Allylic C-H bonds

The reaction course of the cycloaddition reaction can also be dependent on the Lewis acid complex used as the catalyst. When the substrate contains an allylic C-H bond, both a cycloaddition and an ene reaction can occur. In the reaction of glyoxylate 4 with 2,3-dimethyl-l,3-butadiene 5 both the cycloaddition product 6... 

There are three sorts of C-H bonds in cyclohexene, and Table 5.3 gives an estimate of their relative strengths. Although a typical secondary alkyl C-H bond has a strength of about 400 kj/mol (96 kcal/mol) and a typical vinylic C-H bond has a strength of 445 kj/mol (106 kcal/mol), ail allylic C-H bond has a strength of only about 360 kj/mol (87 kcal/mol). An allylic radical is therefore more stable than a typical alkyl radical with the same substitution by about 40 kj/mol (9 kcal/mol). 

Interestingly, [Ee(F20-TPP)C(Ph)CO2Et] and [Fe(p2o-TPP)CPh2] can react with cyclohexene, THF, and cumene, leading to C-H insertion products (Table 3) [22]. The carbenoid insertion reactions were found to occur at allylic C-H bond of cyclohexene, benzylic C-H bond of cumene, and ot C-H bond of THF. This is the first example of isolated iron carbene complex to undergo intermolecular carbenoid insertion to saturated C-H bonds. 

Iron phthalocyanine is an efficient catalyst for intermolecular amination of saturated C-H bonds. With 1 mol% iron phthalocyanine and 1.5 equiv. PhlNTs, amination of benzylic, tertiary, and ally lie C-H bond have been achieved in good yields (Scheme 31). With cyclohexene as substrate, the allylic C-H bond amination product was obtained in 75% yield, and the aziridination product was found in minor amount (17% yield) [79]. 

The concerted mechanism shown above is allowed by the Woodward-Hoffmann rules. The TS involves the tt electrons of the alkene and enophile and the cr electrons of the allylic C-H bond. The reaction is classified as a [tt2 + tt2 + cr2] and either an FMO or basis set orbital array indicates an allowed concerted process. 

Recently, we have demonstrated another sort of homogeneous sonocatalysis in the sonochemical oxidation of alkenes by O2. Upon sonication of alkenes under O2 in the presence of Mo(C0) , 1-enols and epoxides are formed in one to one ratios. Radical trapping and kinetic studies suggest a mechanism involving initial allylic C-H bond cleavage (caused by the cavitational collapse), and subsequent well-known autoxidation and epoxidation steps. The following scheme is consistent with our observations. In the case of alkene isomerization, it is the catalyst which is being sonochemical activated. In the case of alkene oxidation, however, it is the substrate which is activated. 

An allylic C-H bond of propene is broken with greater ease than even the 3C C-H bond of isobutene and with far greater ease than a vinylic C-H bond. 

ESR studies and product determination they concluded that the main primary process for radiolysis of both isomers is the dissociation of allylic C—H bonds. The formed hydrogen atoms may add to double bonds or abstract other hydrogen atoms (mainly allylic ones). The ESR spectrum of the radiolysis product at 77 K showed the presence of the cyclo-hexadienyl radical in the case of 1,4-cyclohexadiene, whereas the main intermediate from... 

Vinyl C—H bonds are more acidic than the C—H bonds in saturated hydrocarbons because of their higher s-character and the polarizability of the double bond, but the corresponding carbanions are essentially localized. Allylic C—H bonds have the s-character of saturated hydrocarbons, but the resulting carbanions now have the possibility of additional stabilization by delocalization. Allylic positions are thus generally the most acidic in alkenes. 

The C-H functionalization protocol is not limited to the development of surrogate chemistry to enolate transformations. The C-H activation at allylic C-H bonds readily generates 7,6-unsaturated esters, the products of the classic Claisen rearrangement (Figure 6). 

It has been postulated that these cycloheptenes must be formed via a 7r-allylruthenium intermediate (Scheme 59). The cyclization is initiated by activation of the allylic C-H bond to form the 7r-allylruthenium 234. The 1-exo-dig carboruthenation of the alkynoate 234 produces the hydrido-ruthenium enolate 235. Equilibration of 235 followed by reductive elimination gives the corresponding cycloheptenes 237 and regenerates the cationic ruthenium complex. 

Asymmetric amidation of sp C—H bonds was reported in good yields and moderate enantioselectivities (Scheme 5.27)." ° When benzylic or allylic C—H bonds were used, similar results were also obtained." In these reactions the prepared nitrenes, PhI=NTs, and/or PhI(OAc)2+NH2Ts were used as nitrogen atom transfer sources. The studies showed that Ru=NTs was formed in situ and acted as a possible active intermediate when a ruthenium catalyst was used (Figure 5.12), whereas a radical intermediate might be involved when a manganese catalyst was used. 

The reaction of vinylcarbenoids with allylic C-H bonds leads to a remarkable transformation, a combined C-H insertion/Cope rearrangement, which is reminiscent of the tandem cyclopropanation/Cope rearrangement of vinylcarbenoids. An interesting application of this chemistry is the asymmetric synthesis of the antidepressant (-i-)-ser-traline 191 (Scheme 14.26) [134]. The Rh2(S-DOSP)4-catalyzed reaction of the vinyldia-zoacetate 189 with 1,3-cyclohexadiene generates the 1,4-cyclohexadiene 190 in 99% enantiomeric excess. The further conversion of 190 to (-t)-sertraline 191 is then achieved using conventional synthetic transformations. 

The low reactivity of a-olefins such as propylene or of 1,1-dialkyl olefins such as isobutylene toward radical polymerization is probably a consequence of degradative chain transfer with the allylic hydrogens. It should be pointed out, however, that other monomers such as methyl methacrylate and methacrylonitrile, which also contain allylic C—H bonds, do not undergo extensive degradative chain transfer. This is due to the lowered reactivity of the propagating radicals in these monomers. The ester and nitrile substituents stabilize the radicals and decrease their reactivity toward transfer. Simultaneously the reactivity of the monomer toward propagation is enhanced. These monomers, unlike the a-olefins and 1,1-dialkyl olefins, yield high polymers in radical polymerizations. 

For the oxidation of alkanes, the reactivity order follows the sequence primary < secondary < tertiary < benzylic < allylic C—H bonds. The readily accessible and economical DMD is suitable for most substrates, although this oxyfunctionalization may... 

Hydrogen atom abstraction can occur to a small extent, particularly with larger and more highly branched compounds. However, the contribution of this path is, overall, relatively small. For example, for the reaction with 3-methyl-l-butene, where there is a weaker allylic C-H bond, 5-10% of the reaction proceeds by abstraction at 1 atm in air (Atkinson et al., 1998). 

In principle, N02 can abstract a hydrogen atom from organics to form nitrous acid, HONO. For example, Pryor and Lightsey (1981) suggest that N02 at low concentrations in solution abstracts from the weak allylic C-H bond ... 

Pd(H) complexes with strongly electron-withdrawing ligands can insert into the allylic C—H bond (path c) to form directly the Jt-allyl complex via oxidative addi-tion.502,694,697 Pd(OOCCF3)2 in acetic acid, for example, ensures high yields of allylic acetoxylated products.698 The delicate balance between allylic and vinylic acetoxylation was observed to depend on substrate structure, too. For simple terminal alkenes the latter process seems to be the predominant pathway.571... 

Remarkably, however, the logarithm of the rate constant varies linearly with the dissociation energy of the allylic C—H bond, which indicates that the rupture of the C—H bond is included in the rate-determining reaction step. Mixed olefin feeds (propene and butene) were also used. It appears that co-dimerization can occur yielding C2 -dimers. 

From bond energies (Table 4-6) we know that the weakest C—H bonds of propene are to the allylic hydrogens, H2C=CHCH2—H. Therefore, in the first step of radical-chain chlorination of propene, an allylic hydrogen is removed by a chlorine atom (Equation 14-1). The allylic C-H bonds are weaker than the alkenic C-H bonds because of the extra stabilization of the radical obtained on hydrogen abstraction (Equation 14-1). Two equivalent valence-bond structures (1a and 1b) can be written for the 2-propenyl radical the electron delocalization enhances the stability of the radical (see Section 6-5C) ... 

Imido selenium compounds Se(NR)2, where R = Bu or Ts, were first noted to give allylic amination of alkenes and alkynes.232 Formally the NR function is inserted into the allylic C—H bond yielding the C—NHR moiety. Related reactivity was also found for the sulfur imides, S(NR)2.233 Reactions between 1,3-dienes and Se(NTs)2 give [4 + 2] adducts which, in the presence of TsNH2, react to generate 1,2-disulfonamides.234... 

One of the first significant advances in the chemistry of TT-allylpalladium complexes was the discovery that alkenes could be directly converted into the corresponding allyl complex by substitution into the allylic C—H bond. A variety of recipes have now been reported that can accomplish this transformation. Initially, palladium chloride17-23 or its more soluble forms, sodium or lithium tetrachloropalladate24-27 and bisacetonitrile palladium dichloride,28-30 in alcohol or aqueous acetic acid solvent were employed. The use of palladium trifluoroacetate, followed by counterion exchange with chloride, represents the mildest and most effective means available to accomplish this reaction.31... 

C-H Bond activation [ 1 ] and C-C bond formation are two of the key issues in organic synthesis. In principle, the ene reaction is one of the simplest ways forC-C bond formation, which converts readily available olefins into more functionalized products with activation of an allylic C-H bond and allylic transposition of the C=C bond. The ene reaction encompasses a vast number of variants in terms of the enophile used [2]. 

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