Ring transition state

The stereoselectivity of these reactions has been interpreted in terms of chair-like six-membered ring transition states in which the substituents a to tin adopt an axial position, possibly because of steric and anomeric effects. The cc-substituted (Z)-isomers are less reactive because the axial preference of the a-substituent would lead to severe 1,3-diaxial interactions17. 

An intermediate allyltin trichloride, possibly stabilized by an oxygen-tin hypervalent interaction, which then reacts with the aldehyde via a chair-like six-membered ring transition state with the substituent a to tin in an axial position, may be involved94. On heating with aldehydes, the 4-benzyloxypentenylstannane shows only modest diastereofacial selectivity22. 

As with other noncatalyzed reactions of allylstannanes with aldehydes (see Section 1.3.3.3.6.1.3.2.) these reactions are believed to proceed via a chair-like six-membered ring transition state in which the a-substituent, in this case methoxymethoxy, adopts the axial position103. 

This coordination causes a cyclic five-membered ring transition state and effects an attack cis to the substituent in the 3-position. 

The chemical reactions through cyclic transition states are controlled by the symmetry of the frontier orbitals [11]. At the symmetrical (Cs) six-membered ring transition state of Diels-Alder reaction between butadiene and ethylene, the HOMO of butadiene and the LUMO of ethylene (Scheme 18) are antisymmetric with respect to the reflection in the mirror plane (Scheme 24). The symmetry allows the frontier orbitals to have the same signs of the overlap integrals between the p-or-bital components at both reaction sites. The simultaneous interactions at the both sites promotes the frontier orbital interaction more than the interaction at one site of an acyclic transition state. This is also the case with interaction between the HOMO of ethylene and the LUMO of butadiene. The Diels-Alder reactions occur through the cyclic transition states in a concerted and stereospecific manner with retention of configuration of the reactants. 

The frontier orbital interaction is forbidden by the symmetry for the dimerization of ethylenes throngh the rectangular transition state. The HOMO is symmetric and the LUMO is antisymmetric (Scheme 25a). The overlap integrals have the opposite signs at the reaction sites. The overlap between the frontier orbitals is zero even if each overlap between the atomic p-orbitals increases. It follows that the dimerization cannot occur throngh the fonr-membered ring transition states in a concerted and stereospecfic manner. 

This regio- and stereochemistry in these reactions can be accounted for as shown in Scheme 17.26 When coordinating electrophiles like ketones and aldehydes are used, the equilibrium between ij1- and 3-allyl complexes shifts to rj1, resulting in the formation of the least substituted -complex 52 preferentially. Carbon-carbon bond formation takes place via a six-membered ring transition state 53, leading to the formation of the branched homoallylic alcohols 54 with //-diastereoselectivity. 

This is the simultaneous breaking and formation of bonds to the metal with a four-membered ring transition state (Eq. (21)) ... 

The observed enantioface differentiation in the reduction of the phenyl alkyl ketones was rationalized by postulating a 6-membered ring transition state for hydride transfer (Scheme 10). The transition state leading to the (S)-carbinol has an axial phenyl group interacting sterically with the binaphthoxy oxygen. 

The greater stability of simple ketones relative to their enol tautomers is reversed on formation of the corresponding radical cations (88a) (88b). In appropriate cases, ionization of the ketone to its cation is followed by spontaneous hydrogen transfer to give the enol radical cation. 1,5-Hydrogen transfer via a six-membered-ring transition state is a common route. Characterization of such mechanisms has been reviewed for a variety of such reactions in cryogenic matrices, where many of the processes that compete in solution are suppressed. ... 

Results of HF/3-21G theoretical studies of gas-phase dehydration of a-hydroxy acids suggest that the reaction is favoured by electron-donating substituents via a three-membered ring intermediate formed via a five-membered ring transition state a three-membered ring transition state governs formation of product in the second step. ... 

Alkyl shift is evident in the Cope rearrangement. A Cope rearrangement is a [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of a 1,5-diene. This reaction leads to the formation of a six-membered ring transition state. As [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangements involve three pairs of electrons, they take place by a suprafacial pathway under thermal conditions. 

At high temperatures with low catalyst concentration the formation of acetanilides is favored. Maleic anhydride and acetanilides may be formed directly from the mixed anhydride by an initial attack of the nitrogen on the acetate carbonyl, but this process would involve a seven membered ring transition state. Another possible route to the formation of maleic anhydride and the acetanilides is participation by neighboring carbonyl in loosening the amide carbon-nitrogen bond to the extent that the amine can be captured by acetic anhydride as shown in path D. 

You may have already come across the importance of six-membered ring transition states in organic chemistry, e.g. in the decarboxylation of P-keto acids (Scheme 5.14). 

The available studies imply that general catalysis will be operative in systems involving sulfate monoesters and potential six-membered ring transition states. Salicyl sulfate hydrolyzes at pH 4 via intramolecular carboxyl group participation involving pre-equilibrium proton transfer leading to sulfur trioxide expulsion (Fig. 9)2HH, viz. 

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