Intermolecular transition state

Syntheses of alkenes with three or four bulky substituents cannot be achieved with an ylide or by a direct coupling reaction. Sterical hindrance of substituents presumably does not allow the direct contact of polar or radical carbon synthons in the transition state. A generally applicable principle formulated by A. Eschenmoser indicates a possible solution to this problem //an intermolecular reaction is complex or slow, it is advisable to change the educt in such a way. that the critical bond formation can occur intramolecularly (A. Eschenmoser, 1970). 

There is quite some evidence for a mechanism as formulated above,especially for the six-membered transition state—the Barton reaction is observed only with starting materials of appropriate structure and geometry, while the photolysis of nitrite esters in general seldom leads to useful products formed by fragmentation, disproportionation or unselective intermolecular hydrogen abstraction. 

The syn selectivity in the titanium(IV) chloride mediated reactions can be explained by an intermolecular chelation, with transition state 21A being sterically favored over 21B. On the other hand, nonchelation control governs the stereochemistry of the boron trifluoride mediated reactions. Thus, the sterically favored transition state 21 C leads to the observed anf/ -diastereo-mer12. 

The stereoselectivity of these intermolecular reactions between 1-alkoxyallylstannanes and aldehydes induced by boron trifluoride-diethyl ether complex is consistent with an open-chain, antiperiplanar transition state. However, for intramolecular reactions, this transition state is inaccessible, and either (Z)-.yyn-products are formed, possibly from a synclinal process105, or 1,3-isomerization competes113. Remote substituents can influence the stereoselectivity of the intramolecular reaction114. 

These fragments either combine intramolecularly to form the ortho and para nitro compounds or dissociate completely and then undergo an intermolecular reaction to form the same products. The theory was not developed to include a detailed transition state and no mention was made of how the para isomer was formed. Reduction of the cation-radical could give the amine (which was observed experimentally76), but one would expect the concurrent formation of nitrogen dioxide and hence nitrite and nitrate ions however, the latter has never been... 

These results may easily be rationalized by assuming that the formation of hydroxy sulphoxides 91, 92 and 93 from hydroperoxysulphides 89 and 90 is an intramolecular oxidation-reduction reaction proceeding through a five-membered transition state 94. However, an alternative intermolecular mechanism in which the approach of the oxidant is directed by the hydroperoxy or the hydroxy function in the reductant cannot be excluded. 

Instead, particular solvents interact rather specifically with the reactants and the transition state by intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding61,62. 

Studies of the molar volumes of perdeuteriated organic compounds might be expected to be informative about non-bonded intermolecular forces and their manifestations, and such studies might be considered to obviate the necessity of investigating steric isotope effects in reacting systems. The results from non-reacting systems could then be simply applied to the initial and transition states in order to account for a kinetic steric isotope effect. 

Jug and co-workers investigated the mechanism of cycloaddition reactions of indolizines to give substituted cycl[3,2,2]azines <1998JPO201>. Intermediates in this reaction are not isolated, giving evidence for a concerted [8+2] cycloaddition, which was consistent with results of previous theoretical calculations <1984CHEC(4)443>. Calculations were performed for a number of substituted ethenes <1998JPO201>. For methyl acrylate, acrylonitrile, and ethene, the concerted [8+2] mechanism seems favored. However, from both ab initio and semi-empirical calculations of transition states they concluded that reaction with nitroethene proceeded via a two-step intermolecular electrophilic addition/cyclization route, and dimethylaminoethene via an unprecedented two-step nucleophilic addition/cyclization mechanism (Equation 1). 

On the basis of the X-ray structural data as well as the mode of polymerization, Yasuda et al. [3a] proposed a coordination anionic mechanism involving an eight membered transition state for the organolanthanide-initiated polymerization of MM A (Fig. 6). The steric control of the polymerization reaction may be ascribed to the intermolecular repulsion between C(7) and C(9) (or the polymer chain), since completely atactic polymerization occurred when the monomer was methyl or ethyl acrylate. 

Transition states for betaine isomerization to ylides via the intramolecular mechanism were not localized. We believe that these processes are intermolecular and involve donor solvent molecules or the second betaine molecule as a proton carrier. 

The rate of this intramolecular isomerization depends on the chain length, with the maximum in the case of a six-atomic transition state, i.e., when the tertiary C—H bond is in the (3-position with respect to the peroxyl group [13]. For the values of rate constants of intramolecular attack on the tertiary and secondary C—H bond, see Table 2.9. The parameters of peroxyl radical reactivity in reactions of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen atom abstraction are compared and discussed in Chapter 6. 

As noted above, formation of a furan [4 + 3]-cycloadduct during irradiation of a 4-pyrone was advanced as evidence for the zwitterionic intermediate. This process can be moderately efficient (equation 4)68, and can be envisioned as an approach to substituted cyclooctanoids. Besides the formation of three new carbon-carbon bonds, an additional attractive feature is the complete diastereoselectivity, arising from a compact [4 + 3]-cycloaddition transition state with approach from the face opposite the epoxide. However, the generality of the intermolecular reaction is limited, as competing [2 + 21-photodimerization, solvent trapping and rearrangement often predominate58. 

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