Hydrogen sigmatropic rearrangements

The Normal Cope Rearrangement. Sigmatropic rearrangements are not confined to hydrogen shifts occurring within a n framework. Thermolysis of 1,5-dienes results in a six jr-electron reorganization, a... 

The direct connection of rings A and D at C l cannot be achieved by enamine or sul> fide couplings. This reaction has been carried out in almost quantitative yield by electrocyclic reactions of A/D Secocorrinoid metal complexes and constitutes a magnificent application of the Woodward-Hoffmann rules. First an antarafacial hydrogen shift from C-19 to C-1 is induced by light (sigmatropic 18-electron rearrangement), and second, a conrotatory thermally allowed cyclization of the mesoionic 16 rc-electron intermediate occurs. Only the A -trans-isomer is formed (A. Eschenmoser, 1974 A. Pfaltz, 1977). 

Because a [1,5] sigmatropic rearrangement involves three electron pairs (two ir bonds and one cr bond), the orbital-symmetry rules in Table 30.3 predict a suprafacial reaction. In fact, the 1,5] suprafacial shift of a hydrogen atom across... 

Both these 1,51 hydrogen shifts occur by a symmetry-allowed suprafacial rearrangement, as illustrated in Figure 30.12. In contrast with these thermal [L,51 sigmatropic hydrogen shifts, however, thermal [1,3 hydrogen shifts are unknown. Were they to occur, they would have to proceed by a strained antarafacial reaction pathway. 

The following rearrangement was devised and carried out to prove the stereochemistry of [1,5] sigmatropic hydrogen shifts. Explain how the observed result confirms the predictions of orbital symmetry. 

The 3//-azepines obtained by cycloaddition of azirines to cyclopentadienones (see Section 3.1.1.1.2.) are thought to arise from the initially formed 2/7-azepines by [1,5]-H suprafacial sigmatropic shifts.31-108 In contrast, 1/Z-azepine 9 results from the thermal rearrangement of the nonisolable 2//-azepine-2-carboxylate 8.13 Presumably, the 1 //-azepine is stabilized, relative to the 3//-isomer, by intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the NH and the adjacent ester group. 

Double-bond isomerization can also take place in other ways. Nucleophilic allylic rearrangements were discussed in Chapter 10 (p. 421). Electrocyclic and sigmatropic rearrangements are treated at 18-27-18-35. Double-bond migrations have also been accomplished photochemically, and by means of metallic ion (most often complex ions containing Pt, Rh, or Ru) or metal carbonyl catalysts. In the latter case there are at least two possible mechanisms. One of these, which requires external hydrogen, is called the nwtal hydride addition-elimination mechanism ... 

The order of a sigmatropic rearrangement is expressed by two numbers set in brackets [ij]. These numbers can be determined by counting the atoms over which each end of the s bond has moved. Each of the original termini is given the number 1. Thus in the first example above, each terminus of the s bond has migrated from C-1 to C-3, so the order is [3,3]. In the second example, the carbon terminus has moved from C-1 to C-5, but the hydrogen terminus has not moved at all, so the order is [1,5]. 

This rearrangement, which has been called an enolene rearrangement, a homodienyl [1,5] sigmatropic hydrogen shift (see 18-29), and a [1,5] homo sigmatropic... 

Note that a [ 1,5] sigmatropic rearrangement of hydrogen is also an internal ene synthesis (15-20). 

It has been shown that methyl and phenyl have lower migratory aptitudes than hydrogen in thermal sigmatropic rearrangements Shen, K. McEwen, W.E. Wolf, A.P. Tetrahedron Lett., 1969, 827 Miller, L.L. Greisinger, R. Boyer, R.F. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1969, 91, 1578. 

---