Pericyclic reactions 1.5 -shift

Hiickel-type systems (such as Hilcfcel pericyclic reactions and suprafacial sigmatropic shifts) obey the same rules as for sigma electron. The rationale for this observation is clear If the overlap between adjacent p-electron orbitals is positive along the reaction coordinate, only the peraiutational mechanism can... 

Predict the product of the following pericyclic reaction. Is this [5,5) shift a suprafacial or an antarafacial process ... 

As expected, the Mobius-Hiickel method leads to the same predictions. Here we look at the basis set of orbitals shown in G and H for [1,3] and [1,5] rearrangements, respectively, A [1,3] shift involves four electrons, so an allowed thermal pericyclic reaction must be a Mobius system (p. 1070) with one or an odd number of sign inversions. As can be seen in G, only an antarafacial migration can achieve this. A [1,5] shift, with six electrons, is allowed thermally only when it is a Hiickel system with zero or an even number of sign inversions hence it requires a suprafacial migration. 

FIGURE 7 Pericyclic reactions in the biosynthesis of giffordene and 7-methyl-cyclooctatriene. (a) The [1.7]-hydrogen shift of the thermolabile undeca-(1,3Z,5Z,8Z)-tetraene generates undeca-(2Z,4Z,6E,8Z)-tetraene (giffordene), the major product of the brown alga G, mitchellae. (b) The thermolabile nona-(l,3Z,5Z,8E)-tetraene cyclizes at ambient temperature rapidly to 7-methylcy-cloocta-l,3,5-triene. At ambient temperature, the bicyclic isomer does not contribute to the equilibrium (requires s=80°C). 

In addition to the numerous pericyclic aromatic TSs, other reactions deserve attention. These include the Cope and Claisen rearrangements, the pericyclic reactions with Mobius TSs, the Bergman cyclizations [77,116], and the TSs for 1,5-H shifts [100,117],... 

Density functional theory and MC-SCF calculations have been applied to a number of pericyclic reactions including cycloadditions and electrocyclizations. It has been established that the transition states of thermally allowed electrocyclic reactions are aromatic. Apparently they not only have highly delocalized structures and large resonance stabilizations, but also strongly enhanced magnetic susceptibilities and show appreciable nucleus-independent chemical-shift values. 

The proposed mechanism involves either path a in which initially formed ruthenium vinylidene undergoes nonpolar pericyclic reaction or path b in which a polar transition state was formed (Scheme 6.9). According to Merlic s mechanism, the cyclization is followed by aromatization of the ruthenium cyclohexadienylidene intermediate, and reductive elimination of phenylruthenium hydride to form the arene derivatives (path c). A direct transformation of ruthenium cyclohexadienylidene into benzene product (path d) is more likely to occnir through a 1,2-hydride shift of a ruthenium alkylidene intermediate. A similar catalytic transformation was later reported by Iwasawa using W(CO)5THF catalyst [14]. 

The four-electron system including an alkene Jt-bond and an allylic C-H o-bond can participate in a pericyclic reaction in which the double bond shifts and new C-H and C-C o-bonds are formed. This allylic system reacts similarly to a diene in a Diels-Alder Reaction, while in this case the other partner is called an enophile, analogous to the dienophile in the Diels-Alder. The Alder-Ene Reaction requires higher temperatures because of the higher... 

In a related study, Borden and coworkers have examined whether other pericyclic reactions might express chameleonic behavior. Using B3LYP/6-31G calculations, they located transition states for the 1,5-hydrogen shift in phenyl-substituted 1,3-pentadienes (21-23). The activation enthalpy for the... 

The ubiquitous and reversible formation of radical cations in photoelectrochemical transformations allows pericyclic reactions to take place upon photocatalytic activation since the barriers for pericyclic reactions are often lower in the singly oxidized product than in the neutral precursor. For example, ring openings on irradiated CdS suspensions are known in strained saturated hydrocarbons [176], and formal [2 -I- 2] cycloadditions have been described for phenyl vinyl ether [ 177] and A-vinyl carbazole [178]. The cyclization of nonconjugated dienes, such as norbomadiene, have also been reported [179]. A recent example involves a 1,3-sigmatropic shift [180]. 

A concerted [1,3] thermal shift of hydrogen to convert 7-31 to 7-32 is not a reasonable mechanism because such shifts are ruled out by the selection rules for pericyclic reactions (see Chapter 6). 

The dipolar intermediate 35 is pivotal in further reactions. The formation of 36 requires a 1,2-hydrogen shift and formally at least such a shift would be a thermally forbidden pericyclic reaction. An alternative to the forbidden process would involve a thermally allowed 1,5-shift to give, for example, 37... 

Sigmatropic shifts represent another important class of pericyclic reactions to which the Woodward-Hoffmann rules apply. The selection rules for these reactions are best discussed by means of the Dewar-Evans-Zimmerman rules. It is then easy to see that a suprafacial [1,3]-hydrogen shift is forbidden in the ground state but allowed in the excited state, since the transition state is isoelectronic with an antiaromatic 4N-HQckel system (with n = 1), in which the signs of the 4N AOs can be chosen such that all overlaps are positive. The antarafacial reaction, on the other hand, is thermally allowed, inasmuch as the transition state may be considered as a Mobius system with just one change in phase. 

Two pericyclic reactions a sigmatropic shift and a cycloaddition in one reaction scheme. Suggested solution... 

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