Polyenes hydrogen shifts

Thermal 1,5-hydrogen shifts are thus allowed and, because of the symmetry of the T.S. (39), the H atom in the product (37, x = 1) will be on the same side of the common plane of the polyene s carbon atoms as it was in the starting material (36, x = 1) this is described as a suprafacial shift. This latter point would not be experimentally verifiable in the above example, but that thermal 1,5-shifts (which are quite common) do involve strictly suprafacial migration has been demonstrated in the compound (40). This is found, on heating, to yield a mixture of (41) and (42), which are produced by suprafacial shifts in the alternative conformations (40a) and (406), respectively ... 

The above selection rules, therefore, predict that [1, 5] hydrogen shifts in neutral polyenes would be thermally allowed and the reaction would be facile, but thermal [1, 3] and [1, 7] shifts must go by an antarafacial process and they will be difficult to attain because of the geometric strain. This is also confirmed by many experimental observations. Thus concerted uncatalysed [1, 3] hydrogen shifts have not been seen in the diene of the following type, [1, 5] shifts are well known. 

The non-planar polyene nature of azepines renders them susceptible to a variety of intra-and inter-molecular pericyclic processes. The azepine-benzeneimine valence isomerization has been discussed in Section 5.16.2.4, and the ring contractions of azepines to benzenoid compounds in the presence of electrophiles is covered in Section 5.16.3.3. In this section the thermal and photochemical ring contractions of azepines to bicyclic systems, their dimerizations and their isomerizations via sigmatropic hydrogen shifts are discussed. Noteworthy is a recent comprehensive review which compares and contrasts the many and varied valence isomerizations, dimerizations and cycloadditions of heteroepins (conjugated seven-membered heterocycles) containing one, two and three heteroatoms (81H(15)1569). 

A mixture of palladium chloride and triphenylphosphine effectively catalyzes carboxylation of linoleic and linolenic acids and their methyl esters with water at 110°-140°C and carbon monoxide at 4000 psig. The main products are 1,3-and 1,4-dicarboxy acids from dienes and tricarboxy acids from trienes. Other products include unsaturated monocar-boxy and dicarboxy acids, carbomethoxy esters, and substituted a,J3-unsaturated cyclic ketones. The mechanism postulated for dicarboxylation involves cyclic unsaturated acylr-PdCl-PhsP complexes. These intermediates control double bond isomerization and the position of the second carboxyl group. This mechanism is consistent with our finding of double bond isomerization in polyenes and not in monoenes. A 1,3-hydrogen shift process for double bond isomerization in polyenes is also consistent with the data. 

The polyene derivative XIX can be cyclized to form 18% of the nickel corrin complex XX (R = H), if it is first oxidized at -1-1.22 V to the radical cation, which undergoes a 1,16-hydrogen shift and then is coupled intramolecularly through cathodic reduction (—0.3 V) [131a]. 

Milder thermal conditions4,8 21 -23 make isomerizations of vinylallenes by [1,5] hydrogen shifts highly attractive for the synthesis of thermally labile polyenes. This approach has been widely explored in the synthesis of compounds of biological interest such as vitamins A and D and their analogs8,24. 

Scheme 4.28). Photochemical hydrogen shifts account for the formation of polyenes 131-133, all of which could be isolated depending on the duration of the irradiation [88]. 

Strong evidence in confirmation of the above explanation of the chemical shifts of aromatic hydrogens is provided by a study of the cyclic conjugated polyene [18]annulene, which has hydrogens both inside and outside the ring ... 

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