3 + 2-cycloreversions

Only one exception to the clean production of two monomer molecules from the pyrolysis of dimer has been noted. When a-hydroxydi-Zvxyljlene (9) is subjected to the Gorham process, no polymer is formed, and the 16-carbon aldehyde (10) is the principal product in its stead, isolated in greater than 90% yield. This transformation indicates that, at least in this case, the cleavage of dimer proceeds in stepwise fashion rather than by a concerted process in which both methylene—methylene bonds are broken at the same time. This is consistent with the predictions of Woodward and Hoffmann from orbital symmetry considerations for such [6 + 6] cycloreversion reactions in the ground state (5). 

Ozonation ofAlkenes. The most common ozone reaction involves the cleavage of olefinic carbon—carbon double bonds. Electrophilic attack by ozone on carbon—carbon double bonds is concerted and stereospecific (54). The modified three-step Criegee mechanism involves a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of ozone to an olefinic double bond via a transitory TT-complex (3) to form an initial unstable ozonide, a 1,2,3-trioxolane or molozonide (4), where R is hydrogen or alkyl. The molozonide rearranges via a 1,3-cycloreversion to a carbonyl fragment (5) and a peroxidic dipolar ion or zwitterion (6). 

Nitrilimines (621) are another class of 1,3-dipoles which provide a useful entry into the pyrazole ring. They are often generated by cycloreversion (79AG(E)72l) of tetrazoles, triazolopyridines and oxadiazolones (79JOC2957) (Scheme 55). Pyrazolines of known stereochemistry, pyrazoles and indazoles (Section 4.04.3.1.1(iii)) have all been prepared from nitrilimines. 

Gas-phase thermolysis of (69) and (70) at 600 C/12 Torr occurs to give the corresponding cis and trans alkenes respectively, suggesting a concerted [<, +<,2a] cycloreversion process (70JA1763). 

This trend is revealed, for example, by the rates of Diels-Alder addition reactions of anthracene, naphthacene, and pentacene, in which three, four, and five rings, respectively are linearly fused. The rate data are shown in Table 9.3. The same trend can be seen in the activation energy and the resonance energy gained when cycloreversion of the adducts 9-12 yields the aromatic compoimd, as shown in Scheme 9.3. 

Cycloaddition involves the combination of two molecules in such a way that a new ring is formed. The principles of conservation of orbital symmetry also apply to concerted cycloaddition reactions and to the reverse, concerted fragmentation of one molecule into two or more smaller components (cycloreversion). The most important cycloaddition reaction from the point of view of synthesis is the Diels-Alder reaction. This reaction has been the object of extensive theoretical and mechanistic study, as well as synthetic application. The Diels-Alder reaction is the addition of an alkene to a diene to form a cyclohexene. It is called a [47t + 27c]-cycloaddition reaction because four tc electrons from the diene and the two n electrons from the alkene (which is called the dienophile) are directly involved in the bonding change. For most systems, the reactivity pattern, regioselectivity, and stereoselectivity are consistent with describing the reaction as 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, that of ethylene with butadiene ... 

When 5-ten-butyl-2,2,2-tnmethoxy-3,3 bis(tnfluoromethyl) 2,3 dihydro-1,4,2-oxazaphosphole is pyrolyzed at 700-860 °C and the cycloreversion products are condensed at -196 C, the nitrile ylide formed can be identified by infrared spectroscopy (equation 39) [777]... 

Certain 1,5 diazabicyclo[3 3 0]oct-2-enes can be transformed unexpectedly into 4//-5,5-dihydro-l, 2 diazepines on heating [209] 1,5-Dipoles formed on heating of l,5-diazabicyclo[3 3 0]oct-2-enes [210] can be trapped with olefins to give [3+2] cycloadducts At elevated temperatures, they undergo a [3+2] cycloreversion Tins reaction sequence offers a simple route to dienes with interesting substitution patterns, for example, 1,1 bis(trifluoromethyl)-l,3-butadiene [211] The [3+2] cycloadducts that arise from the reaction of the 1,5 dipoles with acetylenes undergo... 

The Boger pyridine synthesis involves the reaction of triazine 1 with activated alkene 2 in a hetero-Diels-Alder fashion. The intermediate bicyclic species 3 is unstable and a facile cycloreversion takes place due to the loss of nitrogen gas to afford the appropriately substituted pyridine derivative 4. 

In addition to the formation of the pyridine framework by de novo approaches (see section 8.1) or by the cycloaddition/cycloreversion sequence (see section 8.2), one can employ reactions that proceed through a rearrangement pathway. The Boekelheide reaction (see section 8.3.1) involves the rearrangement of an existing pyridine skeleton to a more functionalized scaffold, while the Ciamician-Dennstedt reaction (section 8.3.2) generates the pyridine nucleus by rearrangement of an alternative heterocycle. 

Tliiobenzophenone 5-sulfide (35) was successfully generated by a cycloreversion of the 1,2,4-trithiolane 36 at 60°C or by a sulfur transfer from thiiranes to tliiobenzophenone (87JA902 97T939).Tlie thioketone 5-sulfide... 

Tetramethyl-l,2-oxathietane (138) was prepared by diazotization of 139, which was prepared from the aziridine (140) (86JA3811).Tlie reaction presumably involves the decomposition of the sulfonium ion intermediate (141).Tire dichloromethane solution of 138 at -20°C is sufficiently stable to permit exploration of the chemical reactions. Tire oxathietane 138 undergoes a formal [[Pg.248]

In contrast to other furoxans, the cycloreversion of 3,4-dinitrofuroxan to nitro-formonitrile oxide was observed even at room temperature. The nitrile oxide could be trapped in situ with electron-deficient nitriles (Scheme 149) (95MC231). Attempts to obtain cyclo adducts with styrene, phenylacetylene, rran.s-stilbene, and cyclohexene failed. 

Although deprotonation of simple 1,3-dithiolanes at the 2 position is usually accompanied by cycloreversion to the alkene and dithiocarboxylate, this does not occur for the 2-ethoxycarbonyl compound 55. The anion of this is readily generated with LDA and undergoes conjugate addition to a,(3-unsaturated ketones, esters, and lactones to give, after deprotection, the a,8-diketoester products 56 (73TL2599). In this transformation 55 therefore acts as an equivalent of Et02C-C(0) . 

In addition there are certain other methods for the preparation such compounds. Upon heating of the thionocarbonate 2 with a trivalent phosphorus compound e.g. trimethyl phosphite, a -elimination reaction takes place to yield the olefin 3. A nucleophilic addition of the phosphorus to sulfur leads to the zwitterionic species 6, which is likely to react to the phosphorus ylide 7 via cyclization and subsequent desulfurization. An alternative pathway for the formation of 7 via a 2-carbena-l,3-dioxolane 8 has been formulated. From the ylide 7 the olefin 3 is formed stereospecifically by a concerted 1,3-dipolar cycloreversion (see 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition), together with the unstable phosphorus compound 9, which decomposes into carbon dioxide and R3P. The latter is finally obtained as R3PS ... 

An interesting perspective for synthesis is offered by the reaction sequence cycloaddition/cycloreversion. It often does not lead to the initial reactants, but to a different pair of dipole and dipolarophile instead ... 

Interestingly, in the inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reactions of oxepin with various enophiles such as cyclopentadienones and tetrazines the oxepin form, rather than the benzene oxide, undergoes the cycloaddition.234 236 Usually, the central C-C double bond acts as dienophile. Oxepin reacts with 2,5-dimethyl-3,4-diphenylcyclopenta-2,4-dienone to give the cycloadduct 6 across the 4,5-C-C double bond of the heterocycle.234 The adduct resists thermal carbon monoxide elimination but undergoes cycloreversion to oxepin and the cyclopenta-dienone.234... 

The reaction of oxepin with dimethyl 5-oxo-2,3-diphenylcyclopenta-l,3-diene-l,4-dicarboxy-late takes a different course. Two products 7 and 8 can be isolated, 7 is the [4 + 2] adduct of the cyclopentadienone across the central C-C double bond of the oxepin, the other, 8, is thought to be a [4+6] cycloadduct across the triene system of the oxepin.237 In boiling benzene, the [4 + 2] adduct 7 undergoes no cycloreversion, but rearranges to the tricyclo[5.3.02,4]deca-5,8-dien-10-one system.237 The [4+6] adduct, however, is stable under thermal conditions. 

In a sequence of cycloaddition and cycloreversion, 3-phenyl-l, 2,4-triazine 1-oxides react with benzyne, generated from 2-aminobenzoic acid (see Houben-Weyl, Vol. 5/2 b, p 622 ff), to give 2-phenyl-l, 3-benzoxazepines in moderate yield.419... 

The tendency to undergo valence isomerization is generally of fundamental importance regarding the stability of the compounds. In the case where an equilibrium exists between the eight-membered ring and the bicyclo[4.2.0]octatriene, decomposition may readily occur by a [2 + 2] cycloreversion process, particularly if molecular nitrogen or a cyano compound can be eliminated. 

When quinazolines are used as starting materials, [4 + 2] cycloadducts are obtained as intermediates, which cleave off hydrogen cyanide by cycloreversion to provide quinolines (see Houben-Weyl, Vol. E9b/Part 2, p 157). 

TV-Substituted l,4-dihydro-l,4-diazocines 6 can be obtained by [TC2S + 2S + 2S] cycloreversion from. mi-benzene diimine (cA-bisazirinofa. c]benzene, diaza-c-bishomobenzene) derivatives 5 at room temperature or slightly elevated temperatures.2 - 5 The syn-benzene diimines (3,8-dia-zatricyclo[5.1.0.02,4]oet-5-enes), which are required for the valence isomerization, are available by two methods from benzene oxide derivatives. 

As for other 1,4-diheterocines the cycloreversion ofsyn-bis-cr-homobenzene systems constitutes an easy access also to 1,4-oxazocines from appropriate precursors. At approximately 60 C, the arylsulfonamides 3 readily and quantitatively rearrange to the 4//-1,4-oxazocines 4, which can be used for the preparation of other derivatives via the corresponding anion 6 (M = K) formed on reductive amide cleavage.12... 

The bicyclic system 5 can also be used to prepare annulated systems by cycloaddition-cycloreversion processes. With 2//-pyran-2-one (6) a mixture of cycloadducts is formed on... 

By [2 + 2 + 2] cycloreversion it is possible to generate the mixed systems l7 and 2s starting from the appropriate precursors. 

Triazine (38) is ideal for inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder cycloadditions, for example, with azulene to give a l,4-bis(CF3)phthalazine (89CB711). A rare example of the synthesis of a five-membered heterocycle originating from [4 + 1] cycloaddition followed by [4 + 2] cycloreversion was reported using (38). The intermediate tetraazanorbomadienimine (39) is highly strained and eliminates N2 [82AG(E)284]. 

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