Retention, of configuration

Figure 3-22 shows a nucleophilic aliphatic substitution with cyanide ion as a nucleophile, i his reaction is assumed to proceed according to the S f2 mechanism with an inversion in the stereochemistry at the carbon atom of the reaction center. We have to assign a stereochemical mechanistic factor to this reaction, and, clearly, it is desirable to assign a mechanistic factor of (-i-1) to a reaction with retention of configuration and (-1) to a reaction with inversion of configuration. Thus, we want to calculate the parity of the product, of 3 reaction from the parity of the... 

J-Tosyloxy. d -steroids, e.g. O-tosylcholesterol, give 3,5-cyclosteroids (— /-steroids) on addition of nucleophiles. Internal hydroxyl displacement, e.g. with PClj, leads to 3fi-substituted products or overall retention of configuration at C-3 by rearrangement of the 6/5 substituent (E.M. Kosower, 1956). 

The reaction of phenylzinc reagent proceeds with opposite stereochemistry, namely by retention of configuration at the final step via transmetallation. Both the (S)-( )- and (i )-(Z)-allylic acetates 4 and 9 afford the (/ )-( )-phe-nylated product II by overall inversion[23]. 

Imidazole can be A -allylated. The A -glycosylimidazole 299 is prepared by regiospecific amination at the anomeric center with retention of configuration. Phenoxy is a good leaving group in this reaction[181]. Heterocyclic amines such as the purine base 300 are easily allylatedfl 82]. 

Sodium / -toluenesulfoiiainide (319) reacts with the allylic lactone 318 to give an allylic tosylamide with retention of configuration[196]. 

Two stereochemical possibilities present themselves In the pathway shown in Fig ure 8 la the nucleophile simply assumes the position occupied by the leaving group It attacks the substrate at the same face from which the leaving group departs This is called front side displacement or substitution with retention of configuration... 

The acyl group of the carboxylic acid acyl chloride or acid anhydride is trans ferred to the oxygen of the alcohol This fact is most clearly evident m the esterification of chiral alcohols where because none of the bonds to the chirality center is broken m the process retention of configuration is observed... 

The reaction is stereospecific the alkyl group migrates with retention of configuration O O... 

Identical conclusions come from stereochemical studies 8aponification of esters of optically active alcohols proceeds with retention of configuration... 

Double Fiiedel-Ciafts alkylation of configuiationally pure pyiocene (a substituted lactone) with aiomatics results in the formation of cycloalkylation product with retention of configuration at the chiral center (63). 

Similarly, A[-carboxy-a-amino acid anhydrides react with aromatics such as toluene, xylenes, and mesitylene to give a-amino acylated products ia moderate yields with almost complete retention of configuration of the a-amino acid. 

Protonolysis. Simple trialkylboranes are resistant to protonolysis by alcohols, water, aqueous bases, and mineral acids. In contrast, carboxyUc acids react readily with trialkylboranes, removing the first alkyl group at room temperature and the third one at elevated temperatures. Acetic and propionic acids are most often used. The reaction proceeds with retention of configuration of the alkyl group via a cycHc, six-membered transition state (206). 

Oxidation. The oxidation reactions of organoboranes have been reviewed (5,7,215). Hydroboration—oxidation is an anti-Markovnikov cis-hydration of carbon—carbon multiple bonds. The standard oxidation procedure employs 30% hydrogen peroxide and 3 M sodium hydroxide. The reaction proceeds with retention of configuration (216). 

Mercuration. Mercury(II) salts react with alkyl-, alkenyl-, and arylboranes to yield organomercurials, which are usehil synthetic intermediates (263). For example, dialkyhnercury and alkyhnercury acetates can be prepared from primary trialkylboranes by treatment with mercury(II) chloride in the presence of sodium hydroxide or with mercury(II) acetate in tetrahydrofuran (3,264). Mercuration of 3 -alkylboranes is sluggish and requires prolonged heating. Alkenyl groups are transferred from boron to mercury with retention of configuration (243,265). 

In the case of P-hydroxy-a-arnino acids, oxazoUdinone derivatives ate formed with retention of configuration. 

These reactions can be cataly2ed by bases, eg, pyridine, or by Lewis acids, eg, 2inc chloride. In the case of asymmetric alcohols, steric control, ie, inversion, racemi2ation, or retention of configuration at the reaction site, can be achieved by the choice of reaction conditions (173,174). Some alcohols dehydrate to olefins when treated with thionyl chloride and pyridine. 

Fig. 10. Suggested pathway for the biosynthesis of L-ascorbic acid (with retention of configuration) in higher plants based on D-glucose-l- C...

In the esterification of organic acids with alcohols, it has been shown that in most cases under acid catalysis, the union is between acyl and alkoxy groups. Acid hydrolysis of acetoxysuccinic acid gives malic acid with retention of configuration at the asymmetric carbon atom (11) ... 

Thiirenium ions formed as intermediates in the solvolysis of tran5-/3-thiovinyl sulfonates react with methanol to give product with retention of configuration (Scheme 75) (79MI50600). 

Each reaction in the sequence shown is reported to proceed with retention of configuration, yet the starting material has the R configuration and the product has the S configuration. Reconcile this apparent contradiction. 

If it is assumed that ionization would result in complete randomization of the 0 label in the caihoxylate ion, is a measure of the rate of ionization with ion-pair return, and is a measure of the extent of racemization associated with ionization. The fact that the rate of isotope exchange exceeds that of racemization indicates that ion-pair collapse occurs with predominant retention of configuration. When a nucleophile is added to the system (0.14 Af NaN3), k y, is found to be imchanged, but no racemization of reactant is observed. Instead, the intermediate that would return with racemization is captured by azide ion and converted to substitution product with inversion of configuration. This must mean that the intimate ion pair returns to reactant more rapidly than it is captured by azide ion, whereas the solvent-separated ion pair is captured by azide ion faster than it returns to racemic reactant. 

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