Allyl transition states

All three types of polycarbonates I-III owe their thermolytic lability to their structural design which allows for low activation energy tertiary, benzylic, or allylic, transition states and which includes hydrogen atoms in positions p to the carbonate oxygen to enable elimination. In all cases the thermolytic decompositions are very clean reactions which usually proceed quantitatively. For example, in the case of polymer III, thermolysis affords only the three expected products as shown below in Scheme II. 

In the subsequent rate determining steps hydrogen atom addition to the a-adsorbed butenyl gives the but-l-ene isomer whereas the addition of hydrogen to the CT-7t-adsorbed butenyl occurs via a 7t-allylic transition state. In process B, butadiene molecules can be adsorbed either in the transoid or cisoid conformation, the former yielding but-l-ene and ram-but-2-ene by 1 2 and 1 4 addition respectively and the latter yielding but-l-ene and ds-but-2-ene by the same mechanism. Hence if the required product is the alk-1-ene, then the catalyst of choice would be one with an electronic... 

Unimolecular reactions that take place by way of cyclic transition states typically have negative entropies of activation because of the loss of rotational degrees of freedom associated with the highly ordered transition state. For example, thermal isomerization of allyl vinyl ether to 4-pentenal has AS = —8eu. ... 

The reaction of phenyllithium and alfyl chloride labeled with C reveals that allylic rearrangement occurs. About three-fourths of the product results from bond formation at C-3 rather than C-1. This can be accounted for by a cyclic transition state. ... 

The transition state for such processes is represented as two interacting allyl fragments. When the process is suprafacial in both groups, an aromatic transition state results, and the process is thermally allowed. Usually, a chairlike transition state is involved, but a boatlike conformation is also possible. 

Conjugated substituents at C-2, C-3, C-4, or C-5 accelerate the rearrangement. Donor substituents at C-2 and C-3 have an accelerating effect. The effect of substituents can be rationalized in terms of the stabilization of the transition state by depicting their effect on two interacting allyl systems. 

The transition state involves six partially delocalized electrons being transformed from one 1,5-diene system to another. The transition state could range in character from a 1,4-diradical to two nearly independent allyl radicals, depending on whether bond making or bond breaking is more advanced. The general framework for understanding the substituent effects is that the reactions are concerted with a relatively late transition state with well-developed C(l)—C(6) bonds. 

C—O bonding and Cl—F fission of the intermediate cw-fluoro chlorate (29a), which in turn undergoes oxidation to the fluoro ketone (25) by a concerted elimination of chlorous acid. A similar transition state (30) approximating an allylic carbonium ion could be involved in the reaction of the dienol derivatives (6) with perchloryl fluoride, which would be expected to give rise to the c/5-adduct (30a). Reaction of the latter with water leads to product and chlorate ion. 

The next step in the calculations involves consideration of the allylic alcohol-carbe-noid complexes (Fig. 3.28). The simple alkoxide is represented by RT3. Coordination of this zinc alkoxide with any number of other molecules can be envisioned. The complexation of ZnCl2 to the oxygen of the alkoxide yields RT4. Due to the Lewis acidic nature of the zinc atom, dimerization of the zinc alkoxide cannot be ruled out. Hence, a simplified dimeric structure is represented in RTS. The remaining structures, RT6 and RT7 (Fig. 3.29), represent alternative zinc chloride complexes of RT3 differing from RT4. Analysis of the energetics of the cyclopropanation from each of these encounter complexes should yield information regarding the structure of the methylene transfer transition state. 

In the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of especially allyl anion type 1,3-dipoles with alkenes the formation of diastereomers has to be considered. In reactions of nitrones with a terminal alkene the nitrone can approach the alkene in an endo or an exo fashion giving rise to two different diastereomers. The nomenclature endo and exo is well known from the Diels-Alder reaction [3]. The endo isomer arises from the reaction in which the nitrogen atom of the dipole points in the same direction as the substituent of the alkene as outlined in Scheme 6.7. However, compared with the Diels-Alder reaction in which the endo transition state is stabilized by secondary 7t-orbital interactions, the actual interaction of the N-nitrone p -orbital with a vicinal p -orbital on the alkene, and thus the stabilization, is small [25]. The endojexo selectivity in the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction is therefore primarily controlled by the structure of the substrates or by a catalyst. 

For a ctiprale addition reaction to a diester derivative sudi as 88, it miglii be expected diai die ami addition product would be favored, since a pronounced allylic a " strain in diese substrates along "modided" Felfcin-Anb lines should favor transition state 52 fsee Fig. 6.1). However, experiments produced die opposite result, widi die syn product 89 being obtained as die major diastereomer (Sdieme 6.18) [36, 37]. 

For acyclic allylic substrates die situation is mote complex, since a larger number of reactive conformations, and betice corcesponding transition states, compete. Hius, mediyl ciimamyl derivatives 163 tX= O.Acj, upon treatment witli litliiiim dimetliylcuprate, mainly gave tlie S 2 substitution product 166 fentry 1, Tab. 6.6 and Sdieme 6.34) [80]. Hie preference for die S 2 product is expected, since de-conjugation of die alkene system is electronically imfavorable. 

Transition state models tliat minimize allylic. A " strain fl91 and 194) provide... 

In certain cases the reaction may proceed by a concerted mechanism. With allyl ethers a concerted [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement via a five-membered six-electron transition state is possible " ... 

Like the Diels-Alder reaction discussed in Sections 14.4 and 14.5, the Claisen rearrangement reaction takes place through a pericyclic mechanism in which a concerted reorganization of bonding electrons occurs through a six-membered, cyclic transition state. The 6-allyl-2,4-cyclohexadienone intermediate then isomerizes to o-allylpbenol (Figure 18.1). 

Allyl phenyf Transition state Intermediate o-Allylphenol... 

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