C2-Symmetric bicyclo[3.3.1]nona-2,6-diene and bicyclo[3.3.2]deca-2,6-diene: new chiral diene ligands based on the 1,5-cyclooctadiene framework

As a new type of C₂-symmetric chiral diene ligands, which coordinate to a metal by their 1,5-cyclooctadiene framework, we prepared 2,6-disubstituted bicyclo[3.3.1]nona-2,6-diene (bnd*) and bicyclo[3.3.2]deca-2,6-diene (bdd*), and examined their catalytic activity and enantioselectivity for rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition to α,β-unsaturated ketones and 1,2-addition to N-sulfonylimines. High enantioselectivity of the Ph-bnd* ligand was observed in the addition of phenylboroxine to N-tosylimine and N-4-nitrobenzenesulfonylimine of 4-chlorobenzaldehyde to give phenyl(4-chlorophenyl)methylamines in high enantiomeric excess (98–99% ee).     

Enantiomerically pure bicyclo[3.3.1]nona-2,6-diene as the sole source of enantioselectivity in BIPHEP-Rh asymmetric hydrogenation

In situ resolution of the rapidly racemising diphosphine BIPHEP and its relatives with the cationic Rh complex of (S,S)-bicyclonona-2,6-diene permits the asymmetric hydrogenation of dehydroamino esters.     

Synthesis and chemistry of tricyclic cyclopropene-tricyclo[3.2.2.0]nona-2(4),6-diene

The 1,2-bridged tricyclic cyclopropene, tricyclo[3.2.2.0^2,4]nona-2(4),6-diene (1), has been synthesized by the elimination of 2-bromo-4-chlorotricyclo[3.2.2.0^2,4]-non-6-ene (5). Cyclopropene 1 will undergo different isomerizations in ether solution and in neat conditions. Compound 1 rearranged to an anti-Bredt compound 4 via diradical mechanism in ether and tricyclic compound 6 via vinyl carbene mechanism in neat conditions. Compound 1 can be trapped with DPIBF at different temperatures yielding different results: the exo-endo adduct 2 (exo-addition from the view of the cyclopropene and endo-addition from the view of bicyclo[2.2.2]octene) is a sole product at 0°C by slowly addition of methyllithium, and the exo-endo adduct 2, endo-endo adduct 9, anti-Bredt adduct 3, and styrene 8 are isolated at ether refluxing temperature. Styrene 8 is proposed to be formed from endo-endo adduct 9 by diradical mechanism. The chemistry of exo-endo adduct 2 and endo-endo adduct 9 is as well studied. The exo-endo adduct 2 undergoes hydration in trifluoroacetic acid to generate 1,3-cis-diol 11 followed by eliminations of water and formaldehyde to give naphthalene 12. The endo-endo adduct 9 reacts with water in tetrahydrofuran-containing silica gel to yield 1,4-cis-diol 10. Both 9 and 10 react with trifluoroacetic acid to form trans-3-hydroxy trifluoroacetate 13. Compound 13 will undergo hydrolysis and isomerization to generate 1,3-cis-diol 11 in trifluoroacetic acid.     

Synthesis of halo-fluoro-substituted adamantanes by electrophilic transannular cyclization of bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane dienes

3,7-Dimethylenebicyclo[3.3.1]nonane and its derivatives with a methyl or phenyl substituent in a methylene group react, with N-halosuccinimides NXS (X=Cl, Br, I) in dichloromethane in the presence of tetrabutylammonium dihydrotrifluoride or polyfluorinated alcohols via a transannular cyclization leading to the corresponding 1-fluoro- or 1-polyfluoroalkoxy-3-halomethyladamantanes. The reaction of the dienes with NXS and Bu₄N⁺H₂F₃⁻ conducted in THF, oxetane or ethylene oxide runs through a cascade addition of electrophiles (positively charged halogen atoms) and external nucleophiles (solvent molecules and halide anions) to the starting diene substrate and intermediate adamantyl carbocation.     

Oxy-cope rearrangements of bicyclo[3.2.0]heptenones. Synthesis of bicyclo[4.2.1]non-1(4)-en-6-ones and bicyclo[5.2. 1]dec-1(10)-en-5-ones

6-exo-Methylbicyclo[3.2.0]hepten-7-ones and their 2-alkylidene analogues are readily prepared from dialkyl squarates. These compounds undergo facial oxy-Cope ring expansions upon treatment with vinyllithium; the former leads to bicyclo[4.2. 1]non-1(4)-en-6-ones and the latter to the first examples of bicyclo[5.2.1]dec-1(10)-en-5-ones, compounds having exceptionally strained bridgehead double bonds. The transformations are controlled by the 6-exo-methyl group in the starting material along with the substituent at position-1 (bridgehead) which force attack of the lithium reagent from the concave face of the starting material, thus allowing the cyclopentenyl or alkylidene groups to participate in the sigmatropic event.     

Near Cancellation of Through Space and Through Bond Interaction in bicyclo[3.2.2]nona-6,8-diene

The photoelectron spectra of bicyclo[3.2.2]nonane and its five dehydrogenated analogues are reported. Analysis of the π-bands reveals that the unsymmetrical diene 5 retains the ‘natural order’ of the π-orbitals present in the lower homologues, i. e. the in-phase below the out-of-phase combination of the basis π-orbitals π_a and π_c. The isomeric diene 4 is the first member of the symmetrical homologous series (I), which inverts this order, so that a ₁(π) (in phase!) lies above b ₂(π) (out-of-phase!).     

Thermal [2+2] cycloaddition of allenynes: easy construction of bicyclo[6.2.0]deca-1,8-dienes, bicyclo[5.2.0]nona-1,7-dienes, and bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,6-dienes

The simple refluxing of allenynes, having a phenylsulfonyl functionality on the allenyl group, in xylene (or mesitylene) without microwave irradiation resulted in the efficient formation of bicyclo[5.2.0]nona-1,7-dienes and bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,6-dienes in high yields. This method was shown to be successfully applicable to the first construction of bicyclo[6.2.0]deca-1,8-dienes. Construction of the corresponding oxa- and azabicyclo[m.2.0] frameworks could also be attained. This thermal ring-closing reaction involves the formal [2+2] cycloaddition in which the distal double bond of an allenyl moiety exclusively served as one of the pi-components regardless of the position of the phenysulfonyl functionality on the allenyl moiety.     

Enzymatic desymmetrization of prochiral 2,3-bis(acetoxymethyl)bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene and 2,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene

Enzymatic desymmetrization of the title compound 1 is reported using various commercially available lipases in hydrolysis and alcoholysis reactions or ester synthesis. In this area, lipase Amano AK (Pseudomonas sp.) proved to be the best lipase whatever the experimental conditions used. The monoacetate product 2 is indifferently obtained with more than 95% enantiomeric excess (ee) as the levorotatory enantiomer 2a or the dextrorotatory one 2b.     

Dihalogencarben-cycloadditionen an 1-silacyclohexa-2.4-diene 4(5)-sila-bicyclo[4.1.0]-hept-2-ene

4R-1-silacyclohexa-2.4-dienes react with dichlorocarbene and dibromocarbene - prepared by phase-transfer catalysis - to give the cycloadducts at the 2.3- or 4.5- double bond, depending on the nature of R.Über Cycloadditionen von Carbenen an ungesättigte Sila- und Germa-heterocyclen liegen bislang nur wenige Untersuchungen vor.Nach D. Seyferth u. Mitarb. [1] werden bei der Reaktion von 1.1.3.4-Tetramethyl-1-silacyclopenten-3 mit Dichlorcarben (thermolytisch aus C₆H₅HgCCl₂Br) offenkettige Produkte erhalten, die allerdings auf eine vorangegangene Cycloaddition von CCl₂ schließen lassen.Bei der analogen Umsetzung von 1-Germacyclopentenen-3 [1] erhält man als Folgeprodukte der primär gebildeten Cyclopropanaddukte sowohl Germacyclohexadiene-2.4 - als Ergebnis einer Ringerweiterung - als auch Ringöffnungsprodukte. Die Cyclopropanderivate konnten von D. Seyferth u. Mitarb. [2] erst bei Einhaltung sehr milder Reaktionsbedingungen isoliert werden.     

Photochemistry of 3,7-Bis(arylmethylene)bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane Derivatives

UV irradiation of trans-trans-3,7-bis(arylmethylene)bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-2,6-diones leads to their complete or partial transformation into the corresponding cis-cis isomers. Irradiation of trans-trans-3,7-bis(arylmethylene)bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-2,6-diol in ether in the presence of CuCl results in intramolecular cyclization involving the exocyclic double bonds and one benzene ring to give exo-7endo-10-dihydroxy-2-phenyl-3,4-benzotetracyclo[4.3.3.18,11.01,6]tridecane.     

Stereoelectronic control of the retro diels–alder reaction in 8-(N-pyrrolidyl)bicyclo[4.3.0]nona-3,7-diene isomers

The cis- and trans-annulated isomers of 8-(N-pyrrolidyl)bicyclo[4.3.0]nona-3,7-diene show different propensities for the retro Diels–Alder fragmentation following electron impact ionization. Molecular ions of the cis-annulated isomer decompose predominantly via the retro Diels–Alder reaction to give [C₉H₁₃N] ⁺· fragments of the appearance energy (AE)=8.45±0.05eV and critical energy E_c=133±8kJ mol^?1. The trans-annulated isomer gives abundant [M–H]⁺ (AE=9.34±0.08eV) and [M–C₆H₆]⁺· fragments, in addition to [C₉H₁₃N]⁺· ions of AE=8.98±0.05eV and E_c=181±8kJ mol^?1. The ionization energies (IE) were determined as IE_cis=7.07±0.05 eV and IE_trans=7.10±0.06eV. The stereochemical information is much less pronounced in unimolecular decompositions of long-lived (metastable) molecular ions which show very similar fragmentation patterns for both geometrical isomers. Nevertheless, the isomers exhibit different kinetic energy release values in the retro Diels–Alder fragmentation; T_0.5=3.8±0.3 and 4.8±0.2 kJ mol^?1 for the cis and trans isomer respectively. Topological molecular orbital calculations indicate that the retro Diels–Alder reaction prefers a two-step path, with a subsequent cleavage of the C(5)? C(6) and C(1)? C(2) bonds. The open-ring distonic intermediate represents the absolute minimum on the reaction energy hypersurface. The cleavage of the C(1)? C(2) bond is the rate-determining step in the decomposition of the cis isomer, with the critical energy calculated as 137 kJ mol^?1. The cleavage of the C(5)? C(6) bond becomes the rate-determining step in the trans-annulated isomer because of stereoelectronic control. The difference in the energy barriers to this cleavage in the isomers (ΔE=95k Jmol^?1) provides a quantitative estimate of the magnitude of the stereoelectronic effect in cation radicals.