Rigid Alkenes

For rigid alkenes, triplet sensitisation brings about photocycloaddition via the 3(Jt,7t ) state. These reactions are neither concerted nor stereospecific. Cyclopentene produces a tricyclic dimer ... 

Electrostatic interactions become prominent in reactions with rigid alkenes, for example 7-isopropylidenebenzonorbornene106 or benzobicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene.107... 

Mimicking syn-prolines was achieved by different strategies, for example by substitution of the amide for a rigid alkene [13]. Maximizing steric repulsion between the proline ring and the adjacent N-terminal amino acid by attachment of bulky substituents to the heterocycle has also met with some success as exemplified by compounds a [14] and b [15] in Figure 1.2.4. Proline derivatives like a, for example, were incorporated into model peptides and shown to exist predominantly in syn form in water (44—84% syn isomer depending on the peptide sequence) [16]-... 

Ca.ta.lysts, A small amount of quinoline promotes the formation of rigid foams (qv) from diols and unsaturated dicarboxyhc acids (100). Acrolein and methacrolein 1,4-addition polymerisation is catalysed by lithium complexes of quinoline (101). Organic bases, including quinoline, promote the dehydrogenation of unbranched alkanes to unbranched alkenes using platinum on sodium mordenite (102). The peracetic acid epoxidation of a wide range of alkenes is catalysed by 8-hydroxyquinoline (103). Hydroformylation catalysts have been improved using 2-quinolone [59-31-4] (104) (see Catalysis). 

The double bond in alkenes makes them more rigid than alkanes. Some of the atoms of alkene molecules are locked into a planar arrangement by the TT-bond hence, they cannot roll up into a ball as compactly as alkanes can. Because they do not pack together as compactly as alkanes do, they have lower boiling and melting points. 

The preparation of rigid alicyclic molecules bearing effector groups from alkene blocks using s-tetrazines and 1,3,4-triazines as stereoselective coupling agents [67]... 

In contrast to a, -ethylenic ketones or even a, -ethylenic sulfones, a, ) -ethylenic sulfoxides generally are not sufficiently electrophilic to undergo successful nucleophilic j8-addition . a-Carbonyl-a, j8-ethylenic sulfoxides, however, are potent, doubly activated alkenes which undergo rapid and complete -addition of various types of nucleophiles even at — 78 °C. A brief account summarizing this area is available . The stereochemical outcome of such asymmetric conjugate additions to enantiomerically pure 2-sulfmyl 2-cycloalkenones and 2-sulfinyl-2-alkenolides has been rationalized in terms of a metal-chelated intermediate in which a metal ion locks the -carbonyl sulfoxide into a rigid conformation (36 cf. 33). In this fixed conformation, one diastereoface of the cyclic n... 

From a synthetic point of view, the regioselectivity and stereoselectivity of the cyclization are of paramount importance. As discussed in Section 11.2.3.3 of Part A, the order of preference for cyclization of alkyl radicals is 5-exo > 6-endo 6-exo > 7-endo S-endo > 1-exo because of stereoelectronic preferences. For relatively rigid cyclic structures, proximity and alignment factors determined by the specific geometry of the ring system are of major importance. Theoretical analysis of radical addition indicates that the major interaction of the attacking radical is with the alkene LUMO.321 The preferred direction of attack is not perpendicular to the it system, but rather at an angle of about 110°. 

Lautens also used this nickel-catalyzed hydroalumination methodology in the total synthesis of ionomycin 145. The starting compound was a [3.2.1]oxabicyclic alkene 143.144 Their rigid bicyclic structures can be used to introduce functional groups in a highly stereoselective manner. The synthesis of the key intermediate 144 involves the slow addition of DIBAL to the oxabicyclic alkene and the Ni(COD)2/(6T)-BINAP in toluene to afford 144 in 95% yield and 93-95% ee. (Scheme 18). 

Finally, the phosphinite-oxazole catalyst 29 (Fig. 29.16) was recently reported and used to hydrogenate a series of functionalized and unfunctionalized alkenes [31]. It was anticipated that the planar oxazole unit and the fused ring system would improve the enantioselectivity compared to the PHOX catalyst by increasing rigidity in the six-membered chelating ring [32]. Indeed, these catalysts... 

Direct phase-transfer catalysed epoxidation of electron-deficient alkenes, such as chalcones, cycloalk-2-enones and benzoquinones with hydrogen peroxide or r-butyl peroxide under basic conditions (Section 10.7) has been extended by the use of quininium and quinidinium catalysts to produce optically active oxiranes [1 — 16] the alkaloid bases are less efficient than their salts as catalysts [e.g. 8]. In addition to N-benzylquininium chloride, the binaphthyl ephedrinium salt (16 in Scheme 12.5) and the bis-cinchonidinium system (Scheme 12.12) have been used [12, 17]. Generally, the more rigid quininium systems are more effective than the ephedrinium salts. 

The steric effects may be more pronounced in heterogeneous catalysts than in homogeneous reactions in solution. The rigid, solid surface restricts the approach of the reactants to the active centers and interaction between the reactants. The steric requirements are quite stringent when a two-point adsorption is necessary and when, in consequence, the internal motion of the adsorbed molecules is limited. In this way, the stereoselectivity of some heterogeneous catalytic reactions, for example, the hydrogenation of alkenes on metals (5) or the dehydration of alcohols on alumina and thoria (9), have been explained. 

Binaphthol- and biphenyl-derived ketones (9 and 10) were reported by Song and coworkers in 1997 to epoxidize unfunctionalized alkenes in up to 59% ee (Fig. 3, Table 1, entries 9, 10) [37, 38]. Ketones 9 and 10 were intended to have a rigid conformation and a stereogenic center close to the reacting carbonyl group. The reactivity of ketones 9 and 10 is lower than that of 8, presumably due to the weaker electron-withdrawing ability of the ether compared to the ester. In the same year, Adam and coworkers reported ketones 11 and 12 to be epoxidation catalysts for several trans- and trisubstituted alkenes (Table 1, entries 11,12). Up to 81% ee was obtained for phenylstilbene oxide (Table 1, entry 25) [39]. 

Reductive elimination from 1,2-dibromides generates the alkene in excellent yields. Conformationally rigid, periplanar tro 5-diaxial, also staggered trans-diequatorial, cyclohexane dibromides all afford the alkene at a mercury cathode [110]. In the bicyclo[2,2,2]octane series, the rra s-2,3-dibromide forms the alkene on dissolving metal reduction [111]. The rigid cis-periplanar 1,2 dibromobicy-clo[2,2,l]heptane, at a mercury cathode, also gives the strained alkene which can be trapped as a furan adduct [112]. 

Numerous chiral cyclic allyl alcohol derivatives have been used as the chiral alkene part in 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions. In general, the more rigid conformational... 

The use of alkenyl nitrile oxides is an effective method for the construction of bland polycyclic isoxazolines (2,4,200,236,237). Due to the rigid linear structure of the nitrile oxide, the reaction of alkenyl nitrile oxides almost always proceeds to give bicyclo[X,3,0] derivatives for X = 3-5. Most frequently, the diastereoselec-tivities are controlled by a chiral center on the link between the alkene and the dipole groups. 

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