Cycloalkanes stereochemistry

The last point we ll consider about cycloalkane stereochemistry is to see what happens when two or more cycloalkane rings are fused together along a common bond to construct a polycyclic molecule—for example, decalin. 

Stereochemistry refers to chemistry in three dimensions Its foundations were laid by Jacobus van t Hoff and Joseph Achille Le Bel m 1874 Van t Hoff and Le Bel mde pendently proposed that the four bonds to carbon were directed toward the corners of a tetrahedron One consequence of a tetrahedral arrangement of bonds to carbon is that two compounds may be different because the arrangement of their atoms m space IS different Isomers that have the same constitution but differ m the spatial arrangement of their atoms are called stereoisomers We have already had considerable experience with certain types of stereoisomers—those involving cis and trans substitution patterns m alkenes and m cycloalkanes... 

CHAPTER 4 Organic Compounds Cycloalkanes and Their Stereochemistry... 

Chapter 4, Organic Compounds Cycloalkanes and Their Stereochemistry—The chapter has been revised to focus exclusively on cycloalkanes. 

As for the stereochemistry, for the case of complete cyclization, besides the usual tacticity (possibly, isotactic or syndiotactic, referred to relative configurations of equivalent stereogenic carbons of subsequent monomeric units), the cis or trans configuration of the 1,3-cycloalkane rings which are present in the polymer main chain also has to be considered.70,74... 

Our present aim is to survey the chemistry and stereochemistry of cycloalkane-fused 1,3-oxazines, 1,3-thiazines, and pyrimidines. Only those derivatives are discussed in which the annelations involve sp carbon atoms, so that the possibility of cis and trans stereoisomers exists. 

In the discussions, the syntheses, stereochemistry, and transformations of cycloalkane d -fused and e -fused systems are described in parallel these correspond to 3,1-benzoxazines and 3,1-benzothiazines, and to 1,3-benzoxazines and 1,3-benzothiazines, respectively. The syntheses are frequently similar, but totally different methods are often used for the d -fused and e -fused heterocycles. The main syntheses (A-J) of the ring systems discussed in this review are given in Fig. 1. 

Arylalkenes [23] and alkenes with electron withdrawing substituents [24] can be bis-alkylated across the alkene bond by electrochemical reaction with dflialoal-kanes giving 3- to 6-membered carbocyclic products in good yields. ITie best reaction conditions use an undivided cell with a nickel cathode and a sacrificial aluminium anode in dimethylformamide or N-methylpyrrolidone containing a tetraalkylammonium salt. Anodically generated aluminium ions are essential for the reaction. 1,2-Disubstituted alkenes, regardless of their stereochemistry, are converted to the tranj-substituted cycloalkane. 

Elimination of HX from an alkane or cycloalkane typically follows an E2 mechanism and occurs with anti stereochemistry, e.g., elimination of HCl from chlorocyclohexane. ... 

Introduction of the allene structure into cycloalkanes such as in 1,2-cyclononadiene (727) provides another approach to chiral cycloalkenes of sufficient enantiomeric stability. Although 127 has to be classified as an axial chiral compound like other C2-allenes it is included in this survey because of its obvious relation to ( )-cyclooctene as also can be seen from chemical correlations vide infra). Racemic 127 was resolved either through diastereomeric platinum complexes 143) or by ring enlargement via the dibromocarbene adduct 128 of optically active (J3)-cyclooctene (see 4.2) with methyllithium 143) — a method already used for the preparation of racemic 127. The first method afforded a product of 44 % enantiomeric purity whereas 127 obtained from ( )-cyclooctene had a rotation [a]D of 170-175°. The chirality of 127 was established by correlation with (+)(S)-( )-cyclooctene which in a stereoselective reaction with dibromocarbene afforded (—)-dibromo-trans-bicyclo[6.1 0]nonane 128) 144). Its absolute stereochemistry was determined by the Thyvoet-method as (1R, 87 ) and served as a key intermediate for the correlation with 727 ring expansion induced... 

The microstructure of the discussed cycloaliphatic polymers concerns the cis-trans geometrical isomerism of the rings and the relative stereochemistry between the rings. A modified Bovey m-r nomenclature [507] provides a useful description of the microstructure of poly(methylene-l,3-cycloalkane)s, where capital letters (M for mesogenic, R for racemic) denote the stereochemistry of the rings and lower case letters ( m and r) denote the relative stereochemistry between the rings [503], Therefore, cA-isotactic, tram-isotactic, cA-syndiotactic and tram-syndiotactic cyclopolymers may be formed. As in many other cases, 13C NMR spectroscopy reveals information about both the tacticity of the polymer and the ratio of cis to treins rings. 

Several routes to cycloalkanes have been developed (Fig. 4). Bolton [29] described the synthesis of azabicyclo[4.3, 0]nonen-8-ones using an intramolecular Pauson-Khand cycliza-tion. The relative stereochemistry was controlled in this cyclization step which proceeded in good yield regardless of whether the nitrogen atom bore an allyl (shown) or propargyl (not shown) substituent. The ene reaction was employed in a route to trans-substituted cyclopentane and cyclohexanes [30], Reductive cleavage from the resin with LiBFL, provided the diol or, alternatively, cleavage with Ti(OEt)4 produced the diester. 

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