Synthesis and Diels-Alder Reactivity of 5,6,7,8-Tetramethylidene-2-bicyclo[2.2.2]octanol and -octanone. Selective Oxidations of the Corresponding Bis(irontricarbonyl) Complexes

Hydroboration of the syn, anti-[Fe(CO)₃]₂ double complex 24 of the readily available 5,6,7,8-tetramethylidene-2-bicyclo[2.2.2]octene ( 22 ) gave the corresponding doubly complexed 2-bicyclo[2.2.2]octanol 25. CrO₃-oxidation furnished ketone 27 . The syn-Fe(CO)₃-groups in 25 and 27 were oxidized selectively with trimethyl-amine oxide and yielded the corresponding anti-Fe(CO₃)-monocomplexed tetraenes 26 and 28. The anti-Fe(CO)₃-group in 28 could be removed, and 5,6,7,8-tetramethylidene-2-bicyclo[2.2.2]octanone ( 11 ) was obtained. NaBH₄-reduction of 11 afforded tetraenol 10. TCE-cycloadditions to 10 and 11 (k₁) were at least 10 times as fast as those (k₂) to the corresponding monoadducts 35/36 and 34 , respectively. This Diels-Alder reactivity difference vanishes (k₁ ≈ k₂) with methyl propynoate. The latter dienophile added to the anti-Fe(CO)₃-monocomplexed tetraenone 28 with ‘para’-regioselectivity.     

Mesomorphism,isomerization, and dynamics in a new series of pyramidic liquid crystals

Nona-alkanoyloxy tribenzocyclononene (CTV-n, where n is the number of carbons in the side chains) were prepared for n = 2 to 14. The homologues of this series appear in two stable isomeric forms, rigid crown and flexible saddle. We report on their isomerization equilibria and dynamics in solution and on their mesomorphic properties in the neat state. The crown-saddle equilibrium and interconversion kinetics of the CTV-8 isomers were studied in dimethyl formamide solutions using high-resolution (1)H NMR in the temperature range from 50 to 130 degrees C. At lower temperatures, the isomerization is too slow to measure. In this range the equilibrium saddle fraction increases from approximately 0.40 to approximately 0.65, whereas the isomerization rate increases from approximately 10(-)(4) to approximately 1 s(-)(1). The saddle isomer undergoes fast pseudorotation at room temperature, but below about -50 degrees C, it becomes slow enough to affect the NMR line width. The rate parameters for this process were estimated from the carbon-13 spectra in methylene chloride solutions to be, k(p)(-100 degrees C) approximately 1.7 x 10(3) s(-)(1) and E(a) approximately 9.6 kJ/mol. The slow crown-saddle isomerization at room temperature (half-life of about one year) allows quantitative separation (by chromatography) of the two isomers and their separate investigation. When the alkanoyloxy side chains are sufficiently long both isomers are mesogenic (n >or= 4 for the saddle and n >or= 5 for the crown), exhibiting hexagonal columnar mesophases. The structure, dynamics, and mesomorphic properties of these mesophase were investigated by X-ray diffraction, optical polarizing microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and NMR. The lattice parameters of the crown and saddle mesophases of corresponding homologues are almost identical and increase monotonically with increasing length of the side chains. The clearing temperatures of the saddle isomers are consistently lower than those of the corresponding crowns. Within each series, the clearing temperatures are almost independent of the length of the side chains (156 to 170 degrees C for the crown and 115 to 148 degrees C for the saddle). The thermal and kinetic properties of the neat compounds lead to peculiar phase sequences, as observed in the polarizing microscope and in the DSC thermogram, involving repeated, back and forth, interconversion between the two isomers. Carbon-13 MAS NMR measurements of the crown and saddle mesophases of several homologues were carried out. The spectra of the crown mesophase exhibit dynamic features consistent with planar 3-fold molecular jumps about the column axes. A quantitative analysis for the CTV-8 crown homologue yielded the following Arrhenius parameters, A = 3.1 x 10(22)s(-)(1) and E(a) = 130.1kJ/mol. These unusually high values suggest that the barrier to the jump process is temperature dependent, decreasing with increasing temperature. The rate of this 3-fold jump process is slower for the lower homologues and faster for the higher ones. In contrast, the saddle isomers in the mesophase do not show dynamic effects in their carbon-13 MAS spectra. They do not undergo pseudorotation, and it appears that the molecules remain locked within the columns in a saddle conformation, up to the clearing temperature. However, on (super-)cooling to room temperature and below, selective line broadening is observed in their carbon-13 MAS spectra. This suggests that the saddle conformation is twisted in the mesophase and undergoes fast high-amplitude jumps between the twisted forms. On cooling, these high-amplitude librations freeze out to give an orientationally disordered state. On a very long time scale (of the order of days at 100 degrees C), the saddle mesophase transforms into that of the crown, apparently by sublimation.     

Stereoselective Double Functionalization of Iron-Carbonyl Complexes of 5,6,7,8-Tetramethylidenebicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene. Crystal Structure and Absolute Configuration of (–)-trans-μ-[(2S,5R,7S)-C,5,6,C-η:C,7,8,C-η-(6,7,8-trimethylidene-5-((Z)-2-oxopropylidene)-2-bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl acetate)]-bis(tricarbonyliron)

The Friedel-Crafts monoacylation of trans-η-[(1RS,2RS,4SR,5SR,6RS,7SR,8SR)-C,5,6,C-η:C,7,8,C-η-(5,6,7,8-tetramethylidene-2-bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl acetate)]-bis(tricarbonyliron) ((±)- 5 ) is highly stereoselective and yields trans-η-[(1RS,2RS,4RS,5SR,6RS,7RS,8SR)-C,6-η,oxo-σ:C,7,8,C-η-(6,7,8-trimethylidene-5-((Z)-2-oxopropylidene)-2-bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl acetate)]-bis(tricarbonyliron) ((±)- 8 ) which equilibrates with the trans-η-[(1RS,2RS,4RS,5SR,6RS,7RS,8SR)-C,5,6,C-η:C,7,8,C-η-(6,7,8-trimethylidene-5-((Z)-2-oxopropylidene)-2-bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl acetate)]-bis(tricarbonyliron) ((±)- 9 ) on heating. Optically pure (–)- 9 has been prepared from the corresponding optically pure alcohol (+)- 4 . The structure and absolute configuration of (–)- 9 was established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.     

n-n Effective range from the photon spectrum of the reaction π−d→γnn

Notable improvements in the treatment of the reaction π^?d→γnn, extending the validity of the calculation to lower photon energies, permit a new analysis of a high statistics photon spectrum. A precise value of the effective range parameter γ_nn = 2.83 ± 0.11 fm has been obtained. The theoretical uncertainty is 0.11 fm. The value of the scattering length previously extracted from the same spectrum is confirmed, with a_nn = ? 18.6 ± 0.5 fm.     

Conformational analysis of 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(methylene)bicyclo[2.2.2]octanes by circular dichroism.

The variable temperature CD spectra of (+)-(7R)-7-deuterio- and (+)-(7S)-7-methyl-2,3,5,6-tetrakis(methylene)bicyclo[2.2.2]octane suggest single energy minimum hypersurfaces with eclipsed bicyclic skeletons and planar dienes whereas that of (?)-(2R)-5,6,7,8-tetrakis-(methylene)-2-bicyclo(2.2.2]octanol is consistent with a twisted structure.     

Remote Tricarbonyl(diene)iron Substituent Effect on Ester Heterolysis. The Solvolyses of 5,6,7,8-Tetramethylidenebicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-yl Methanesulfonate and of its Tricarbonyliron Mono- and Dinuclear Complexes

Buffered acetolyses and hydrolyses of 5,6,7,8-tetramethylidenbicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-yl methanesulfonate ( 17 ), of its ‘syn-endo’ ( 18 ), ‘syn-exo’ ( 19 ), ‘anti-endo’ ( 20 ), ‘anti-exo’ ( 21 ) tricarbonyliron complexes and of its ‘anti-exo,syn-endo’ ( 22 ) and ‘anti-endo,syn-exo’ ( 23 ) bis(tricarbonyliron) dinuclear complexes have been investigated (product analysis and kinetics). In contract with the solvolyses of the uncomplexed mesylate 17 , the solvolyses of the complexed esters can be highly chemo- and stereoselective. The nature of the products (non-rearranged bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2yl vs. rearranged bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-yl derivatives) depends on the relative configuration of the tricarbonyl(diene)iron moieties and on the medium. The rates of solvolyses of 17 are only slightly affected by complexation of one or both s-cis-butadiene units with Fe(CO)₃ groups, except in the cases where the diene moiety ‘anti’ with respect to the mesylate is complexed onto its ‘endo’ face ( 20,23 ). In these cases, significant rate-retardation effects are observed, consistent with the inductive effect of the Fe(CO)₃ substituent. Such retardation effects are overwhelmed by competing accelerating homoallylic participation by uncoordinated ‘anti’ -diene moieties ( 18,19 ) or, as in the case of the ‘anti-exo’-Fe(CO)₃ complexes 21 and 22 , by possible direct metal participation to the ionization process.     

Stereoselective Double Friedel-Crafts Acylation of trans-μ-(2,3,6,7-Tetramethylidenebicyclo[3.2.1]octane)bis(tricarbonyliron). Crystal Structure of trans-μ-{(1RS,2RS,3SR,5RS,6SR,7SR)-C,2,3,C-η:C,6,7,C-η-[(Z,Z)-1,1′-(3,7-Dimethylidenebicyclo[3.2.1]octane-2,6-diylidene)di(2-propanone)]}bis(tricarbonyliron)

The Friedel-Crafts mono and double acylations of trans-μ-[(1RS,2RS,3SR,5RS,6SR,7SR)-C,2,3,C-η:C,6,7,C-η-(2,3,6,7-tetramethylidenebicyclo[3.2.1]octane)]bis(tricarbonyliron) ( 4 ) are highly stereoselective and yield trans-μ-{(1RS,2RS,3SR,5RS,6SR,7RS)-C,2,3,C-η :C,6,7,C-η-[(Z)-1-(3,6,7-trimethylidenebicyclo[3.2.1]-oct-2-ylidene)-2-propanone]}bis(tricarbonyliron) ( 5 ) and trans-μ-{(1RS,2RS,3SR,5RS,6SR,7SR)-C,2,3,C-η :C,6,7,C-η-[(Z,Z)-1,1′-(3,7-dimethylidenebicyclo [3.2.1] octane-2,6-diylidene)di(2-propanone)]}bis(tricarbonyliron) ( 6 ) whose structure has been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.