Michael addition-elimination mechanism for nucleophilic substitution reaction of cycloalkenyl iodonium salts and selectivity of 1,2-hydrogen shift in cycloalkylidene intermediate

Reactions of cyclohexenyl and cyclopentenyl iodonium salts with cyanide ion in chloroform give cyanide substitution products of allylic and vinylic forms. Deuterium-labeling experiments show that the allylic product is formed via the Michael addition of cyanide to the vinylic iodonium salt, followed by elimination of the iodonio group and 1,2-hydrogen shift in the 2-cyanocycloalkylidene intermediate. The hydrogen shift preferentially occurs from the methylene rather than the methine beta-position of the carbene, and the selectivity is rationalized by the DFT calculations. The Michael reaction was also observed in the reaction of cyclopentenyliodonium salt with acetate ion in chloroform. The vinylic substitution products are ascribed to the ligand-coupling (via lambda3-iodane) and elimination-addition (via cyclohexyne) pathways.