Rearrangements alkene isomerization

Terminal alkenes react with selenenyl halides with anti-Markownikoff regioselec-tivity.69 However, the /i-sclcncnyl halide addition product can readily rearrange to isomeric products70 ... 

Mechanistic studies of the rearrangement activity of the ring-opening metathesis polymerization catalyst [Ru(H20)6]2+ were reported for unfunctionalized alkenes (112). The mechanism was found to be intermolecular, the alkene isomerization proceeding through an addition-elimination mechanism with a metal hydride catalytic species. This interpretation was... 

Reductive alkene isomerizations can also be induced by photochemical excitation. Geometric isomerization and rearrangement can be observed upon electron transfer sensitization with molecules with inverse electron demand. Thus, a substituted cinnamyl alcohol in the presence of excited p-dimethoxybenzene gave geometric isomerization and rearrangement characteristic of a free allyl cation, eq. 32 (94) ... 

Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement as part of an alkene isomerization. 

The ketenimine (93) reacts only at the C=N bond to give pyrroles and pyrrolines with methylene migration (equations 102,103). Carbon (hoxide codimerizes smoothly with methylenecyclopropanes to yield lactones with alkene isomerization (equations 104, lOS). The Pd -catalyzed rearrangement of y-butyrolactone (94) to butenolide (95) indicates that this CO2 insertion reaction is reversible. Hiis is fur-ter supported by the observation that lactone (94) can serve as a TMM precursor in the codimerization with aldehydes and electron-deficient alkenes (equations 106, 107). No cycloaddition to ketenes or simple ketone carbonyls has ever been reported. 

Catalytic tandem isomerization/Claisen reaction of bis allyl ether was reported by Dixneuf et al. [23]. A cationic bis-oxazoline-ruthenium-arene complex S3 in the presence of both l,3-bis(2,6-diisopylphenyl)imidazolinium chloride and CS2CO3 catalyzes the selective transformation of bis-allyl ether 51 into ) c5-unsaturated aldehyde 52 via successive alkene isomerization and Claisen rearrangement (Eq. 12.21). 

In 1972, Lewis and Winstein reported that the reaction of a,a-dimethylallyl phenyl sulfide (1) with thiophenol in the presence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide gave the isomeric compound 7,7-dimethylallyl phenyl sulfide (3) (Scheme 1) [1]. It was proposed that this reaction occurred by addition of thiophenoxy radical to the terminal end of the alkene to produce radical intermediate 2. This radical then underwent y9-scission with loss of the tertiary thiophenoxy group to form the rearranged alkene 3. 

Oxidative decarboxylation of acids to alkenes is often accompanied by alkene rearrangement. Lukas J. Goossen of the Max-Planck-lnstitut, Muhlheim, has found (Chem. Commun. 2004, 724) that in situ activation of the acid with phthalic anhydride and inclusion of the bis phosphine DPE-Phos substantially slow alkene isomerization, which can be essentially eliminated by running the reaction to only 80% conversion. Both linear and branched carboxylic acids work well. 

Although the formation of the Zaitsev products is typical in El processes, it cannot be taken as evidence for the carbocationic mechanism Rearrangement of the intermediate carbocation and consecutive alkene isomerization (double bond migration) induced by the acidic catalyst may occur. These processes strongly affect product distribution and eventually give rise to the formation of a very complex mixture of isomeric alkenes. 

While such a process had initially been observed as an undesired side-reaction in transformations where copper salts were employed as re-oxidants [13], Chemler demonstrated that various aminohalogenation reactions proceed in THF or acetonitrile in the presence of potassium carbonate as base [14]. These reactions employ palladium trifluoroacetate or palladium dibromide as catalyst source and require a moderate excess of the copper oxidant (3-4 equiv) giving moderate to excellent yields. However, they usually suffer from rather low selectivity, either in the initial aminopalladation or via subsequent rearrangement pathways to provide mixtures of pyrrolidines and piperazines (Scheme 4.2, Eq. (4.3)). A stoichiometric control reaction in the presence of palladium bromide led only to the Wacker cydization together with an alkene isomerization product, suggesting that the presence of copper(II) salts is crucial for the overall process. The exact role of the copper(II) salts has not yet been darified and palladium intermediates of different oxidation states may be involved in the final stage of carbon-halogen bond formation. 

Electrophilic attack on the sulfur atom of thiiranes by alkyl halides does not give thiiranium salts but rather products derived from attack of the halide ion on the intermediate cyclic salt (B-81MI50602). Treatment of a s-2,3-dimethylthiirane with methyl iodide yields cis-2-butene by two possible mechanisms (Scheme 31). A stereoselective isomerization of alkenes is accomplished by conversion to a thiirane of opposite stereochemistry followed by desulfurization by methyl iodide (75TL2709). Treatment of thiiranes with alkyl chlorides and bromides gives 2-chloro- or 2-bromo-ethyl sulfides (Scheme 32). Intramolecular alkylation of the sulfur atom of a thiirane may occur if the geometry is favorable the intermediate sulfonium ions are unstable to nucleophilic attack and rearrangement may occur (Scheme 33). 

I Rearrangement reactions occur when a single reactant undergoes isomeric product. An example is the conversion of the alkene 1-butene into its constitutional isomer 2-butene by... 

As in the case of the base-catalyzed reaction, the thermodynamically most stable alkene is the one predominantly formed. However, the acid-catalyzed reaction is much less synthetically useful because carbocations give rise to many side products. If the substrate has several possible locations for a double bond, mixtures of all possible isomers are usually obtained. Isomerization of 1-decene, for example, gives a mixture that contains not only 1-decene and cis- and franj-2-decene but also the cis and trans isomers of 3-, 4-, and 5-decene as well as branched alkenes resulting from rearrangement of carbocations. It is true that the most stable alkenes predominate, but many of them have stabilities that are close together. Acid-catalyzed migration of triple bonds (with allene intermediates) can be accomplished if very strong acids (e.g., HF—PF5) are used. If the mechanism is the same as that for double bonds, vinyl cations are intermediates. 

No matter which of the electrophilic methods of double-bond shifting is employed, the thermodynamically most stable alkene is usually formed in the largest amount in most cases, though a few anomalies are known. However, there is another, indirect, method of double-bond isomerization, by means of which migration in the other direction can often be carried out. This involves conversion of the alkene to a borane (15-16), rearrangement of the borane (18-11), oxidation and hydrolysis of the newly formed borane to the alcohol (12-28), and dehydration of the alcohol (17-1) ... 

Since the migration reaction is always toward the end of a chain, terminal alkenes can be produced from internal ones, so the migration is often opposite to that with the other methods. Alternatively, the rearranged borane can be converted directly to the alkene by heating with an alkene of molecular weight higher than that of the product (17-14). Photochemical isomerization can also lead to the thermodynamically less stable isomer. ... 

---