Rearrangement theory

Kirsten, M., Rehbein, J., Hiersemann, M. and Strassner, T. (2007) Organocatal3dic Claisen rearrangement theory and experiment. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 72, 4001 011. 

Why do we want to model molecules and chemical reactions Chemists are interested in the distribution of electrons around the nuclei, and how these electrons rearrange in a chemical reaction this is what chemistry is all about. Thomson tried to develop an electronic theory of valence in 1897. He was quickly followed by Lewis, Langmuir and Kossel, but their models all suffered from the same defect in that they tried to treat the electrons as classical point electric charges at rest. 

A number of reaction pathways have been proposed for the Fischer indolization reaction. The mechanism proposed by Robinson and Robinson in 1918, which was extended by Allen and Wilson in 1943 and interpreted in light of modem electronic theory by Carlin and Fischer in 1948 is now generally accepted. The mechanism consists of three stages (I) hydrazone-ene-hydrazine equilibrium (II) formation of the new C-C bond via a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement (III) generation of the indole nucleus by loss of... 

J 7i-Cycloadducts at the C4 — C5 azepine positions are also formed with 1,2,3,4-tetra-chloro-5,5-dimethoxycyclopentadiene260 261 and with hexachlorocyclopentadiene.261 The reactivity of ethyl l//-azepine-l-carboxylate towards cyclopentadienones has been studied in terms of frontier molecular orbital theory which predicts that dimethyl 2-oxo-4,5-diphenyl-cyclopenta-1 (5),3-diene-1,3-dicarboxylate (20) should be more reactive towards the 1/f-azepine than other more common cyclopcntadienone derivatives.262 In fact, in refluxing benzene, the cyclopentadienone and ethyl 1/f-azepine-l-carboxylate (1) form a mixture of the [4 + 2] n-endo,anti-adduct 22, produced by Cope rearrangement of the initially formed [2 + 4] 7T-adduct 21, and the c.w-adduct 23, a rare example of a [6 + 4] rc-cycloadduct. At room temperature, only the [6 + 4] adduct 23 and a small amount of the [2 + 4] adduct 21 are obtained, the latter rearranging to the [4 + 2] adduct 22 on warming.262 Other [4 + 2] 7r-adducts with cyclopentadienones have been prepared similarly.263... 

In accordance with FMO theory predictions,273 C2 —C4is the preferred modeofcycloaddition of tricarbonyliron and -ruthenium complexes of methyl l//-azepine-l-carboxylate with ethenetetracarbonitrile,222,274 hexafluoroacetone,222 and 2,2-bis(trifluoromethyl)ethene-l,l-dicarbonitrile 222 however, with ethenetetracarbonitrile, tricarbonyl[f/4-l-(ethoxycarbonyl)-1/f-azepine]iron(0) (1) yields a 1 6 mixture of the predicted C2 —C4 exo-adduct 2 and the C2 — C7 [6 + 2] 7i-cycloadduct 3,222 the latter heing formed by rearrangement of the former.274 Mixtures of the two adducts are also obtained with the tricarbonyliron complexes of 3-acetyl-l//-azepine and its l-(ethoxycarbonyl) derivative.274... 

The molozonide was unstable and would either rearrange into the isozonide or form polymers. While Staudinger s theory explained the formation of the major products, some of the by-products could not be accounted for. The greatest step toward complete elucidation of the ozonolysis reaction was made by Criegee (Ref 3) In the 1950s. From a study of ozonolysis in various solvents and the constitution of the products, Criegee proposed these reactions ... 

Two other theories as to the mechanism of the benzidine rearrangement have been advocated at various times. The first is the rc-complex mechanism first put forward and subsequently argued by Dewar (see ref. 1 pp 333-343). The theory is based on the heterolysis of the mono-protonated hydrazo compound to form a n-complex, i.e. the formation of a delocalised covalent it bond between the two rings which are held parallel to each other. The rings are free to rotate and product formation is thought of as occurring by formation of a localised a-bond between appropriate centres. Originally the mechanism was proposed for the one-proton catalysis but was later modified as in (18) to include two-protons, viz. 

Recombination of the ion radicals within the cage is thought of as forming the path to rearrangement whilst escape of the radicals and subsequent reaction with the hydrazo compound leads to the formation of disproportionation products often observed. The theory is mainly directed at the two-proton mechanism and does not accommodate well the one-proton mechanism, since this requires the formation of a cation and a neutral radical, viz. 

FIGURE 13.30 A reaction profile for an exothermic reaction. In the activated complex theory of reaction rates, it is supposed that the potential energy (the energy due to position) increases as the reactant molecules approach each other and reaches a maximum as they form an activated complex. It then decreases as the atoms rearrange into the bonding pattern characteristic of the products and these products separate. Only molecules with enough energy can cross the activation barrier and react to form products. 

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