Cisoid conformations

Theoretical work by the groups directed by Sustmann and, very recently, Mattay attributes the preference for the formation of endo cycloadduct in solution to the polarity of the solvent Their calculations indicate that in the gas phase the exo transition state has a lower energy than the endo counterpart and it is only upon introduction of the solvent that this situation reverses, due to the difference in polarity of both transition states (Figure 1.2). Mattay" stresses the importance of the dienophile transoid-dsoid conformational equilibrium in determining the endo-exo selectivity. The transoid conformation is favoured in solution and is shown to lead to endo product, whereas the cisoid conformation, that is favoured in the gas phase, produces the exo adduct This view is in conflict with ab initio calculations by Houk, indicating an enhanced secondary orbital interaction in the cisoid endo transition state . 

As illustrated in Scheme 8.1, both 2-vinylpyrroles and 3-vinylpyiroles are potential precursors of 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindolcs via Diels-Alder cyclizations. Vinylpyrroles are relatively reactive dienes. However, they are also rather sensitive compounds and this has tended to restrict their synthetic application. While l-methyl-2-vinylpyrrole gives a good yield of an indole with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, ot-substitiients on the vinyl group result in direct electrophilic attack at C5 of the pyrrole ring. This has been attributed to the stenc restriction on access to the necessary cisoid conformation of the 2-vinyl substituent[l]. 

The barrier for conversion of the skew conformation to the s-trans conformation is 3.9kcal/mol. This energy maximum presiunably refers to the conformation (transition state) in which the two n bonds are mutually perpendicular. Various MO calculations find the s-trans conformation to be 2-5 kcal/mol lower in energy than either the planar or skew cisoid conformations. Most high-level calculations favor the skew conformation over the planar s-cis, but the energy differences found are quite small. ... 

In a definitive study of butadiene s reaction with l,l-dichloro-2,2-difluoio-ethylene, Bartlett concluded that [2+4] adducts of acyclic dienes with fluorinated ethylenes are formed through a mixture of concerted and nonconcerted, diradical pathways [67] The degree of observed [2+4] cycloaddition of fluorinated ethylenes IS related to the relative amounts of transoid and cisoid conformers of the diene, with very considerable (i.e., 30%) Diels-Alder adduct being observed in competition with [2+2] reaction, for example, in the reaction of 1,1 -dichloro-2,2-difluoro-ethylene with cyclopentadiene [9, 68]... 

The [4-1-3] cycloaddition has also been realized in acceptors containing a nitrogen atom. While a,/ -unsaturated aldimines, and structurally flexible ketimine such as (87), generally only undergo [3-1-2] cycloadditions (see Scheme 24), the ketimine (112), which is rigidly held in a cisoid conformation, does give exclusively the [4-1-3] adduct azepine (113). On the other hand, the steroidal imine (114) produces a quantitative yield of a 1 1 mixture of the [4-1-3] and [3-1-2] cycloadducts (115) and (116), respectively (Scheme 2.31) [36]. 

For a discussion of the mechanistic course of the reaction, many aspects have to be taken into account. The cisoid conformation of the diene 1, which is in equilibrium with the thermodynamically more favored transoid conformation, is a prerequisite for the cycloaddition step. Favored by a fixed cisoid geometry are those substrates where the diene is fitted into a ring, e.g. cyclopentadiene 5. This particular compound is so reactive that it dimerizes easily at room temperature by undergoing a Diels-Alder reaction ... 

This mechanism applies to cis-l,2-diols and to open-chain 1,2-diols that can arrange in cisoid conformation. Tran -1,2-diols also do undergo the cleavage reaction, but at considerably lower rate, and by a different mechanism. 

Solvent polarity is also important in directing the reaction bath and the composition and orientation of the products. For example, the polymerization of butadiene with lithium in tetrahydrofuran (a polar solvent) gives a high 1,2 addition polymer. Polymerization of either butadiene or isoprene using lithium compounds in nonpolar solvent such as n-pentane produces a high cis-1,4 addition product. However, a higher cis-l,4-poly-isoprene isomer was obtained than when butadiene was used. This occurs because butadiene exists mainly in a transoid conformation at room temperature (a higher cisoid conformation is anticipated for isoprene) ... 

The high tendency for 1,4-addition can be explained by conformational factors, the cisoid conformer A being favored by the dienone moiety. This orientation now precludes the anion-ized silicate from 1,6-attack, and generates only the five-membered ring35,44. 

The diene must be in the cisoid conformation. If it is frozen into the transoid conformation, as in 84, the reaction does not take place. The diene either must be frozen into the cisoid conformation or must be able to achieve it during the reaction. 

The explanations for the relative rates of reaction have been based on three factors (1) The rate of reaction increases as the electron density in the diene system increases thus isoprene reacts faster than butadiene and a complex electron-rich 2-silylmethylbutadiene reacts even faster. (2) The rate of reaction increases as the steric hindrance due to the diene substituents decreases thus frans-piperylene reacts more slowly than dimethylbu-tadiene or isoprene. (3) A decrease in the equilibrium concentration of the cisoid conformer results in a slower reaction rate thus cw-piperylene or cis/trans-2,4-hexadiene react more slowly than /rans-piperylene or transltrans-2,4-hexadiene, respectively.175177... 

Cyclic dienes which are locked in the cisoid conformation, e.g. (82), are found to react very much faster than acyclic dienes in which the required conformation has to be attained by rotation about the single bond (the transoid conformation is normally the more stable of the two). Thus cyclopentadiene (82) is sufficiently reactive to add to itself to form a tricyclic dimer, whose formation—like most Diels-Alder reactions—is reversible. 

Substituents in the diene may also affect the cycloaddition sterically, through influencing the equilibrium proportion of the diene that is in the required cisoid conformation. Thus bulky 1-ci s substituents (28) slow the reaction down, whereas bulky 2-substituents (29) speed it up, through this agency ... 

The extreme stereoselectivity toward the synthesis of cis-1,4-hexadiene is attributed to the fact that only cisoid-coordinated 1,3-diene can undergo the addition reaction (65, 66). 1,3-Dienes whose cisoid conformations are stoically unfavorable do not react with ethylene under the dimerization conditions. For example, Hata (65) was able to show that, using an Fe-based catalyst system, l-tra/is-3-pentadiene (40) and 2-methyl-1 -trans-3-pentadiene (41) reacted readily with ethylene to form the expected 1 1 addition products, while l-c/s-3-pentadiene (42) and 4-methyl- 1,3-penta-diene (43) failed to interact with ethylene. The explanation is that the cisoid conformations of 40 and 41 are stoically favorable while those for 42 and 43 are not. 

The interaction diagrams for the above conformations are identical with that of methyl vinyl ether (Fig. 30) except that the oxygen lone pair AO is replaced by an unoccupied carbon 2p AO. With this in mind we conclude that the transoid conformation of the cation, Ts, will be more stable than the cisoid conformation, Cs, since the <(>j—Pz two electron stabilizing interaction is greater for the Ts conformation. 

As can be seen from the double-cisoid conformation in Scheme 5.50, a Diels-Alder addition (with the generalized dienophile 283) could in principle yield either the mono-adduct 334 or the alternative 335. At least for the reaction with 1,2,4,6-octatetraene (211), it was shown that the former addition mode is preferred, the driv-... 

The Diels-Alder product 324 resulting from the diene 322 and the allenyl sulfone 323 can be used together with potassium tert-butoxidc directly in a Ramberg-Back-lund reaction [333]. In this case, a diene permanently in the cisoid conformation is regenerated to make the polycyclic compounds 326 and 327 available by the same Diels-Alder/Ramberg-Backlund sequence. 

The assumed out-of-plane s-cisoid conformations with the dihedral angles 4> = 5-23° and 9 = 47-49°, which were found in structurally similar systems and confirmed by X-ray and other spectral characteristics, are supported by relatively large 57(F1F4) and 5/(F3F6)... 

The reactivity of dienes in Diels-Alder reactions is also controlled by the diene conformation. The two planar conformations of 1,3-butadiene are referred to as s-trans and s-cis (equation 16). Calculations have shown the s-trans conformation to be 2-5 kcalmol-1 more stable than the s-cis conformation. Open-chain dienes can only react in their cisoid conformation. Thus, 2-substituted dienes are generally more reactive than 1,3-butadiene due to their stronger preference for the s-cis conformation. 1 -Cis substituted 1,3-butadienes are almost exclusively in the s-trans conformation and are not reactive in Diels-Alder reactions. Highly substituted dienes may, however, be present in the s-cis conformation during a sufficient amount of time to participate in Diels-Alder reactions, even if a 1 -cis substituent is present62. 

Both theory and experiment point to an almost perpendicular orientation of the two butadiene H2C=C(t-Bu) moieties (see Scheme 3.53). On passing from the neutral molecule to its anion-radical, this orthogonal orientation should flatten because the LUMO of 1,3-butadiene is bonding between C-2 and C-3. Therefore, C2-C3 bond should be considerably strengthened after the anion-radical formation. The anion-radical will acquire the cisoidal conformation. This conformation places two bulky tert-butyl substituents on one side of the molecule, so that the alkali metal counterion (M+) can approach the anion-radical from the other side. In this case, the cation will detain spin density in the localized part of the molecular skeleton. A direct transfer of the spin population from the SOMO of the anion-radical into the alkali cation has been proven (Gerson et al. 1998). 

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