Cycloaddition Dienes, dimerization

Chloroprene undergoes three different [4+2]-cycloadditions with itself, proceeding as parallel reactions. One of these [4+2]-cycloadditions does not occur in a stereoselective fashion with respect to the dienophile. These cycloadditions are dimerizations that yield compounds A-C in Figure 15.16. Chloroprene plays two roles in these [4+2]-cycloadditions it serves as diene and also as dienophile. In addition, small amounts of chloroprene dimerize (in a multi-step process ) to give a [2+2]-cycloadduct D and to give a [4+4]-cycloadduct E (Figure 15.16). 

Simple 1,3-dienes such as 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, and related compounds undergo efficient metal-catalyzed oligomerization. Under palladium catalysis, diene dimerization is the most common oligomerization reaction observed. Four modes of dimerization have been reported (Scheme 1) (i) [2 + 2] cycloaddition to afford 1,2-divinylcyclobutane (1) (ii) [4 -I- 2] cycloaddition to afford 4-vinylcyclohexene (2) (iii) [4 + 4] cycloaddition to afford 1,4-cyclooctadiene (3) and (iv) linear dimerization to afford 1,3,7-octatriene (4). 

In contrast to those unreactive dienes that can t achieve an s-cis conformation, other dienes are fixed only in the correct s-cis geometry and are therefore highly reactive in the Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction. Cyclopenta-1,3-diene, for example, is so reactive that it reacts with itself. At room temperature, cyclopenta-1,3-diene dimerizes. One molecule acts as diene, and a second molecule acts as dienophile in a self Diels-Alder reaction. 

A study by Dolbier and Dai of secondary deuterium isotope effects in reactions of deuteriated allenes with various olefins and dienes led to the conclusion that all [2 + 2] four-electron thermal cycloadditions, including dimerization, are multistep processes, whereas [2 -I- 3] and [2 + 4] six-electron thermal cycloadditions are concerted. Thus allenes are demoted to the rank of relatively reactive alkenes. ... 

Extrapolation from the known reactivity of cyclobutadiene would suggest that azetes should be highly reactive towards dimerization and as dienes and dienophiles in cycloaddition reactions and the presence of a polar C=N should impart additional reactivity towards attack by nucleophiles. Isolation of formal dimers of azetes has been claimed as evidence for the intermediacy of such species, but no clear reports of their interception in inter-molecular cycloaddition reactions or by nucleophiles have yet appeared. 

The validity of the model was demonstrated by reacting 35 under the same reaction conditions as expected, only one diastereoisomer 41 was formed, the structure of which was confirmed by X-ray analysis. When the vinylation was carried out on the isothiazolinone 42 followed by oxidation to 40, the dimeric compound 43 was obtained, showing that the endo-anti transition state is the preferred one. To confirm the result, the vinyl derivative 42 was oxidized and the intermediate 40 trapped in situ with N-phenylmaleimide. The reaction appeared to be completely diastereoselective and a single diastereomer endo-anti 44 was obtained. In addition, calculations modelling the reactivity of the dienes indicated that the stereochemistry of the cycloaddition may be altered by variation of the reaction solvent. 

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 ... 

Diene 265, substituted by a bulky silyl ether to prevent cycloaddition before the metathesis process, produced in the presence of catalyst C the undesired furanophane 266 with a (Z) double bond as the sole reaction product in high yield. The same compound was obtained with Schrock s molybdenum catalyst B, while first-generation catalyst A led even under very high dilution only to an isomeric mixture of dimerized products. The (Z)-configured furanophane 266 after desilylation did not, in accordance with earlier observations, produce any TADA product. On the other hand, dienone 267 furnished the desired macrocycle (E)-268, though as minor component in a 2 1 isomeric mixture with (Z)-268. Alcohol 269 derived from E-268 then underwent the projected TADA reaction selectively to produce cycloadduct 270 (70% conversion) in a reversible process after 3 days. The final Lewis acid-mediated conversion to 272 however did not occur, delivering anhydrochatancin 271 instead. 

Conjugated dienes can be dimerized or trimerized at their 1,4 positions (formally, [4 4- 4] and [4 4-4 4-4] cycloadditions) by treatment with certain complexes or other transition metal compounds. " Thus butadiene gives 1,5-cyclooctadiene and 1,5,9-cyclododecatriene. " The relative amount of each product can be controlled by use of the proper catalyst. For example, Ni P(OC6H4—o-Ph)3 gives predominant dimerization, while Ni(cyclooctadiene)2 gives mostly trimerization. The products arise, not by direct 1,4 to 1,4 attack, but by stepwise mechanisms involving metal-alkene complexes. " ... 

When benzyne is generated in the absence of another reactive molecule it dimerizes to biphenylene.132 In the presence of dienes, benzyne is a very reactive dienophile and [4+2] cycloaddition products are formed. The adducts with furans can be converted to polycyclic aromatic compounds by elimination of water. Similarly, cyclopentadienones can give a new aromatic ring by loss of carbon monoxide. Pyrones give adducts that can aromatize by loss of C02, as illustrated by Entry 7 in Scheme 11.9. 

Without a large excess of 1,3-diene the formation of cis and trans-head-to-head dimer 100 competed. The composition of the reaction mixture depends on the reaction time. Endo/exo ratio for 97 dropped from 98 2 to 22 78 after 5 h heating at 190 °C. This equilibration probably takes place by a reversal of the [4 + 2] cycloaddition [27],... 

There are so many different examples of photochemical dimerizations and cross-cycloadditions 8-11,13-17) 0f olefinic compounds that one is not surprised to find several variations of mechanistic patterns. Simple olefins, including dienes and strained small ring, bicyclic olefins and styrene derivatives form a class of compounds that undergo such reactions sensitized by triplet energy donors. Some examples axe given in Eqs. 19—23, where only cyclobutane products are depicted. Theory... 

Beyond dimerization and oligomerization, [2 + 2]- and [4+ 2]-cycloadditions with conjugated dienes and styrenes and the addition of nucleophiles are typical reactions of strained cyclic allenes. These transformations have been studied most thoroughly with 1,2-cyclohexadiene (6) and its derivatives [1, 2]. Concerning the cycloadditions, a theoretical study had the surprising result that even the [4+ 2]-cycloadditions should proceed in two steps via a diradical intermediate [9]. In the case of nucleophiles, the sites of attack at several 1,2-cyclohexadiene derivatives having an... 

When benzyne is generated in the absence of another reactive molecule, it dimerizes to biphenylene.123 124 125 126 In the presence of dienes, benzyne is a very reactive dienophile, and [4 + 2] cycloaddition products are formed. 

A recent report of Schuster and Sussman244 indicates that the lowest triplet of eucarvone sensitizes cyclohexadiene dimerization while an upper triplet apparently undergoes cycloaddition to this diene. 

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