can be esterified using a carboxylic acid in the presence of DCC and a catalytic amount of DMAP.[5] DCC-promoted peptide couplingDuring protein synthesis (such as Fmoc solid-state synthesizers), the C-terminus is often used as the attachement site on which the amino acid monomers are added. To enhance the electrophilicity of carboxylate group, the negatively charged oxygen must first be "activated" into a better leaving group. DCC is used for this purpose. The negatively charged oxygen will act as a nucleophile, attacking the central carbon in DCC. DCC is temporarily attached to the former carboxylate group (which is now an ester group), making nucleophilic attack by an amino group (on the attaching amino acid) on the former C-terminus more efficient. SafetyDCC is a potent allergen and a sensitizer, often causing skin rashes. See alsoReferences
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