Olefin protonation

Although HCo(CO)4 is a strong acid in aqueous solution and is capable of protonating even weak bases like dimethylformamide, there is no evidence that it protonates olefins in hydrocarbon solvents to form carbonium ion intermediates which might then rearrange by conventional 1,2-hydride shifts followed by proton elimination ... 

The proton-olefin complex is probably responsible for the unusually high cisjtrans ratio 47, 92). These intermediates have to be considered as hydrogen bond-like structures and evidence has been presented for an extremely high mobility of the proton in these structures 98, 99). 

Acids capable of efficiently protonating olefins catalyze the alkylation of aromatics. The most active practical protic acid catalysts are hydrogen fluoride and concentrated sulfuric acid, which usually catalyze alkylation at 0-50°C. Phosphoric acid, particularly at higher temperatures, is also an active catalyst and has substantial practical importance (see Section 5.5.3). Other protic acids that are active in... 

To understand the mechanistic basis behind Markovnikov s rule, it is useful to refer to the mechanisms through which acids add across double bonds. Of particular relevance are the resonance forms of the protonated olefins illustrated in Scheme 7.6. Since, for ethylene, the two carbon atoms are both primary, there is no distinction between them. However, as illustrated in Scheme 7.9, in the case of propene, protonation of the olefin results in introduction of cationic character to both a primary carbon atom and a secondary carbon atom. 

The direct observation ofmolecuiar l backbones., 7 - The direct observation of carbon 5 containingfunctionalgroupsthat have no. attached protons (e.g.-hCN)T, The direct observation of carbon Reaction sites. The ease of quantitative analysis. / The rapidity of aruilysis time. The direct observation of OHandNH % groups (undetedtable by UCNMR). The separation of olejmic and aromatic f protons (olefinic and aromatic carbon resonances overlap). ... 

Table II illustrates the types of structures which may be distinguished from each other by dipolar dephasing experiments on humic substances. Clearly, methine and methyl, protonated aromatic and non-protonated aromatic, ketone and aldehyde, ketal and acetal carbons and also protonated olefinic and non-protonated olefinic carbon can be distinguished. Examples of the use of the method (, 13), are shown in Figure 5.

A number of unexplained factors warrant mention. Orientation of elimination differs for secondary and tertiary structures. The peculiar predominance of cis- rather than /ra/ii-olefin may arise from the relative stabilities of the proton-olefin complexes. but a more certain conclusion would be possible if the stereochemistry of the dehydration in the acyclic series had been determined. Assumption of the anti stereospecificity known to be favoured by the cyclohexyl systems may be unsound especially in the light of the recent stereochemical findings in base-catalysed elimination reactions (Section 2..1.1(e)). The solution of the problem of the cis/trans ratios may lie in the duality of mechanism, namely the syn-clinallanti complexity. Certainly recent results on the dehydration of threo- and eo t/iro-2-methyl-4-deutero-3-pentanols on thoria show syn-clinal rather than anti stereospecificity as indicated by deuterium analysis of the cis- and /rn/iJ-4-methyl-2-pentenes, but in these cases the trans isomer was formed in a three-fold excess over the m-olefin . Of course, the dehydration reactions on the less acidic thoria may not be good models for alumina but a knowledge of stereochemistry in the acyclic series might prove an invaluable aid in the elucidation of the mechanism. There is obviously plenty of scope for future kinetic investigations which at the moment sadly lag behind preparative studies. 

Recently, Henis carried out a more probing examination of the structures of condensation ions using this technique. On the basis of the fragments observed upon decomposition of the condensation ions resulting from collision of deuterated and protonated olefinic ions with neutral olefin molecules, Henis reached the conclusion that the dimer ions have very well-characterized structures which, at least for the large olefins, reflect the structures of the original reactants. 

Monomer-isomerization poly- or oligomerization by a cationic mechanism appears to be specific for oxo-acid initiators, because facile monomer isomerization requires a rapid proton elimination from a protonated olefin. No examples of monomer-isomerization polymerization have been reported for MX initiators. The following examples of cationic monomer-isomerization oligomerization may be helpful to demonstrate another characteristic of oxo-acid initiators. 

The high acidity of superacids makes them extremely effective pro-tonating agents and catalysts. They also can activate a wide variety of extremely weakly basic compounds (nucleophiles) that previously could not be considered reactive in any practical way. Superacids such as fluoroantimonic or magic acid are capable of protonating not only TT-donor systems (aromatics, olefins, and acetylenes) but also what are called (T-donors, such as saturated hydrocarbons, including methane (CH4), the simplest parent saturated hydrocarbon. 

Proton-catalyzed olefin cyclizations of open-chain educts may give tri- or tetracyclic products but low yields are typical (E.E. van Tamelen, 1968, 1977 see p. 91). More useful are cyclizations of monocyclic educts with appropriate side-chains. The chiral centre to which the chain is attached may direct the steric course of the cyclization, and several asymmetric centres may be formed stereoselectively since the cyclizations usually lead to traas-fused rings. 

The following acid-catalyzed cyclizations leading to steroid hormone precursors exemplify some important facts an acetylenic bond is less nucleophilic than an olelinic bond acetylenic bonds tend to form cyclopentane rather than cyclohexane derivatives, if there is a choice in proton-catalyzed olefin cyclizations the thermodynamically most stable Irons connection of cyclohexane rings is obtained selectively electroneutral nucleophilic agents such as ethylene carbonate can be used to terminate the cationic cyclization process forming stable enol derivatives which can be hydrolyzed to carbonyl compounds without this nucleophile and with trifluoroacetic acid the corresponding enol ester may be obtained (M.B. Gravestock, 1978, A,B P.E. Peterson, 1969). 

Pd(II) compounds coordinate to alkenes to form rr-complexes. Roughly, a decrease in the electron density of alkenes by coordination to electrophilic Pd(II) permits attack by various nucleophiles on the coordinated alkenes. In contrast, electrophilic attack is commonly observed with uncomplexed alkenes. The attack of nucleophiles with concomitant formation of a carbon-palladium r-bond 1 is called the palladation of alkenes. This reaction is similar to the mercuration reaction. However, unlike the mercuration products, which are stable and isolable, the product 1 of the palladation is usually unstable and undergoes rapid decomposition. The palladation reaction is followed by two reactions. The elimination of H—Pd—Cl from 1 to form vinyl compounds 2 is one reaction path, resulting in nucleophilic substitution of the olefinic proton. When the displacement of the Pd in 1 with another nucleophile takes place, the nucleophilic addition of alkenes occurs to give 3. Depending on the reactants and conditions, either nucleophilic substitution of alkenes or nucleophilic addition to alkenes takes place. 

In the NMR spectrum of cis-l,2-bis[2-diethylamino-5-nitrothiazol-4-yl] ethylene (17) (1570), the nonequivalence of olefinic protons requires that the rotation of the NO2 group be hindered. 

Polar solvents shift the keto enol equilibrium toward the enol form (174b). Thus the NMR spectrum in DMSO of 2-phenyl-A-2-thiazoline-4-one is composed of three main signals +10.7 ppm (enolic proton). 7.7 ppm (aromatic protons), and 6.2 ppm (olefinic proton) associated with the enol form and a small signal associated with less than 10% of the keto form. In acetone, equal amounts of keto and enol forms were found (104). In general, a-methylene protons of keto forms appear at approximately 3.5 to 4.3 ppm as an AB spectra or a singlet (386, 419). A coupling constant, Jab - 15.5 Hz, has been reported for 2-[(S-carboxymethyl)thioimidyl]-A-2-thiazoline-4-one 175 (Scheme 92) (419). This high J b value could be of some help in the discussion on the structure of 178 (p. 423). 

The olefinic proton of the enol form emerges as a sharp singlet in the region 6.2 to 7.5 ppm (DMSO) (386). while the 5-methyl protons appear at approximately 2.2 ppm. 

The proton adds to the more negative carbon atom in the olefin to initiate chain growth ... 

By trapping PX at liquid nitrogen temperature and transferring it to THF at —80° C, the nmr spectmm could be observed (9). It consists of two sharp peaks of equal area at chemical shifts of 5.10 and 6.49 ppm downfield from tetramethylsilane (TMS). The fact that any sharp peaks are observed at all attests to the absence of any significant concentration of unpaired electron spins, such as those that would be contributed by the biradical (11). Furthermore, the chemical shift of the ring protons, 6.49 ppm, is well upheld from the typical aromatic range and more characteristic of an oletinic proton. Thus the olefin stmcture (1) for PX is also supported by nmr. 

Acid—Base Chemistry. Acetic acid dissociates in water, pK = 4.76 at 25°C. It is a mild acid which can be used for analysis of bases too weak to detect in water (26). It readily neutralizes the ordinary hydroxides of the alkaU metals and the alkaline earths to form the corresponding acetates. When the cmde material pyroligneous acid is neutralized with limestone or magnesia the commercial acetate of lime or acetate of magnesia is obtained (7). Acetic acid accepts protons only from the strongest acids such as nitric acid and sulfuric acid. Other acids exhibit very powerful, superacid properties in acetic acid solutions and are thus useful catalysts for esterifications of olefins and alcohols (27). Nitrations conducted in acetic acid solvent are effected because of the formation of the nitronium ion, NO Hexamethylenetetramine [100-97-0] may be nitrated in acetic acid solvent to yield the explosive cycl o trim ethyl en etrin itram in e [121 -82-4] also known as cyclonit or RDX. 

Amide-Based Sulfonic Acids. The most important amide-based sulfonic acids are the alkenylarnidoalkanesulfoiiic acids. These materials have been extensively described ia the Hterature. A variety of examples are given ia Table 5. Acrylarnidoalkanesulfoiiic acids are typically prepared usiag technology originally disclosed by Lubrizol Corporation ia 1970 (80). The chemistry iavolves an initial reaction of an olefin, which contains at least one aHyhc proton, with an acyl hydrogen sulfate source, to produce a sulfonated intermediate. This intermediate subsequendy reacts with water, acrylonitrile, and sulfuric acid. 

Solvent for Base-Catalyzed Reactions. The abihty of hydroxide or alkoxide ions to remove protons is enhanced by DMSO instead of water or alcohols (91). The equiUbrium change is also accompanied by a rate increase of 10 or more (92). Thus, reactions in which proton removal is rate-determining are favorably accompHshed in DMSO. These include olefin isomerizations, elimination reactions to produce olefins, racemizations, and H—D exchange reactions. 

The hydrides can also be used to form primary alcohols from either terminal or internal olefins. The olefin and hydride form an alkenyl zirconium, Cp2ZrRCl, which is oxidized to the alcohol. Protonic oxidizing agents such as peroxides and peracids form the alcohol direcdy, but dry oxygen may also be used to form the alkoxide which can be hydrolyzed (234). 

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