Sigmatropic rearrangements, solvents

Anomalous Fischer cyclizations are observed with certain c-substituted aryl-hydrazones, especially 2-alkoxy derivatives[l]. The products which are formed can generally be accounted for by an intermediate which w ould be formed by (ip50-substitution during the sigmatropic rearrangement step. Nucleophiles from the reaction medium, e.g. Cl or the solvent, are introduced at the 5-and/or 6-position of the indole ring. Even carbon nucleophiles, e.g. ethyl acetoacelate, can be incorporated if added to the reaction solution[2]. The use of 2-tosyloxy or 2-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy derivatives has been found to avoid this complication and has proved useful in the preparation of 7-oxygen-ated indoles[3]. 

Since the ratio of the two sulfones 2 and 3 increases with the polarity of the solvent (from 1 4 in benzene to 16 1 in formamide) a possible concerted [2,3]sigmatropic rearrangement for the formation of sulfone 3 was first considered. However, other evidence such as the effects of solvent and added salts seem to support an ionization mechanism, with the formation of the two sulfones by recombination from two different ion-pair species40. 

The reactions of 1,2,3-triazolium 1-imide (277) with a range of alkene and alkyne dipolarophiles give rise to a variety of new ring systems (Scheme 54). Compounds (276) and (278) are obtained from (277) by reaction with acrylonitrile and DMAD, respectively. These reactions are tandem 1,3-dipolar (endo) cycloadditions and sigmatropic rearrangements which are regio- and stereospecific <90JCS(Pl)2537>. Kinetic and mechanistic studies show that these reactions are dipole-HOMO controlled. The second-order rate constants are insensitive to solvent polarity, the reaction indicates... 

Various crown ethers have been constucted onto the 3- and 4- positions of coumarin by way of 3-diazo-2ff-lbenzopyran-2,4(3ff)-dione. Cafbenoid generation under Rh-catalysis is followed by formation of an oxonium ion by reaction with the ether solvent and a sigmatropic rearrangement completes the sequence <99T6577>. 

The original sigmatropic rearrange-J ment occurred when an aryl allyl ether was heated without solvent and ail ortho-allyl phenol resulted. 

From the first-order rate constants obtained in different solvents (in sealed ampoules), it is apparent that this isomerization is not very sensitive to the polarity of the medium, in accordance with an isopolar, six-membered activated complex [156]. A similar small solvent effect has been observed for the [3,3]sigmatropic rearrangement of allyl S-methyl xanthate to allyl methyl dithiol carbonate [559]. 

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