Interesting Alkenes

Ethylene, an industrial starting material for many useful products 

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Regiospecificity of the reaction is normally high but with some alkenes, such as styrene, considerable amount of the /3-isomer (38.5%) is produced exceptionally in addition to the a-isomer (58.7%). Interestingly, alkenes having an inner double bond undergo hydrosilation with isomerization to give exclusively terminal products, as shown in equation (24). 

Another interesting alkene synthesis starts from a cyclopropyl-substituted alcohol, which, on reaction with magnesium halides, is converted to a haloalkene MesSiX has also been used in this type of reaction (Scheme 22). ... 

Rh(NO)(MeCN)4]A2 is an interesting alkene oligomerization catalyst, apparently involving allylic intermediates it may resemble Sen s [Pd(MeCN)4]A2. 

Alkene and alkyne insertions followed by carbonylation are shown in Schemes j3 [io],[28]-[33] j4 [34] gjjjj j5 [2i],[35],[36] Interestingly, alkene insertion occurs faster than CO insertion. In several cases, the carbonylation was succeeded by hydrolysis to provide the corresponding acid or yet another carbon-carbon bond formation in the same operation. 

Use for Alkene Preparation. Replacement of two alcohol groups by bromine, followed by zinc dehalogenation, provides an interesting alkene synthesis methodology (eq 12). The preparation of 1,3,5-hexatriene is readily accomplished via a PBrs step (eq 13). In the presence of DMF, PBry has been used to eliminate a hindered diallylic tertiary alcohol (eq 14). See also Phospho-rus(HI) Bromide-Copperil) Bromide-Zinc. 

The Corey-Winter synthesis has proved useful for the generation of a large number of structurally interesting alkenes, including some unstable alkenes that must be captured in situ (eq 2). ... 

The regioselectivity benefits from the increased polarisation of the alkene moiety, reflected in the increased difference in the orbital coefficients on carbon 1 and 2. The increase in endo-exo selectivity is a result of an increased secondary orbital interaction that can be attributed to the increased orbital coefficient on the carbonyl carbon ". Also increased dipolar interactions, as a result of an increased polarisation, will contribute. Interestingly, Yamamoto has demonstrated that by usirg a very bulky catalyst the endo-pathway can be blocked and an excess of exo product can be obtained The increased di as tereo facial selectivity has been attributed to a more compact transition state for the catalysed reaction as a result of more efficient primary and secondary orbital interactions as well as conformational changes in the complexed dienophile" . Calculations show that, with the polarisation of the dienophile, the extent of asynchronicity in the activated complex increases . Some authors even report a zwitteriorric character of the activated complex of the Lewis-acid catalysed reaction " . Currently, Lewis-acid catalysis of Diels-Alder reactions is everyday practice in synthetic organic chemistry. 

The cyclization to form very congested quaternary carbon centers involving the intramolecular insertion of di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted alkenes is particularly useful for natural products synthesis[l36-138], In the total synthesis of gelsemine, the cyclization of 166 has been carried out, in which very severe steric hindrance is e.xpected. Interestingly, one stereoisomer 167... 

A interesting and useful reaetion is the intramolecular polycyclization reaction of polyalkenes by tandem or domino insertions of alkenes to give polycyclic compounds[l 38]. In the tandem cyclization. an intermediate in many cases is a neopentylpalladium formed by the insertion of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes, which has no possibility of /3-elimination. The key step in the total synthesis of scopadulcic acid is the Pd-catalyzed construction of the tricyclic system 202 containing the bicyclo[3.2. Ijoctane substructure. The single tricyclic product 202 was obtained in 82% yield from 201 [20,164). The benzyl chloride 203 undergoes oxidative addition and alkene insertion. Formation of the spiro compound 204 by the intramolecular double insertion of alkenes is an exam-ple[165]. 

The formation of 1-and 2-aIkenes can be understood by the following mechanism. In the presence of formate anion, the 7r-allylpalladium complex 572 is converted into the 7r-allylpalladium formate 573. The most interesting feature is the attack of the hydride from formate to the more substituted side of the (T-allylic system by the cyclic mechanism shown by 574 to form the 1-alkene 575[367]. The decarboxylation and hydride transfer should be a concerted... 

Another interesting transformation is the intramolecular metathesis reaction of 1,6-enynes. Depending on the substrates and catalytic species, very different products are formed by the intramolecular enyne metathesis reaction of l,6-enynes[41]. The cyclic 1,3-diene 71 is formed from a linear 1,6-enyne. The bridged tricyclic compound 73 with a bridgehead alkene can be prepared by the enyne metathesis of the cyclic enyne 72. The first step of... 

Dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) (125) is a very special alkyne and undergoes interesting cyclotrimerization and co-cyclization reactions of its own using the poorly soluble polymeric palladacyclopentadiene complex (TCPC) 75 and its diazadiene stabilized complex 123 as precursors of Pd(0) catalysts, Cyclotrimerization of DMAD is catalyzed by 123[60], In addition to the hexa-substituted benzene 126, the cyclooctatetraene derivative 127 was obtained by the co-cyclization of trimethylsilylpropargyl alcohol with an excess of DMAD (125)[6l], Co-cyclization is possible with various alkenes. The naphthalene-tetracarboxylate 129 was obtained by the reaction of methoxyallene (128) with an excess of DMAD using the catalyst 123[62],... 

Alkylation can also be accomplished with electrophilic alkenes. There is a dichotomy between basic and acidic conditions. Under basic conditions, where the indole anion is the reactive nucleophile, A-alkylation occurs. Under acidic conditions C-alkylation is observed. The reaction of indole with 4-vinylpyri-dine is an interesting illustration. Good yields of the 3-alkylation product are obtained in refluxing acetic acid[18] whereas if the reaction is done in ethanol containing sodium ethoxide 1-alkylation occurs[19]. Table 11.2 gives some examples of 3-alkylation using electrophilic alkenes. 

Interestingly. 4-hydroxythiazoles (11) react like the 4-hydroxy-THISs with alkynes and alkenes (Scheme 12) (20). further demonstrating the usefulness of 4-hydroxythiazole derivatives for the preparation of 2-pyridones and thiophenes. 

Thus with dihalocarbenes we have the interesting case of a species that resem bles both a carbanion (unshared pair of electrons on carbon) and a carbocation (empty p orbital) Which structural feature controls its reactivity s Does its empty p orbital cause It to react as an electrophile s Does its unshared pair make it nucleophilic s By compar mg the rate of reaction of CBi2 toward a series of alkenes with that of typical electrophiles toward the same alkenes (Table 14 4) we see that the reactivity of CBi2... 

The preparation and structure determination of ferrocene marked the beginning of metallocene chemistry Metallocenes are organometallic compounds that bear cyclo pentadiemde ligands A large number are known even some m which uranium is the metal Metallocenes are not only stucturally interesting but many of them have useful applications as catalysts for industrial processes Zirconium based metallocenes for example are the most widely used catalysts for Ziegler-Natta polymerization of alkenes We 11 have more to say about them m Section 14 15... 

A -Isoxazolines are readily available from the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile -oxides with alkenes and from the condensation reaction of ehones with hydroxylamine. Therefore, methods of conversion of -isoxazolines into isoxazoles are of particular interest and of synthetic importance. 

Another interesting cycloaddition, the detailed mechanism of which is still under investigation, is the addition of singlet oxygen to alkenes producing 1,2-dioxetanes (Section 5.15.3.3.2). 

Electrophilic additions to allenes represent an interesting reaction type which is related to additions to both alkenes and alkynes. An allene could, for example, conceivably be protonated at either a terminal s[p- carbon or the central sp carbon. 

The photochemical reactions of organic compounds attracted great interest in the 1960s. As a result, many useful and fascinating reactions were uncovered, and photochemistry is now an important synthetic tool in organic chemistry. A firm basis for mechanistic description of many photochemical reactions has been developed. Some of the more general types of photochemical reactions will be discussed in this chapter. In Section 13.2, the relationship of photochemical reactions to the principles of orbital symmetry will be considered. In later sections, characteristic photochemical reactions of alkenes, dienes, carbonyl compounds, and aromatic rings will be introduced. 

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