Rearrangement p-

Nickel(O) forms a n-complex with three butadiene molecules at low temperature. This complex rearranges spontaneously at 0 °C to afford a bisallylic system, from which a large number of interesting olefins can be obtained. The scheme given below and the example of the synthesis of the odorous compound muscone (R. Baker, 1972, 1974 A.P. Kozikowski, 1976) indicate the variability of such rearrangements (P. Heimbach, 1970). Nowadays many rather complicated cycloolefins are synthesized on a large scale by such reactions and should be kept in mind as possible starting materials, e.g. after ozonolysis. 

Large annulenes tend to undergo conformational distortion, cis-trans isomerizations, and sig-matropic rearrangements (p. 40 and p. 100). Methylene-bridged conjugated (4n + 2)-ic cyclopolyenes were synthesized with the expectation that these almost planar annulenes should represent stable HOckel arenes (E, Vogel, 1970, 1975). 

The mechanism as we have pictured it can lead only to an ortho product. However, a small amount of para product has been obtained in some cases. A mechanism in which there is a dissociation of the ArC—N bond (similar to the ion-pair mechanism of the Stevens rearrangement, p. 1419) has been invoked to explain the para products that are observed. 

It was pointed out earlier that a Cope rearrangement of 1,5-hexadiene gives 1,5-hexadiene. This is a degenerate Cope rearrangement (p. 1380). Another molecule that undergoes it is bicyclo[5.1.0]octadiene (105). At room temperature the NMR... 

Rearrangement of di- and poly-alkylbenzenes also takes place readily in the presence of Lewis acid catalysts (p. 163), and in the dienone/phenol rearrangement (p. 115). 

We have already discussed a large group of reactions in which carbanions add to the C=0 group (cf. pp. 221-234), including examples of intramolecular carbanion addition, e.g. an aldol reaction (p. 226), Dieckmann reaction (p. 230), and the benzilic acid rearrangement (p. 232), and also to the C=C—C=O system, the Michael reaction... 

---