The fragmentation of exo-5-norbornenyl-2-oxychlorocarbene: stereochemistry and mechanism

The fragmentation of (S)-exo-5-norbornenyl-2-oxychlorocarbene (3) affords (S)-exo-5-norbornenyl-2-chloride (4), (R)-endo-5-norbornenyl-2-chloride (5), and (S)-3-nortricyclyl chloride (6) with varying degrees of enantiomeric excess. A weighted blend of S_Ni fragmentation and escape to norbornenyl/nortricyclyl ion pairs rationalizes the stereochemical results.     

The 2-norbornyl cation via the fragmentations of exo- and endo-2-norbornyloxychlorocarbenes: distinction without much difference

exo- and endo-2-norbornyloxychlorocarbenes (7) were generated photochemically from the corresponding diazirines (6). Both carbenes fragmented to [2-norbornyl cation (carbon monoxide) chloride] ion pairs in MeCN or 1,2-dichloroethane solutions. Products included exo-norbornyl chloride (8), endo-norbornyl chloride (9), norbornene (10), and nortricyclene (11). Fragmentation activation energies were very low (< approximately 4 kcal/mol) and, as a result, the (laser flash photolytic) rate constants for fragmentation were essentially identical for exo-7 and endo-7 ( approximately 5 x 10(5) s(-1) in MeCN). Due to chloride return within the ion pairs, product distributions from exo- and endo-7 differed, with more endo-chloride formed from the endo-carbene: the 8/9 product ratio in MeCN was approximately 41 from exo-7, but only 4.6 from endo-7. Norbornene, formed by proton transfer to Cl(-) within the ion pairs, was a major product in both cases (44% from exo-7 and 62% from endo-7). In MeOH/MeCN, up to 28% of exo-2-norbornyl methyl ether formed at the expense of some of the norbornene, but even in 100% MeOH, the norbornyl chloride products of ion pair return still accounted for 46% and 31% of the exo-7 and endo-7 product mixtures (accompanied by 26-32% of norbornene). Electronic structure calculations on the ground states and fragmentation transition states of exo-7 and endo-7 are presented.     

Carbene fragmentation in the bicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl system: disconnecting the trishomocyclopropenyl cation

[structure: see text] Fragmentation of cis-3-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexyloxychlorocarbene (4) affords cis- and trans-3-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl chlorides, cis- and trans-2-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl chlorides, and 2-bicylo[3.1.0]hexene. The promiscuity of product formation, taken together with kinetics and labeling studies, suggests that the fragmentation of 4 proceeds via a 3-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl cation-chloride ion pair but largely bypasses a trishomocyclopropenyl cation intermediate.     

The fragmentation of benzyloxychlorocarbene: Formation of benzyl cation

Thermolysis of 3-benzyloxy-3-chlorodiazirine in MeCN at 25°C affords benzyloxychlorocarbene that fragments cleanly to the benzyl cation.     

A molecular orbital approach to the fragmentation of the acetaldehyde cation radical

The microscopic process of the -cleavage of the acetaldehyde cation radical is treated by means of the molecular orbital method. Two kinds of transition state for two different dissociation channels are located on the multidimensional potential surface. Supposing the Franck-Condon principle in the ionization process, the importance of the non-equilibrium initial state where two specific modes are excited is emphasized. In order to clarify the mechanism of these fragmentation processes a simple model of the intra-molecular energy transfer is constructed considering the anharmonicity of the potential energy function.     

Role of 2-oxo and 2-thioxo modifications on the fragmentation reactions of the histidine radical cation

The fragmentation reactions of the radical cations, M(·+), of histidine, 2-oxo-histidine and 2-thioxo-histidine were examined using a combination of experiments performed on a linear ion trap and density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the UB3-LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. Low-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID) on [Cu(II)(terpy)(M)](2+) complexes, formed via electrospray ionisation, produced the radical cations in sufficient yield to examine their unimolecular chemistry via an additional stage of CID. The CID spectrum of the radical cation of histidine is dominated by loss of water with the next most abundant ion arising from the combined loss of H(2)O and CO. In contrast, the CID spectra of the radical cations of 2-oxo-histidine and 2-thioxo-histidine are dominated by the combined loss of CO(2) and NH=CH(2). The observed differences are rationalised via DFT calculations which reveal that the barrier associated with loss of CO(2) from the histidine radical cation is higher than that for loss of H(2)O. In contrast, the introduction of an oxygen or sulfur atom into the side chain of histidine results in a reversal of the order of these barrier heights, thus making CO(2) loss the preferred pathway.     

Cyclization of ethyl endo-5-norbornene-2-carboxylate with hetarene sulfenyl chlorides

Cyclization of ethyl endo-5-norbornene-2-carboxylate with 1,3-benzothiazole-2-sulfenyl and 3-methoxycarbonylpyridine-2-sulfenyl chlorides follows two directions, namely, electophilic lactonization of unsaturated ester or polar cycloaddition of sulfenylating reagent to the multiple bond accompanied by ring closure by the nitrogen atom of the thiohetaryl fragment.     

Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction of masked 5-alkylidene-2-cyclopentenones: general entry to 5-alkylidene-2-(hydroxyalkyl)- 2-cyclopentenones

The reaction of masked 5-alkylidene-2-cyclopentenones with aldehydes catalyzed by tributylphosphine in the presence of phenol provided the corresponding Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts, which were subjected to flash vacuum pyrolysis to afford 5-alkylidene-2-(hydroxyalkyl)-2-cyclopentenones.     

The Halide-promoted fragmentation of 1-chloro-1-fluoro-2-(a-silylakyl))cyclopropanes: A new entry to fluorodienes

When heated in the presence of tetrabutylammonium fluoride or chloride, 1-chloro-1-fluoro-2-(trimethylsilyl)methyl-cyclopropanes ( 1 , 2 and 3 ) undergo smooth ring-opening fragmentation to afford 2-fluoro-butadienes (( 4 , 5 and 6 resp.) with high yields. Despite unfavorable geometries, the reaction is concerted and the inversion mode of rotation dominates over the retention mode by a factor roughly 100.     

Alkoxyl radical fragmentation of 3-azido-2,3-dideoxy-2-halo-hexopyranoses: a new entry to chiral polyhydroxylated 2-azido-1-halo-1-alkenes

A new general two-step methodology for the synthesis of chiral fluoro, chloro, bromo and iodo vinyl azides from carbohydrate-derived halohydrins has been developed. The anomeric alkoxyl radical fragmentation of 3-azido-2,3-dideoxy-2-halo-pyranoses under oxidative conditions with (diacetoxyiodo)benzene and iodine gave 2-azido-1,2-dideoxy-1-halo-1-iodo-alditols, which by chemoselective dehydroiodination afforded (Z,E)-2-azido-1,2-dideoxy-1-halo-4-O-formyl-pent-1-enitols in good overall yields. Preliminary thermolysis and photochemical studies of these compounds for the synthesis of hitherto unknown disubstituted 2-halo-3-alkyl-2H-azirines have also been accomplished.     

Comparative stereochemistry of the fragmentations of oxychlorocarbenes, chlorocarbonates, and chlorosulfites in the 3-nortricyclyl/5-norbornen-2-yl system

Fragmentations of the title precursors in polar solvents proceed via similar ion pairs to mixtures of exo-2-chloro-5-norbornene and 3-nortricyclyl chloride. The stereochemical course of the conversions is mainly determined by least motion chloride return in ion pair intermediates.     

Degenerate skeletal rearrangement and energy partitioning in the fragmentation of the norbornyl cation

The electron-impact-induced fragmentation of a ¹³C labelled exo-2-norbornyl chloride has been studied. When the norbornyl cation, [C₇H₁₁]⁺, [M – Cl], dissociates by elimination of C₂H₄, carbon atoms are randomly lost showing that extensive skeletal rearrangement (in addition to the complete hydrogen atom scrambling reported earlier) has taken place in the norbornyl cation prior to dissociation. The metastable ion peak associated with the above fragmentation consists of superimposed gaussian and flat-top components; it is proposed that these correspond to the formation of isomeric [C₅H₇]₊ daughter ions whose heats of formation differ by ～0.4 eV.     

Synthesis and stereochemistry of 2, 2-dimethyl-5-aryl-4-benzoyl-1,3-dioxolanes

The reaction of 3-aryl-2-benzoyloxiranes with acetone in the presence of catalytic amounts of boron trifluoride etherate leads to the formation of mixtures of cis and trans isomers (3070) of 2,2-dimethyl-5-aryl-4-benzoyl-1,3-dioxolanes, the structures and stereochemistry of which were established on the basis of data from their PMR spectra, measurement of the Overhauser nuclear effect, and some chemical transformations.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 7, pp. 888–891, July, 1979.     

Glutathione radical cation in the gas phase; generation, structure and fragmentation

Two different chemical methods have been used to form glutathione radical cations: (1) collision-induced dissociations (CIDs) of the ternary complex [Cu(II)(tpy)(M)]˙(2+) (M = GSH, tpy = 2,2':6',2'-terpyridine) and (2) homolysis of the S-NO bond in protonated S-nitrosoglutathione. The radical cations, M˙(+), were trapped and additional CIDs were performed. They gave virtually identical CID spectra, suggesting a facile interconversion between initial structures prior to fragmentation. DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) level of theory have been used to study interconversion between different isomers of the glutathione radical cation and to examine mechanisms by which these ions fragment. The N-terminal α-carbon-centred radical cation, strongly stabilized by the captodative effect, is at the global minimum, which is 8.5 kcal mol(-1) lower in enthalpy than the lowest energy conformer of the S-centred radical cation. The barrier against interconversion is 18.1 kcal mol(-1) above the S-centred radical.     

Kinetics of the pyrolyses of endo- and exo-5-methylbicyclo (2.2.2) oct-2-ene in the gas phase

The pyrolyses of endo- and exo-5-methylbicyclo (2.2.2) oct-2-ene (endo- and exo-MBO) have been studied between 608 and 679°K at pressures between 7 and 37 torr. These reactions correspond to parallel first-order eliminations of propene and ethylene: The rate constants (in sec^?1) for endo-MBO are given by and those for exo-MBO by Reaction mechanisms involving diradicals are shown to be compatible with the experimental results. The heats of formation and the entropies of endo and exo-MBO are estimated.     

Regio- and stereoselective electrophilic additions to exo and endo-2-hydroxy-2-methyl-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene

The regio- and stereoselectivity of electrophilic additions of PhSeCl and PhSCl to isomeric 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-enes is highly dependent upon the relative stereochemistry of the substrate.     

Rearrangements in the electron-impact induced fragmentation reactions of 5-alkylthio-1,3,4-thiadiazolyl-2-amines

The low resolution mass spectra of a number of homologous 5-alkylthio-1,3,4-thiadiazolyl-2-amines have been determined. With the methylthio compound the only significant loss from the molecular ion is the sulphydryl radical. As the homologous series is ascended this reaction becomes less important and is insignificant with the butylthio isomers. The ethylthio compound suffers extensive loss of ethylene and when the alkyl group contains three or more carbon atoms the main reaction is always loss of the olefin coresponding to the alkyl group.All of the n-alkylthio compounds showed in addition loss of methylthio radical from the molecular ion. A mechanism is proposed and comparisons made with alkyl phenyl thioethers and alkylthio substituted heterocycles.