Steric bulk

D-A rxns are sensitive to steric effects of the dienephiles, particularly at the I- and 2-postions. Steric bulk at the I-position may prevent approach of the dienophile while steric bulk at the 2-position may prevent the diene from adopting the s-cis conformation. 

The regioselectivity of the reaction appears to be determined by a balance of electronic and steric factors. For acrylate and propiolate esters, the carb-oxylate group is found preferentially at C3 of the carbazole product[6-8]. Interestingly, a 4-methyl substituent seems to reinforce the preference for the EW group to appear at C3 (compare Entries 4 and 5 in Table 16.2). For disubstituted acetylenic dicnophiles, there is a preference for the EW group to be at C2 of the carbazole ring[6]. This is reinforced by additional steric bulk in the other substituent[6,9]. 

The steric bulk of the base added to 2-methyl-4-phenylthiazole (171b) is another factor of the orientation for the kinetic metalation of 4-substituted 2-methylthiazoles (Table 1-60). Even though the C-5 proton... 

TABLE 1-60. METALATION AND METHYLATION OF 171b WITH BASES OF INCREASING STERIC BULK (444)... 

The steric bulk of the three iodine atoms in the 2,4,6-triiodoben2ene system and the amide nature of the 1,3,5-substituents yield rotational isomers of the 5-A/-acyl-substituted 2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamides. Rotational motion in the bonds connecting the side chains and the aromatic ring is restricted. These compounds also exhibit stereoisomerism when chiral carbon atoms are present on side chains. (R,5)-3-Amino-l,2-propanediol is incorporated in the synthesis of iohexol (11) and ioversol (12) and an (3)-2-hydroxypropanoyl group is used in the synthesis of iopamidol (10). Consequendy, the resulting products contain a mixture of stereoisomers, ie, meso-isomers, or an optical isomer. 

Simple amides that are difficult to cleave can first be converted to a BOC derivative by an exchange process that relies on the reduced electrophilicity of the carbamate as well as its increased steric bulk. °... 

The dependence on steric bulk is attributed to the steric requirements imposed by the bulky trimefliylamine leaving group. In the transition state for anti elimination, steric repulsion is increased as R and increase in size. When the repulsion is sufficiently large, the transition state for syn elimination is preferred. 

Bromination has been shown not to exhibit a primary kinetic isotope effect in the case of benzene, bromobenzene, toluene, or methoxybenzene. There are several examples of substrates which do show significant isotope effects, including substituted anisoles, JV,iV-dimethylanilines, and 1,3,5-trialkylbenzenes. The observation of isotope effects in highly substituted systems seems to be the result of steric factors that can operate in two ways. There may be resistance to the bromine taking up a position coplanar with adjacent substituents in the aromatization step. This would favor return of the ff-complex to reactants. In addition, the steric bulk of several substituents may hinder solvent or other base from assisting in the proton removal. Either factor would allow deprotonation to become rate-controlling. 

Aryl and alkyl trimethylsilyl ethers can often be cleaved by refluxing in aqueous methanol, an advantage for acid- or base-sensitive substrates. The ethers are stable to Grignard and Wittig reactions and to reduction with lithium aluminum hydride at —15°. Aryl -butyldimethylsilyl ethers and other sterically more demanding silyl ethers require acid- or fluoride ion-catalyzed hydrolysis for removal. Increased steric bulk also improves their stability to a much harsher set of conditions. An excellent review of the selective deprotection of alkyl silyl ethers and aryl silyl ethers has been published. ... 

This tertiary ester was developed to reduce aspartimide and piperidide formation during the Fmoc-based peptide synthesis by increasing the steric bulk around the carboxyl carbon. A twofold improvement was achieved over the the standard Fbutyl ester. The Mpe ester is prepared from the acid chloride and the alcohol and can be cleaved under conditions similar to those used for the r-butyl ester. ... 

BFO reacted readily with 1,3-diketones to give 2,3-disubstituted quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides. In the case of unsymmetrical 1,3-diketones, mixtures of isomeric quinoxaline dioxides were obtained, and the ratio of isomers was influenced by the steric bulk of the carbonyl substituent. When BFO 1 was combined with 1,3-diketone compounds 18 in the presence of triethylamine, the isomeric quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides 19 and 20 were obtained. When R = Me, 19 was the only product observed. As the steric bulk of R increased, increasing amounts of isomer 20 were observed. When R = tBu, 20 was the only product detected in the reaction. 

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