Mobius aromatic transition state

Thermal extrusion of dinitrogen from the adduct of benzene with diazomethane, and from the pyrazoline adducts of fullerenes with diazoalkanes (to give 6-5-open methanofullerenes), are believed to feature a Mobius aromatic transition state with a highly anisotropic magnetic susceptibility. ... 

The transition state in suprafacial attack is designated as of Huckel type in which no sign inversion of the cycle has taken place. The other type of migration involves one sign inversion. This is called mobius type inversion. The Huckel type of inversion occurs when the total number of electrons is 2, 6,. .., (4n + 2). This is also called aromatic transition state. In mobius type the participating electrons is 4, 8,. .. i.e. An. 

DFT investigation of the eight-electron electrocyclization reactions of 1,8-disubsti-tuted (3Z,5Z)-octa-l,3,5,7-tetraenes has found that these reactions proceed via a Mobius helical aromatic transition state. It was also found that outward substituents were preferred to inward ones, regardless of the electronic nature of the substituents, and that torquoelectronic effects are overridden by secondary orbital, electrostatic,... 

Whereas methylenecyclopropanes only react with highly electron-deficient dienophiles in a [ 2n + 2fT) + 2n] fashion, alkenylidenecyclopropanes 1 readily undergo this cycloaddition type. A number of comprehensive and elaborate investigations with various alkenylidenecyclopropanes and 4-phenyl-l,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione indicate that these reactions are concerted and proceed via [( 2j+,25+ 2 J -I-, 2 J transition states, involving the terminal double bond in an eight-electron Mobius aromatic transition structure 4. 

We have established earlier in the chapter that there will be favourable Frontier Orbital HOMO-LUMO interactions when two molecules approach for a cycloaddition reaction if there are 4n + 2 electrons involved in a fully suprafacial reaction, or 4n electrons if there is an antarafacial component. For delocalization of electrons in the transition state, the fully suprafacial cycloaddition reaction will result in a continuous cyclic overlap of atomic orbitals in the transition state without a phase change, for which 4n + 2 electrons will give aromatic stabilization. For a cycloaddition with one antarafacial component, the cyclic overlap of orbitals will give a Mobius system for which 4n electrons will provide stabilization. Thus the two approaches, Frontier Orbitals and the Aromatic Transition State will always be in agreement favourable... 

The concepts of frontier orbital HOMO LUMO interactions, the idea of an aromatic transition state, and the alternative concept of conservation of orbital symmetry (not developed in this chapter) all lead to the same result for pericyclic reactions which involve a cyclic overlap of orbitals in the transition slate, thermal reactions are allowed for reactions involving 4n + 2 electrons in Hiickel systems (no change in phase between overlapped orbitals in the cyclic transition state) or for 4/j electrons in Mobius systems (phase between overlapped orbitals in the cyclic transition state changes once on going round the ring). For photochemical systems, these rules are reversed. 

For the cyclobutene-butadiene TS, the conrotatory closure results in a Mobius system, whereas a disrotatory TS gives a Htickel system. The same rules of aromaticity apply as for ground state molecules. A Htickel system is aromatic when it has 4 - -2 electrons. A Mobius system is aromatic when it has 4n electrons. In the case of the cyclobutene-butadiene interconversion, which involves four electrons, it is the conrotatory Mobius TS that is the favored aromatic transition state. 

The FMO analysis is as shown in Figure 15.10 C. The HOMO-LUMO interaction is now favorable and leads naturally to the formation of the two new bonds. Figure 15.10 D shows the aromatic transition state analysis. Using the looped lines, we have designated the full cyclic array of interactions. As shown, there is one node in the system, so this is a Mobius system. Since there are four electrons in the cyclic array, the reaction is allowed. By the generalized orbital symmetry rule, this approach trajectory ([ 2s + is thermally allowed [only the component fits the 4q + 2)s and (4r)a formulas]. In summary, it is incorrect to say that... 

How do we rationalize this allowed reaction Both FMO and aromatic transition state theory are easy to apply. As shown below, the extra node in the d orbital used in the alkylidene it bond allows the HOMO of the M=Cbond to interact with the UJMOoftheC=C bond constructively. Similarly, the extra node in the d orbital makes the four-electron system Mobius (remember we do not count nodes in the atomic orbitals themselves), and therefore allowed. 

Figure 15.17 B shows the aromatic transition state analysis of these reactions. We draw a picture of an opening pathway with the minimum number of phase changes and examine the number of nodes. The four-electron butadiene-cyclobutene system should follow the Mobius/conrotatory path, and the six-electron hexatriene-cyclohexadiene system should follow the Hiickel/disrotatory path. As such, aromatic transition state theory provides a simple analysis of electrocyclic reactions. The disrotatory motion is always of Hiickel topology, and the conrotatory motion is always of Mobius topology.

Occasionally, though, you will run across a more exotic pericyclic process, and will want to decide if it is allowed. In a complex case, a reaction that is not a simple electrocyclic ringopening or cycloaddition, often the basic orbital symmetry rules or FMO analyses are not easily applied. In contrast, aromatic transition state theory and the generalized orbital symmetry rule are easy to apply to any reaction. With aromatic transition state theory, we simply draw the cyclic array of orbitals, establish whether we have a Mobius or Hiickel topology, and then count electrons. Also, the generalized orbital symmetry rule is easy to apply. We simply break the reaction into two or more components and analyze the number of electrons and the ability of the components to react in a suprafacial or antarafacial manner. 

We have now considered three viewpoints from which thermal electrocyclic processes can be analyzed symmetry characteristics of the frontier orbitals, orbital correlation diagrams, and transition-state aromaticity. All arrive at the same conclusions about stereochemistiy of electrocyclic reactions. Reactions involving 4n + 2 electrons will be disrotatory and involve a Hiickel-type transition state, whereas those involving 4n electrons will be conrotatory and the orbital array will be of the Mobius type. These general principles serve to explain and correlate many specific experimental observations made both before and after the orbital symmetry mles were formulated. We will discuss a few representative examples in the following paragraphs. 

The alternate approach of Dewar and Zimmerman can be illustrated by an examination of the 1,3,5-hexatriene system.<81,92> The disrotatory closure has no sign discontinuity (Hiickel system) and has 4n + 2 (where n = 1) ir electrons, so that the transition state for the thermal reaction is aromatic and the reaction is thermally allowed. For the conrotatory closure there is one sign discontinuity (Mobius system) and there are 4u + 2 (n = 1) ir electrons, so that the transition state for the thermal reaction is antiaromatic and forbidden but the transition state for the photochemical reaction is aromatic or allowed (see Chapter 8 and Table 9.8). If we reexamine the butadiene... 

Using the nomenclature of Dewar and Zimmerman, the transition state for the 2, + 2S cycloaddition is a 4n Hiickel system (zero nodes) and is antiaromatic in the ground state and aromatic in the excited state. The transition state for the 2S + 20 cycloaddition is a 4n Mobius system (one node) and is aromatic in the ground state and antiaromatic in the excited state (see Chapter 8). The general cycloaddition rules are given in Table 9.5. 

The factors that control if and how these cyclization and rearrangement reactions occur in a concerted manner can be understood from the aromaticity or lack of aromaticity achieved in their cyclic transition states. For a concerted pericyclic reaction to be thermally favorable, the transition state must involve An + 2 participating electrons if it is a Hiickel orbital system, or 4 electrons if it is a Mobius orbital system. A Hiickel transition state is one in which the cyclic array of participating orbitals has no nodes (or an even number) and a Mobius transition state has an odd number of nodes. 

Day21 has given a careful account of the relationship between the Woodward-Hoffmann rules and Mobius/Hiickel aromaticity, and has defined the terms supra-facial and antarafacial in terms of the nodal structure of the atomic basis functions. His approach makes quite explicit the assumption that the transition state involves a cyclic array of basis functions. Thus the interconversion of prismane (10) and benzene, apparently an allowed (n2s+ 2S+ 2S) process, is in fact forbidden because there are additional unfavourable overlaps across the ring.2... 

A cyclic array of orbitals is a Mobius system if it has an odd number of phase inversions. For a Mobius system, a transition state with An electrons will be aromatic and thermally allowed, while that with An+ 2 electrons will be antiaromatic and thermally forbidden. For a concerted photochemical reaction, the rules are exactly the opposite to those for the corresponding thermal process. 

While the initial formulation of homoaromaticity pre-dated the introduction of orbital symmetry by some eight years the two concepts are inextricably linkedThis is most evident when pericyclic reactions are considered from the perspective of aromatic or antiaromatic transitions states and the Huckel/Mobius concept. The inter-relationship can be demonstrated by the electrocyclic reaction shown in Scheme 1. ... 

It seems clear that definitive evidence of a synthesized aromatic Mobius annu-lene has not been produced. We note in passing that a few examples of aromatic Mobius hexaporphyrins have been reported. Castro and Kamey have suggested that an aromatic Mobius annulene has been prepared, but as a transition state. The optimized transition state 54 for the twist-coupled bond shifting process then connects the tri-frani-[12]annulene 53 with the di-fra i-[12]annulene... 

Martln-Santamarfa, S. Lavan, B. Rzepa, H. S. Hiickel and Mobius aromaticity and trimerous transition state behaviour in the pericyclic reactions of [10], [14], [16] and [18]annulenes, J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 2000,2,1415-1417. 

Transition state aromaticity (Huckel and Mobius topologies)... 

In the butadiene example, the conrotatory transition state has a Mobius topology, and will be aromatic four electrons are present). Thus, the conrotatory process is allowed. The disrotatory transition state is a Hiickel system, and will require two or six electrons for aromaticity. Since in butadiene only four electrons are present, the disrotation pathway will be forbidden. 

Mobius aromaticity A monocyclic array of orbitals in which a single out-of-phase overlap (or, more generally, an odd number of out-of-phase overlaps) reveals the opposite pattern of aromatic character to Hiickel systems with 4n electrons it is stabilized (aromatic), whereas with 4n + 2 it is destabilized (antiaromatic). In the excited state 4n + 2, Mobius pi-electron systems are stabilized, and 4n systems are destabilized. No examples of ground-state Mobius pi systems are known, but the concept has been applied to transition states of PERI-CYCLIC REACTIONS (see AROMATIC [3]). 

The selection rules for [tt4 + tt2 ] and other cycloaddition reactions can also be derived from consideration of the aromaticity of the TS3 In this approach, the basis set p orbitals are aligned to correspond with the orbital overlaps that occur in the TS. The number of nodes in the array of orbitals is counted. If the number is zero or even, the system is classified as a Htickel system. If the number is odd, it is a Mobius system. Just as was the case for ground state molecules (see p. 716), Htickel systems are stabilized with 4 + 2 electrons, whereas Mobius systems are stabilized with 4n electrons. For the [tt4 + tt2] suprafacial-suprafacial cycloaddition the transition state is aromatic. 

T electrons with one si inversion (Mdbius-like). A Mobius array in the ground state is antiaromatic with six electrons but is aromatic and stable in the excited state. °> Thus the di-ir-methane rearrangement via transition state (3) is photoallowed. The orbital scheme (4) involves a cyclic array of four 17- electrons with no sign inversions (Hiickel-like). Again the ground state is antiaromatic but it is aromatic in the excited state and the reaction is photochemically allowed. 

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