Polyenes carbocyclic

Intramolecular condensation reactions to generate six-membered carbocycles are mentioned in section 1.12, the polyene cyclization in section 1.15. 

This chapter deals with thermal ring-closure reactions of dienes and polyenes resulting in carbocyclic compounds the formation of heterocycles is mentioned only occasionally. The account is highly selective, concentrating on recent work, since two comprehensive general reviews have appeared1,2. Other pertinent reviews are cited at appropriate places in the text. 

The cationic cyclization of polyenes to give multi-ring carbocyclic compounds with many sterically defined centres is one of the more remarkable examples... 

Epoxides can also serve as effective carbocyclization promotors, either through a polyene cyclization, as in the biomimetic epoxy-olefin cyclization of 100 in the presence of boron trifluoride etherate <99CC325>, or by a Friedel-Crafts approach, as exemplified by the cycli-alkylation of arylalkyl epoxides 102 under the influence of solid acid catalysts <99EJOC837>. 

Allylic metals, in propargylic alcohol alkylation, 11, 129 ir-Allylic palladium complexes, and carbocyclization, 11, 426 Allylic position, alkenes, dienes, polyenes, metallation, 9, 6 Allylic selenides, [2,3]sigmatropic rearrangement, 9, 481 Allylic substitution reactions for C-N bonds via amination... 

This forms the basis of an attractive synthetic method for converting polyenes into carbocyclic structures (Equation B3.13). 

By the end of this chapter you should have an appreciation of the organometallic chemistry of carbocyclic polyene ligands in both spectator and participatory roles. This will include ... 

Cyclic fatty acids with a carbon ring alone or at the end of the alkyl chain occur naturally in plants, especially in certain seed oils and in microorganisms. Cyclopropane fatty acids are reported occasionally from marine animals and may be synthesized by symbiotic bacteria. In addition, a variety of carbocyclic structures are formed from methylene-intermpted polyenes during food processing. 

Hydroboration of polyenes followed by carbonylation and oxidation provides access to carbocyclic systems. 

This chapter summarizes those transannular reactions in medium ring carbocycles which result in carbon-carbon bond formation via alkylation of carbon, in the presence of electrophilic reagents. It is therefore a logical extension of two other chapters in this volume, covering Friedel-Crafts Alkylations (Chapter 1.8), and Polyene Cyclizations (Chapter 1.9). The discussion of these processes is organized according to the size of the cycloalkene from which transannular cyclization is effected. 

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