Concerted reactions stereoselectivity

This means that if a reaction is carried out on a compound that has no stereoisomers, it cannot be stereospecific but at most stereoselective. The concerted reactions, including SN2 displacements, E2 elimination of alkyl halides, anti and Syn addition to alkenes are all stereoselective. In the case of chiral or geometric substrates the nature of the product depends on the unique stereoelectronic requirement of the reaction. These are examples of stereospecific reactions. 

Ab initio and density functional theoretical studies of the 4 + 2-cycloaddition of 2-azabutadiene with formaldehyde predict a concerted reaction that agrees well with experimental evidence.184 The azadiene A-plienyl-l-aza-2-cyanobuta-l,3-diene reacts with electron-rich, electron-poor, and neutral dipolarophiles under mild thermal conditions.185 5,6-Diliydro-4//-1,2-oxazines have been shown to be usefiil as synthon equivalents of 2-cyano-l-azabuta-1,3-dienes.186 The intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of 1-aza-l,3-butadienes (106) can be activated by a 2-cyano substituent (Scheme 37).187 Stereoselectivity in the hetero-Diels-Alder reactions of heterobutadienes, nitrosoalkenes, and heterodienophiles has been extensively reviewed.188 The azadiene l-(f-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-l-azabuta-1,3 -diene (107) reacts with halobenzo-quinones, naphthoquinones, and A-phcnylmalcimidc to yield low to good yields of various pyridine heterocycles (108) (Scheme 38).189 The 4 + 2-cycloaddition of homophthalic anhydride with A-(cinnamylidcnc)tritylaminc produces the 3,4-adduct whereas with A -(cinnamylidcnc)bcnzylidinc the 1,2-adduct is produced.190... 

Pressure effect on the product distribution in supercritical media would resolve the problem. If the reaction proceeds via the competitive concerted/ stepwise mechanism, the reaction under a higher pressure is expected to give more exo isomer because the activation volume is considered to be smaller for concerted process than the stepwise one and hence more concerted reaction is expected under a higher pressure. If, on the other hand, bimodal lifetime distribution of trajectories is the origin of the stereoselection, the product ratio is expected to approach to unity under high-pressure conditions, since energy randomization is more effective under a high pressure. 

The term stereoselective is often confused with the term stereospecific, and the literature abounds with views as to the most satisfactory definition. To offer some clarification, it is perhaps timely to recall a frequently used term, introduced a decade or so ago, namely the stereoelectronic requirements of a reaction. All concerted reactions (i.e. those taking place in a synchronised process of bond breaking and bond forming) are considered to have precise spatial requirements with regard to the orientation of the reactant and reagent. Common examples are SN2 displacement reactions (e.g. Section 5.10.4, p. 659), E2 anti) elimination reactions of alkyl halides (e.g. Section 5.2.1, p.488), syn (pyrolytic) elimination reactions (Section 5.2.1, p.489), trans and cis additions to alkenes (e.g. Section 5.4.5, p. 547), and many rearrangement reactions. In the case of chiral or geometric reactants, the stereoisomeric nature of the product is entirely dependent on the unique stereoelectronic requirement of the reaction such reactions are stereospecific. 

Trialkylsilyl vinyl ketenes (72) have been shown to react stereoselectively with a-benzotriazolyl organolithium species to give highly substituted cyclopentenones. The selectivity was found to be kinetic, not thermodynamic, in origin. Several possible mechanisms have been proposed (Scheme 10). It has been suggested that the observed stereoselectivity may result from torquoselectivity in a concerted reaction, or from stereospecific conrotatory cyclization of cation (73), formed stereoselectively because of the interaction shown between the electron-withdrawing group Z and the metal ion.75... 

Stepwise Mechanism Stereoselective and Stereospecific Reactions Theory of Concerted Reactions... 

Two mechanistic variations can be envisioned to be operative in some Wittig reactions. In some cases (Z-stereoselective reactions) a very asynchronous reaction with a 2-center "anti" pseudo betaine transition state is involved. The other mechanism involves a more synchronous concerted reaction with a 4-center "syn" transition state. These two mechanisms may compete, e.g., in the reactions of semistabilized ylides with aldehydes where mixtures of Z- and E-alkenes are obtained. Further details of these studies will be provided in future publications, as well as additional data about solvent effects. 

The [t 4j + t 2j] cycloaddition of alkenes and dienes is a very useful method for forming substituted cyclohexenes. This reaction is known as the Diels-Alder (abbreviated D-A in this chapter) reaction. The transition structure for a concerted reaction requires that the diene adopt the s-cis conformation. The diene and substituted alkene (called the dienophile) approach each other in approximately parallel planes. This reaction has been the object of extensive mechanistic and computational study, as well as synthetic application. For most systems, the reactivity pattern, regioselectivity, and stereoselectivity are consistent with a concerted process. In particular, the reaction is a stereospecific syn (suprafacial) addition with respect to both the alkene and the diene. This stereospecificity has been demonstrated with many substituted dienes and alkenes and also holds for the simplest possible example of the reaction, ethene with butadiene, as demonstrated by isotopic labeling. ... 

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