Suprafacial allyl rearrangements

One of the first uses of the allylic sulfoxide-sulfenate interconversion was made by Jones and coworkers64, who reported exclusive suprafacial rearrangement of the allyl group in the steroidal sulfoxide 17 shown in equation 13. Two other examples are shown in equations 1465 and 1566. Evans and coworkers have demonstrated the utility of the suprafacial allylic sulfoxide-sulfenate rearrangement in a new synthesis of the tetracyclic alcohol 24 (equation 16)67, as well as in a synthesis of prostaglandin intermediates as shown in equation 1768. The stereospecific rearrangement of the unstable sulfenate intermediate obtained from the cis diol 25 indicates the suprafacial nature of this process. 

Bis(acetonitrile)dichloropalladiuin(ll). 14, 35-36 15, 28-29 16, 25-26 17, 30-31 Allylic rearrangement. This suprafacial rearrangement finds use in the preparation of 4-acetoxy-2-alkenonitriles and 6-hydroxy allylic phosphine oxides. ... 

No oxetans were observed as by-products in the thermal rearrangement of (583) to (584), suggesting that the reaction does not proceed via the perpendicular biradical (585). An alternative 1,3-concerted shift could follow two possible modes (i) inversion at the migrating C-4 centre with suprafacial allylic participation or (ii) retention at the migrating C-4 centre and antarafacial allylic inversion. The demonstration that Z-3S-(586) rearranges to -3J -(586) confirms the first of these possibilities. ... 

Allylic fra i-l,2-azidohydrins prepared by Lewis-acid-catalysed ring opening of cyclic vinyl epoxides with sodium azide via an 5 2 mechanism have been found to isomerize to trans-l,4-azidohydrins via a suprafacial allyl azide [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement (Scheme 16). ... 

N,O-acetal intermediate 172, y,<5-unsaturated amide 171. It is important to note that there is a correspondence between the stereochemistry at C-41 of the allylic alcohol substrate 173 and at C-37 of the amide product 171. Provided that the configuration of the hydroxyl-bearing carbon in 173 can be established as shown, then the subsequent suprafacial [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement would ensure the stereospecific introduction of the C-37 side chain during the course of the Eschenmoser-Claisen rearrangement, stereochemistry is transferred from C-41 to C-37. Ketone 174, a potential intermediate for a synthesis of 173, could conceivably be fashioned in short order from epoxide 175. 

So a [1, 5] or larger rearrangements suprafacial shift is symmetry allowed but a [1, 3] shift would be structurally prohibited, because geometrically it will not be feasible. This would require the hydrogen to migrate to the opposite side of the allyl system and this is sterically difficult. 

The reaction occurs suprafacially across the allyl unit through a five-membered ring envelope-shaped transition state. The five-membered cychc transition state of [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement shows greater conformational flexibility than the six-membered transition state of [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements and should therefore be far more susceptible to the effects of stereochemical control by substituents. ... 

Artemisyl, Santolinyl, Lavandulyl, and Chrysanthemyl Derivatives.— The presence of (41) in lavender oil has been reported earlier. Poulter has published the full details of his work (Vol. 5, p. 14) on synthetic and stereochemical aspects of chrysanthemyl ester and alkoxypyridinium salt solvolyses (Vol. 3, pp. 20—22) and discussed its biosynthetic implications. Over 98% of the solvolysis products are now reported to be artemisyl derivatives which are formed from the primary cyclopropylcarbinyl ion (93) which results from predominant (86%) ionization of the antiperiplanar conformation of (21)-)V-methyl-4-pyridinium iodide the tail-to-tail product (96 0.01%) may then result from the suprafacial migration of the cyclopropane ring bond as shown stereochemically in Scheme 3. This is consistent with earlier work (Vol. 7, p. 20, ref, 214) reporting the efficient rearrangement of the cyclobutyl cation (94) to (96) and its allylic isomer, via the tertiary cyclopropylcarbinyl cation (95). ... 

Baldwin and Patrick have demonstrated by the experiment outlined in Equation 12.97 that the concerted [2,3]-rearrangement takes the suprafacial path over the allyl group.157 The two products arise from the two conformations 77 and 78 antarafacial rearrangement would have yielded 79 and 80, which were not found. 

Mislow s [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of sulfoxides is more than a mechanistic curiosity, because the intermediate sulfenate 5.83 can be intercepted by a suitably thiophilic reagent, converting an enantiomerically enriched sulfoxide 5.82 into a comparably enriched rearranged allyl alcohol 5.84, with suprafacial shift 5.85 of the functionality. 

In contrast to the few examples17-19 for the stereoselective sigmatropic rearrangements of acyclic allylic selenoxides, many examples9 16 20-29 have been reported for cycloalkenyl se-lenides. Table 8 shows examples demonstrating the pronounced selectivity for the anticipated suprafacial course of the rearrangement of cycloalkenyl selenoxides. 

Entries 1 and 2 in Table 8 are examples of an overall antarafacial 1,3-transposition of a hydroxy group by selenium compounds20,21. Treatment of the alcohols with 2-nitrophenyl seleno-cyanate in the presence of tributylphosphine gave the selenide with inversion of configuration. Oxidation with hydrogen peroxide led to the selenoxide, which rearranged suprafacially to the allylic alcohol. 

---