Cyclopropyl effect

The cyclopropyl effect has controlled the regioselectivity of the cross-coupling reactions of propargylic/allenylic metallic species with electrophiles afford alkynic cyclopropanes (Scheme 9).70 Cyclopropyl ring strain, which makes the formation of vinylidenecyclopropanes unfavourable, is believed to control the regioselectivity. 

TABLE 28. Cyclopropyl effects on equilibrium acidities in DMSO ... 

Boidwell estimated the pKa of A 3-dimethyl-5-phenylsulfoximine (141) in DMSO to be about 33, less acidic than methyl phenyl sulfone by about 4 pK units. From a cyclopropyl effect on the equilibrium acidity of Af-phenylsulfonyl-5-methyl-5-phenylsulfoximine (142), it was concluded that the carbanion is planar or nearly planar to the sulfonimidoyl group.However, on the basis of the 7ch coupling constant in a NMR spectroscopic study, it was concluded by Marquet that the configuration of the lithi-ated a-carbon (142) is pyramidal. ... 

Only the bisected conformation aligns the cyclopropyl C—C orbitals for effective overlap. Crystal structure determinations on two cyclopropylmethyl cabons with additional stabilizing substituents, C and D, have confirmed file preference for the bisected geometry. The crystal structures of C and D are shown in Fig. 5.8. 

In ion D, in which the phenyl group would be expected to be coplanar with the cationic center to maximize delocalization, the observed angle is 25-30°. This should permit effective benzylic stabilization. The planes of the cyclopropyl groups in both structures are at 85° to file plane of file trigonal carbon, in agreement with expectation for the bisected... 

Rearrangement studies give an interesting insight into the specific effect of fluonne on the thermodynamic stability and rearrangement kinetics of fluonnated cyclopropanes Fluorine decreases the thermodynamic stability of the cyclopropyl nng, in contrast with the generally observed effect of fluonne increasing the stability of molecules to which it is introduced [124]... 

A further example of the importance of this type of stereoelectronic effect is seen in the reactions of /-butoxy radicals with spiro[2,n]alkanes (22) where it is found that hydrogens from the position a- to the cyclopropyl ring arc specifically abstracted. This can be attributed to the favorable overlap of the breaking C-H bond with the cyclopropyl cr bonds.120131 No such specificity is seen with bicyclo[n, 1,0]alkanes (23) where geometric constraints prevent overlap. 

When dienones 39 and 40 are photolyzed in sulfuric acid they both rearrange to the same product, 2-methyl-5-hydroxybenzaldehyde (41) (Filipescu and Pavlik, 1970). The mechanism for this photorearrangement is consistent with that of the protonated cyclohexadienones already discussed, i.e., disrotatory closure to afford the intermediate bicyclic cations 42 and 43. In this case it is conceivable that the electron-withdrawing effect of the dichloromethyl group forces the subsequent thermal cyclopropyl migration entirely in the direction of the most stable cation 44 to yield the observed product. 

In contrast to the stability of cyclopropylmethyl cations (p. 222), the cyclopropyl group exerts only a weak stabilizing effect on an adjacent carbanionic carbon. ... 

Some radicals (e.g., tert-butyl, benzyl, and cyclopropyl), are nucleophilic (they tend to abstract electron-poor hydrogen atoms). The phenyl radical appears to have a very small degree of nucleophilic character. " For longer chains, the field effect continues, and the P position is also deactivated to attack by halogen, though much less so than the a position. We have already mentioned (p. 896) that abstraction of an a hydrogen atom from ring-substituted toluenes can be correlated by the Hammett equation. 

Recently a reverse perturbation effect of a cyclopropyl group on facial selectivities was described in two bicyclic systems, bicyclo[2.2.2]octane 59 and norbomane (bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane) 60 [124]. Bicyclo[2.2.2]octene 59a, annulated with an exo-cyclopropyl group, i.e., exo-tricyclo[3.2.2.0 ]non-6-ene, and 7-methylenenor-bomane 60a, annulated with an exo-cyclopropyl group, i.e., 8-... 

The cyclopropanation of 1-trimethylsilyloxycyclohexene in the present procedure is accomplished by reaction with diiodomethane and diethylzinc in ethyl ether." This modification of the usual Simmons-Smith reaction in which diiodomethane and activated zinc are used has the advantage of being homogeneous and is often more effective for the cyclopropanation of olefins such as enol ethers which polymerize readily. However, in the case of trimethylsilyl enol ethers, the heterogeneous procedures with either zinc-copper couple or zinc-silver couple are also successful. Attempts by the checkers to carry out Part B in benzene or toluene at reflux instead of ethyl ether afforded the trimethylsilyl ether of 2-methylenecyclohexanol, evidently owing to zinc iodide-catalyzed isomerization of the initially formed cyclopropyl ether. The preparation of l-trimethylsilyloxybicyclo[4.1.0]heptane by cyclopropanation with diethylzinc and chloroiodomethane in the presence of oxygen has been reported. "... 

The complex [Fe(D4-TmAP)Cl] with Halterman s porphyrin ligand can effect asymmetric alkene cyclopropanation with diazoacetate in high product yield and high stereoselectivity [57]. The reaction occurs smoothly at room temperature without the need for addition of CoCp2, affording the cyclopropyl esters... 

The key cyclization in Step B-2 was followed by a sequence of steps that effected a ring expansion via a carbene addition and cyclopropyl halide solvolysis. The products of Steps E and F are interesting in that the tricyclic structures are largely converted to tetracyclic derivatives by intramolecular aldol reactions. The extraneous bond was broken in Step G. First a diol was formed by NaBH4 reduction and this was converted via the lithium alkoxide to a monomesylate. The resulting (3-hydroxy mesylate is capable of a concerted fragmentation, which occurred on treatment with potassium f-butoxide. 

In a recent study, we showed that the more flexible pyrido[l,2-a]indole-based cyclopropyl quinone methide is not subject to the stereoelectronic effect.47 Scheme 7.17 shows an electrostatic potential map of the protonated cyclopropyl quinone methide with arrows indicating the two possible nucleophilic attack sites on the electron-deficient (blue-colored) cyclopropyl ring. The 13C label allows both nucleophile attack products, the pyrido[l,2-a]indole and azepino [l,2-a]indole, to be distinguished without isolation. The site of nucleophilic is under steric control with pyrido [1,2-a]indole ring formation favored by large nucleophiles. 

To assess the trapping of biological nucleophiles, the pyrido[l,2-a]indole cyclopropyl quinone methide was generated in the presence of 5 -dGMP. The reaction afforded a mixture of phosphate adducts that could not be separated by reverse-phase chromatography (Fig. 7.16). The 13C-NMR spectrum of the purified mixture shown in Fig. 7.16 reveals that the pyrido [1,2-a] indole was the major product with trace amounts of azepino[l,2-a] indole present. Since the stereoelec-tronic effect favors either product, steric effects must dictate nucleophilic attack at the least hindered cyclopropane carbon to afford the pyrido[l,2-a]indole product. Both adducts were stable with elimination and aromatization not observed. In fact, the pyrido [1,2-a] indole precursor (structure shown in Scheme 7.14) to the pyrido [l,2-a]indole cyclopropyl quinone methide possesses cytotoxic and cytostatic properties not observed with the pyrrolo [1,2-a] indole precursor.47... 

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