Carboxylate ions, aryl rearrangements

Treatment of aryl-substituted alkenes with hypervalent iodine compounds can lead to the formation of phenyliodinated intermediates, which can be stabilized by the aryl substituent via the formation of phenonium ions. Subsequent nucleophilic attack might then lead to rearranged products. This behavior can be nicely seen by comparing the unsaturated carboxylic acids 78 in their reaction with (diacetoxyiodo)benzene 3. The substrate 78a without the phenyl substituent is cyclized to the phenyliodinated intermediate 79, which is then attacked by the acetate under the formation of lactone 81 [142]. Substrate 78b is, however, then stabilized by the formation of an intermediate phenonium ion 80 and attack by the acetate is accompanied by a 1,2-phenyl migration and 82 is generated, Scheme 35 [143]. 

---