Reversible -sigmatropic cycloaddition

Figure 9.8 Endergonic and reversible electrocyclic reactions obeying Woodward-Hoffman rule, (a) Valence isomerization, (b) cycloaddition, (c) sigmatropic effect, and (d) norbomadiene to quadricyclene conversion.

It has been shown that allylic azides can be trapped, using either phenylacetylene cycloaddition to the azide, or alkene epoxidation, and that [3,3]-sigmatropic equilibration of the possible allylic azides is generally faster than the trapping reactions 42 Nucleoside-derived azide (46) has been shown to undergo reversible [3,3]-sigmatropic... 

The intramolecular nitrone-alkene cycloaddition reaction of monocyclic 2-azetidinone-tethered alkenyl(alkynyl) aldehydes 211, 214, and 216 with Ar-aIkylhydroxylamincs has been developed as an efficient route to prepare carbacepham derivatives 212, 215, and 217, respectively (Scheme 40). Bridged cycloadducts 212 were further transformed into l-amino-3-hydroxy carbacephams 213 by treatment with Zn in aqueous acetic acid at 75 °C. The aziridine carbaldehyde 217 may arise from thermal sigmatropic rearrangement. However, formation of compound 215 should be explained as the result of a formal reverse-Cope elimination reaction of the intermediate ct-hydroxy-hydroxylamine C1999TL5391, 2000TL1647, 2005EJ01680>. 

After your experience with cycloadditions and sigmatropic rearrangements, you will not be surprised to learn that, in photochemical electrocyclic reactions, the rules regarding conrotatory and disrotatory cyclizations are reversed. 

There are four major classes of pericyclic reactions cycloaddition, electrocyclic, sigmatropic and ene reactions. All these reactions are potentially reversible. A general illustration of each class is given below. 

The ubiquitous and reversible formation of radical cations in photoelectrochemical transformations allows pericyclic reactions to take place upon photocatalytic activation since the barriers for pericyclic reactions are often lower in the singly oxidized product than in the neutral precursor. For example, ring openings on irradiated CdS suspensions are known in strained saturated hydrocarbons [176], and formal [2 -I- 2] cycloadditions have been described for phenyl vinyl ether [ 177] and A-vinyl carbazole [178]. The cyclization of nonconjugated dienes, such as norbomadiene, have also been reported [179]. A recent example involves a 1,3-sigmatropic shift [180]. 

Therefore, if we derive or remember one rule for a pericyclic reaction, then any time an MO phase change is added the rule will reverse. Two reversals cancel each other. For example, 4n face to face (supra-supra) cycloadditions are not thermally allowed. If we add two electrons, we fill the next highest MO, which has a phase reversal. This means An+2 cycloadditions are thermally favored. Thermal electrocyclic reactions of 4n species go conrotatory, whereas thermal 4n+2 electrocyclic reactions go disrotatory. Thermal sigmatropic reactions of 4n species go supra-inversion or antara-retention. Count arrows to tell whether the pericyclic reaction is 4n or 4n + 2. Phase reversals occur between retention/inversion at the migrating center, between antarafacial/suprafacial migration, with 4n vs. 4n+2 electrons, and between thermal and photochemically excited species. 

A different influence of pressure on an intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition and a 1,5-sigmatropic rearrangement is responsible for a pressure-induced increase in selectivity in the thermolysis of (Z)-l,3,8-nonatriene 35 to give 36 and 37 as shown by Klamer et al. (Scheme 8.11) [28]. At 0.1 MPa the rearrangement is favored and the products 36 and 37 are formed in a 31 69 ratio. Applying 770 MPa of pressure, the selectivity is reversed favoring the Diels-Alder product 36 in a ratio of 73 27. It can be assumed that 36 is formed via the bicyclic transition structure 38, whereas 37 evolves through the monocyclic transition structure 39 (cf. Chapter 2). 

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