Sulfonium ylides 2.3- rearrangements

As with the rearrangements already discussed, sulfonium ylide rearrangements have been used to solve constitutional problems and as intermediates in stereoselective reactions. Therefore, the remainder of the chapter will be... 

In the course of a sulfonium ylide rearrangement a maximum munber of three stereogenic units can be generated (Scheme 87). The resulting homoal-lylic sulfide 354 contains up to two stereogenic centers and one stereogenic double bond. Based on the work of Houk [204] with R = H, the following simphfied transition-state models can be discussed (Scheme 88). 

Scheme 97 Application of cobalt salen complexes for sulfonium ylide rearrangements...

Scheme 98 Studies concerning the question of the intermediacy of metal-bound ylides in the sulfonium ylide rearrangement...

Comparable cis/trans selectivities and similar conformational effects on them were studied in ring enlargements of cyclic sulfonium ylides. ° Rearrangements of sulfur ylides performed in repetition were used for stepwise ring expansion 5- 8—> 11- —> 14- - 17-membered. ° Synthesis applications of... 

Thia-[2,3]-Wittig sigmatropic rearrangement of lithiated carbanions 47, obtained by deprotonation of the S-allylic sulfides 46, affords the thiols 48 or their alkylated derivatives 49. The corresponding sulfonium ylides 51, prepared by deprotonation of the sulfonium salts 50 also undergoes a [2,3]-sigmatropic shift leading to the same sulfides 49 [36,38] (Scheme 13). As far as stereochemistry is concerned, with crotyl (R R =H,R =Me) and cinnamyl (R, R =H,R =Ph) derivatives, it has been shown that the diastereoselectivity depends on the nature of the R substituent and on the use of a carbanion or an ylide as intermediate. 

A more direct access to the unstable and non isolated sulfonium ylides 58a- c is the reaction of diisopropyl diazomethylphosphonate 57 with allylic sulfides, catalyzed by Cu(II), Rh(II) [39], or ruthenium porphyrins.[40] For example, the a-phosphorylated y,d-unsaturated sulfides 59-61 are obtained through the [2,3] -sigmatropic rearrangement of 58a-c. This method allows the use of a greater variety of starting allylic sulfide substrates, such as 2-vinyl tetrahydrothiophene, or propargylic sulfides (Scheme 15). 

The rearrangements of allylic sulfoxides, selenoxides, and amine oxides are an example of the first type. Allylic sulfonium ylides and ammonium ylides also undergo [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements. Rearrangements of carbanions of allylic ethers are the major example of the anionic type. These reactions are considered in the following sections. 

Allylic sulfonium ylides readily undergo [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement.280 The ylides are usually formed by deprotonation of the S-allyl sulfonium salts. 

A thermally stable sulfonium ylide is also obtained from the CuS04-catalyzed reaction between dimethyl diazomalonate and thioxanthene or its 9-alkyl derivatives 339 > rearrangement to the thioxanthen-9-ylmalonate occurs only with base catalysis. 

The CJS insertion reaction was suppressed completely upon catalytic decomposition of diazoketones 361, where the sulfur substituent was alkyl, acyl or thioacyl. It is presumed that sulfonium ylides occur as intermediates which give cepham (or cephem) derivatives in all cases270,343) rather than products of a Stevens rearrangement. 

The reaction of carbenes or carbenoids with compounds containing S—S bonds is likely to begin with sulfonium ylide formation subsequent [1,2] rearrangement then produces a formal insertion product of the carbene moiety into the S—S bond152 b). 

Complexation of sodium to the persulfoxide A (Fig. 13B) appears to inhibit intramolecular hydrogen abstraction to form the hydroperoxy sulfonium ylide (B in Fig. 13A) and allows a direct reaction of 12 with the sodium-complexed persulfoxide, (A in Fig. 13B) to compete. Consistent with this suggestion is the observation that the formation of 13CHO that emanates from the hydroperoxy sulfonium ylide by Pummerer rearrangement and subsequent cleavage is completely suppressed during photo-oxidations of thiolane, 13, in NaMBY ... 

The major reaction pathways for sulfonium ylide formation generated from a metal carbene complex and sulfide are [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement and [l,2]-shift, similar to those of the oxonium ylide formation. 

Recent study on sulfonium ylide [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement has been focused on the development of new catalytic systems, including new catalysts and alternative carbene precursor other than commonly used a-diazocarbonyl compounds. Besides the most commonly used Cu(i) and Rh(ii) catalysts, Fe com-... 

Further study by Katsuki, McMillen, Hashimoto, and Wang improved the enantioselectivity up to a moderately high level.Wang and co-workers further extended the asymmetric catalysis to the [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of propargyl sulfonium ylide to give allenic products with up to 81% ee (Equation (18))." ... 

Ammonium ylides undergo [l,2]-shift in a manner similar to oxonium and sulfonium ylides. A preferentially migrating group is usually a benzyl group. A sequence of intramolecular formation of ammonium ylide and subsequent rearrangement was extensively explored by West and co-workers in the synthesis of cyclic amines. ... 

Compounds 128 were prepared in high yields either by thermal [1 Ire-arrangement of sulfonium ylides 126 to intermediates 127 which were then converted into the thiazepine derivatives (128) by ring expansion on photolysis in methanol, or directly from the ylides 126 by ultraviolet irradiation, which causes a photo[l,2]rearrangement followed by ring expansion (Scheme 39) (77CPB292). 

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