Catalytic olefination reaction of carbonyl compounds. A study on stereoselectivity of alkene formation

The mechanism of formation of alkene stereoisomers in the catalytic olefination reaction of carbonyl compounds was studied. 4-Chlorobenzaldehyde hydrazone 1 stereoselectively reacts with a number of F-, Cl-, Br-, and I-containing polyhaloalkanes in the presence of catalytic amounts of CuCl to give -substituted styrenes 2 with the more thermodynamically stable alkene isomer being the major product. A model for the formation of the stereoisomers of alkenes 2 in the olefination reaction is proposed. Stereoselectivity of the reaction is determined by elimination of copper(ii) halides from the lowest-lying conformers of organocopper intermediates II. According to quantum-chemical calculations, the elimination should involve the staggered conformations with antiperiplanar arrangement of C—Hal and C—Cu bonds and proceed by the E2 anti-elimination mechanism. The results of quantum-chemical calculations are in good agreement with the experimental E/Z alkene isomer ratios.