Cyclopropane mechanism

Taking together the results of reactivity and stereoselectivity comparisons, one may conclude that the cyclopropanation mechanism as such is quite similar in all cases and involves a metal carbene, but that the stereoselectivity is determined by the nature of the diazoalkane substituent. Doyle has developed a mechanistic scheme which accounts for these observations (Scheme 44). 

Weitkamp, J. (1980) New evidence for a protonated cyclopropane mechanism in catalytic isomerization of n-alkane, in Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis, vol. 17 (eds... 

Sie, S.T. (1993) Acid-catalyzed cracking of paraffinic hydrocarbons 2. Evidence for protonated cyclopropane mechanism from catalytic cracking experiments. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 32, 397. 

Two resonance-contributing structures (3a and 3b), in the formalism of ylide structures, can be used to describe metal carbene intermediates. The highly electrophilic character of those derived from Cu and Rh catalysts suggests that the contribution from the metal-stabilized carbocation 3b is important in the overall evaluation of the reactivities and selectivities of these metal carbene intermediates. Emphasis on the metal carbene structure 3a has led to the subsequently discounted proposal that cyclopropane formation from reactions with alkenes occurs through the intervention of a metallocyclobutane intermediate [18]. The metal-stabilized carbocation structure 3b is consistent with the cyclopropanation mechanism in which LnM dissociates from the carbene as bond-formation occurs between the carbene and the reacting alkene (Eq. 5.4) [7,15]. 

In order to examine the possible participation of adsorbed cyclopropanes in the bond shift mechanism, the relative contributions of Paths A and B in chain lengthening were determined for a series of 2-methylalkanes (40, 43, 54). The contribution of Path B was found to decrease regularly from isopentane to 2-methylpentane and 2-methylhexane. The decreasing contribution of Path B from isopentane to 2-methylpentane is readily explained by the decreasing number of methyl substituents in the cyclopropane intermediate, but the difference between 2-methylpentane and 2-methylhexane cannot be accounted for by the cyclopropane mechanism (43). 

An of 7.4 1 kcal/mol for the rearrangement has been measured in the gas phase, which is consistent with the protonated cyclopropane mechanism. ... 

The direct carbene insertion scheme in Fig. 4.8 is thought to be the most common cyclopropanation mechanism, but in some cases the reaction may occur in a stepwise fashion through a metallacyclobutane intermediate. Once formed by... 

Carbenoid Reactions. Other synthetically useful reactions include carbenoid addition to form 2-oxabicyclo[3.1.0]hex-3-ene systems. 1 The reaction of vinylcarbenoids with furan provides two products (eq 22). These results may be rationalized invoking a nons3tnchronous cyclopropanation mechanism that leads to two possible dipolar transition states. - ... 

Simmons-Smith reagent Named after the duPont chemists who discovered that diiodo-mechane would react with an active zinc-copper couple in ether to give a reagent with molecular formula ICHiZnl. The reagent adds stereospecifically cis- to alkenes to give cyclopropanes in high yields. 

Cyclopropyl chlonde has been prepared by the free radical chlorination of cyclopropane Wnte a stepwise mechanism for this reaction... 

Along with the minimal barrier for H shift, the 2-butyl to t-butyl rearrangement gives the energy surface shown in Fig. 5.9. This diagram indicates that the mechanism for C-3/C-4 scrambling in the 2-butyl cation involves the edge-protonated cyclopropane intermediate. 

Interest in this reaction was revived when the relevance of a carbene mechanism was realized, particularly following the demonstration (cf. SectionI,B) of a similar ring expansion of indene to 2-chloro-naphthalene by dichlorocarbene via the cyclopropane adduct. Indeed, at this time Nakazaki suggested that these reactions occurred by the addition of dichlorocarbene to the indolyl anion and subsequent rearrangement to the indolenine and, with loss of chloride ion, to the quinoline [Eq. (12)]. The preference of dichlorocarbene for... 

From a historical perspective it is interesting to note that the Nozaki experiment was, in fact, a mechanistic probe to establish the intermediacy of a copper carbe-noid complex rather than an attempt to make enantiopure compounds for synthetic purposes. To achieve synthetically useful selectivities would require an extensive exploration of metals, ligands and reaction conditions along with a deeper understanding of the reaction mechanism. Modern methods for asymmetric cyclopropanation now encompass the use of countless metal complexes [2], but for the most part, the importance of diazoacetates as the carbenoid precursors still dominates the design of new catalytic systems. Highly effective catalysts developed in... 

The possibility of a radical mechanism is supported by the observation of the accelerating effect of molecular oxygen on the cyclopropanation. Miyano et al. discovered that the addition of dioxygen accelerated the formation of the zinc carbenoid in the Furukawa procedure [24a, b]. The rate of this process was monitored by changes in the concentration of ethyl iodide, the by-product of reagent formation. Comparison of the reaction rate in the presence of oxygen with that in the... 

This study suggests a radically new explanation for the nature of Lewis acid activation in the Simmons-Smith cyclopropanation. The five-centered migration of the halide ion from the chloromethylzinc group to zinc chloride as shown in TS2 and TS4 has never been considered in the discussion of a mechanism for this reaction. It remains to be seen if some experimental support can be found for this unconventional hypothesis. The small energy differences between all these competing transition states demand caution in declaring any concrete conclusions. 

An intriguing rearrangement was reported by Yates (72) during an attempt to carry out the Stobbe condensation. It resulted in the formation of a cyclopropane derivative from 4-benzoyloxycyclohexanone by the (proposed) mechanism shown. 

Vinyl-substituted cyclopropanes undergo thermal rearrangement to yield cyclopentenes. Propose a mechanism for the reaction, and identify the pericyclic process involved. 

Because in metathesis reactions with most catalyst systems a selectivity of nearly 100% is found, a carbene mechanism seems less likely. Banks and Bailey ( ) reported the formation of small quantities of C3-C6-alkenes, cyclopropane, and methylcyclopropane when ethene was passed over Mo(CO)6-A1203, which suggests reactions involving carbene complexes. However, similar results have not been reported elsewhere most probably the products found by Banks and Bailey were formed by side reactions, typical for their particular catalyst system. 

It is thus anticipated that compressive stress inhibits while tensile stress promotes chemical processes which necessitate a rehybridization of the carbon atom from the sp3 to the sp2 state, regardless of the reaction mechanism. This tendency has been verified for model ring-compounds during the hydrogen abstraction reactions by ozone and methyl radicals the abstraction rate increases from cyclopropane (c3) to cyclononane (c9), then decreases afterwards in the order anticipated from Es [79]. The following relationship was derived for this type of reactions ... 

Stabilised sulphur ylides react with alkenylcarbene complexes to form a mixture of different products depending on the reaction conditions. However, at -40 °C the reaction results in the formation of almost equimolecular amounts of vinyl ethers and diastereomeric cyclopropane derivatives. These cyclopropane products are derived from a formal [2C+1S] cycloaddition reaction and the mechanism that explains its formation implies an initial 1,4-addition to form a zwitterionic intermediate followed by cyclisation. Oxidation of the formed complex renders the final products [30] (Scheme 8). 

These reactions serve as a link in understanding selectivity differences between inter- and intramolecular cyclopropanation reactions, and they have been useful in defining the mechanism of addition as a function of catalyst [50,69,70]. 

Additions to cyclopropanes can take place by any of the four mechanisms already discussed in this chapter, but the most important type involves electrophilic attack. For substituted cyclopropanes, these reactions usually follow Markovnikov s rule, though exceptions are known and the degree of regioselectivity is often small. The application of Markovnikov s rule to these substrates can be illustrated by the reaction of 1,1,2-trimethylcyclopropane with The rule predicts that the... 

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