Allyl metal compounds protonation

Heteroatom to hydrogen transpositions in allylic systems (equation 43) can be observed in different reactions, namely Ae protonation of allyl metal compounds, in reductions of allyl heterocompounds and in retro-ene reactions. Except for the last reaction, which proceeds by a cyclic transition state, the problem of regioselectivity restricts the synthetic value of such reactions and it is only in specific cases that this can be overcome. 

Allylic or propargylic metal compounds are often intermediates in isomerization reactions of unsaturated systems (see Section 4.5.5) the product distribution on protonation depends very much on the substitution and the conditions of hydrolysis and most often mixtures of isomers are obtained. In contrast double bond shift generally occurs on protodesilylation of allylic silanes by acids, a reaction which takes place stereospecifically anti. Only when intramolecular delivery of the proton in a chair-like transition state is possible may a different kind of stereoselectivity be effective and good 1,3- or 1,4-induction in hydrogen transfer be observed (Scheme 83). ° ... 

Many compounds are now known which contain simple allyl residues bonded sideways to a metal. Table IX is a summary of the proton resonances for the scries. The coupling constants in general are more characteristic than the chemical shifts of allyl groups bonded in this way (139), but the scattered data are not complete enough to permit a summary of this aspect, so far as the nickel family is concerned. 

Metal 77-cyclopentadienyls somewhat resemble the rr-allyl complexes. Initially, when the nature of the metal-allyl bond was not sufficiently clear, the similarity was emphasized many times [see the review by E. O. Fischer (425)]. The similarity shows itself, for example, in the equal antisymmetric C—C stretching frequencies (1640 cm ), which indicate that the force constants, hence the bond orders, are close. The central rr-allyl proton absorbs in the same NMR region as do the protons of coordinated cyclopentadienyl. Both ligands display the symmetrical sandwichlike bond with their metals. Today, however, it is clear that the complexes differ significantly in type, the difference being associated first of all with the fact that TT-allyl complexes are much more efficient than 77-cyclopentadienyls at transforming to o-allyl or 77-olefin compounds. This may be due to the difference between the delocalization energies, 2.472 and 0.828 eV for cyclopentadienyl and allyl anions, respectively (426). 

The electrochemical reduction of a,p-unsaturated ketones and related compounds in aprotic media in the absence of metal cations can, in some cases, lead to relatively stable anion radicals.However, in the presence of proton donors the latter are protonated to form hydroxyallyl radicals, which tend to dimerize more rapidly than they diffuse back to the electrode to undergo further reduction (Scheme 17). Although these allyl radicals prefer to dimerize by coupling at the -position, if this position is sterically hindered, as in the case of cholest-4-en-3-one, coupling at the carbonyl carbon may be observed, yielding pinacols. ... 

In another case, 1 was used to deprotect the 2-(allyloxy)phenylacetyl group, employed as a protecting functionality in carbohydrate chemistry242. Thus, heating compound 266 with a palladium catalyst/proton sponge system results in an almost quantitative yield of compound 268 (equation 29). In accordance with a postulated relay mechanism, the phenolic allyl ether is cleaved by the transition metal followed by intramolecular ester cleavage by nucleophilic attack of the released hydroxyl. The aforementioned conditions... 

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