The Allyl Cation

In general terms, the relative order of stabilities of carbocations is that given here. 

The molecular orbital description of the allyl cation is shown in Fig. 13.3. 

The bonding tt molecular orbital of the allyl cation, like that of the allyl radical (Fig. 13.2), contains two spin-paired electrons. The nonbonding tt molecular orbital of the allyl cation, however, is empty. 

Resonance theory depicts the allyl cation as a hybrid of structures D and E represented here  

Because D and E are equivalent resonance structures, resonance theory predicts that the allyl cation should be unusually stable. Since the positive charge is located on C3 in D and on Cl in E, resonance theory also tells us that the positive charge should be delocalized 

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FIGURE 10 13 Their molecular orbitals of allyl cation The allyl cation has two IT electrons and they are in the orbital marked it. 

Some fundamental structure-stability relationships can be employed to illustrate the use of resonance concepts. The allyl cation is known to be a particularly stable carbocation. This stability can be understood by recognizing that the positive charge is delocalized between two carbon atoms, as represented by the two equivalent resonance structures. The delocalization imposes a structural requirement. The p orbitals on the three contiguous carbon atoms must all be aligned in the same direction to permit electron delocalization. As a result, there is an energy barrier to rotation about the carbon-carbon... 

It is worth noting that in the case of the reactions of ediylene and butadiene with the allyl cation, the MO description has provided a prediction that would not have been recognized by a pictorial application of valence bond terminology. Thus, we can write an apparently satisfactory description of both reactions. 

The 7t-electron delocalization requires proper orbital alignment. As a result, there is a significant barrier to rotation about the carbon-carbon bonds in the allyl cation. The results of 6-31G/MP2 calculations show the perpendicular allyl cation to be 37.8 kcal/mol higher than the planar ion. Related calculations indicate that rotation does not occur but that... 

The addition of hydrogen halides to dienes can result in either 1,2- or 1,4-addition. The extra stability of the allylic cation formed by proton transfer to a diene makes the ion-... 

When the allylic cation reacts with Br to complete the electrophilic addition, reaction can occur either at Cl or at C3 because both carbons share the positive charge (Figure 14.4). Thus, a mixture of 1,2- and 1,4-addition products results. (Recall that a similar product mixture was seen for NBS bromination of alkenes in Section 10.4, a reaction that proceeds through an allylic radical.)... 

Extensive studies by Gorman and Gassman have shown that an allyl cation can be a 27r-electron component in a normal electron-demand cationic Diels-Alder reaction and, since a carbocation is a very strong electron-withdrawing group, the allyl cation is a highly reactive dienophile [19a, 21]. 

Tetraene 4 (Scheme 1.3), when treated with 40 mol % of triflic acid in methylene chloride at -23 °C for 1 h, gives the adducts 5 and 6 in a 1 1 ratio as the main reaction products. The formation of these adducts has been justified [21] by a stepwise mechanism that requires an initial reversible protonation of 4 to produce the allyl cation 7, which then cyclizes to 8 and 9 in a non-reversible process. Deprotonation of 8 and 9 gives 5 and 6, respectively. 

Other examples that involve intermediate allyl cations are illustrated in Scheme 1.4. The cationic palladium(II) complex [Pd(dppp)(PhCN)2](BF4)2 coordinates the carbonyl oxygen of benzaldehyde and the activated carbonyl carbon attacks the isoprene, forming the allyl cation 10 which then cyclizes to give the 4-methyl-6-phenyl-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran [22]. 2-Oxopropyl acrylate 11, in the presence of trimethylsilyltrifluoromethane sulfonate (TMSOTf) and methoxytrimethylsilane (MeOSMT), generates the cation 11a which is an efficient dienophile that reacts easily with the cyclohexadiene to give the Diels-Alder adduct in good yield [23]. 

It should be noted that the kinetics were first-order over at least three half-lives (with the exception of the dicyclopropylcarbonium ion), but the reaction products were not well defined in some cases— probably due to relatively fast consecutive reactions of the unsatmated oxocarbonium ions formed. In the case of the oxocarbonium ions formed from the allyl cations a novel quantitative eyclization to give cyclopentenone derivatives was observed (Hogeveen and Gaasbeek, 1970) ... 

Reaction of the environment with the starting material The commonest example of this type of interaction is the protonation of the substrate by acids in the electrolysis medium, but pH effects will be dealt with in a later section. There are, however, other chemical interactions which can occur. For example, the mechanism and products of the oxidation of olefins are changed by the addition of mercuric ion to the electrolysis medium. In its absence, propylene is oxidized to the allyl cation (Clark et al., 1972),... 

It has been contended that here too, as with the benzene ring (Ref 6), the geometry is forced upon allylic systems by the a framework, and not the 7t system Shaik, S.S. Hiberty, P.C. Ohanessian, G. Lefour, J. Nouv. J. Chim., 1985, 9, 385. It has also been suggested, on the basis of ab initio calculations, that while the allyl cation has significant resonance stabilization, the allyl anion has little stabilization Wiberg, K.B. Breneman, C.M. LePage, T.J. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1990, 112, 61. 

There is good reason to believe that the potential of NMR studies of carbenium ions on solid metal halitks exceeds that of corresponding studies in superacid solutions. Of course the advantages of working in solids include Ae possibility of very low temperatures and the mass transport restrictions of frozen media. Thus, Mehre and Yannoni were able to characterize the sec-butyl cation in frozen SbF5 by NMR [20] and Schleyer and coworkers have obtained infrared evidence of the allyl cation in the same medium [21]. So far, we have been successful in every case in which we have tried to duplicate known solution carbenium ion chemistry on... 

Both allenes141 and alkynes142 require special consideration with regard to mechanisms of electrophilic addition. The attack by a proton on allene might conceivably lead to the allyl cation or the 2-propenyl cation. 

As a result, protonation both in solution143 and gas phase144 occurs at a terminal carbon to give the 2-propenyl cation, not the allylic cation. 

Fig. 16. Oibitals of w-symmetry in (a) the allyl cation [CH2CHCH2]+ and (b) MesPfGalTrip). ...

The allyl cation (CH2=CHCH2+) is an unusually stable carbocation => it is more stable than a 2° carbocation and is almost as stable as a 3° carbocation. 

Figure 13.3 The n molecular orbitals of the allyl cation. The allyl cation, like the allyl radical, is a conjugated unsaturated system. The shapes of molecular orbitals for the allyl cation calculated using quantum mechanical principles are shown alongside the schematic orbitals. 

The bonding n molecular orbital of the allyl cation contains two spin-paired electrons. 

Removal of an electron from an allyl radical gives the allyl cation => the electron is removed from the nonbonding tz molecular orbital. 

D and E are equivalent resonance structures => the allyl cation should be unusually stable. 

These are resonance structures for the allylic cation formed when 1,3-butadiene accepts a prooton. 

This is not a proper resonance structure for the allylic cation because a hydrogen atom has been moved. 

Structures 4 and 5 resembles 1° carbocations and yet the allyl cation is more stable than a 2° carbocation => resonance stabilization. 

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