The Carbonyl Group as Homoconjugated Electron-Releasing Substituent. Regioselective electrophilic additions at bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-one,bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-5-en-2-one,and derivatives

In CHCl₃, CH₃CN, or AcOH, benzeneselenenyl chloride (PhSeCl), bromide (PhSeBr), and acetate (PhSeOAc), 2-nitrobenzenesulfenyl chloride (NO₂C₆H₄SCl), and 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfenyl chloride ((NO₂)₂C₆H₃SCl) added to bicyclo2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-one ( 5 ) in an. anti fashion with complete stereo- and regioselectivity, giving adducts 20–24 in which the chloride, bromide, or acetoxy substituent (X) occupies the endo position at C(6) and the Se- or S-substituent (E) the exo position at C(5), The addition 5 + (NO₂)₂C₆H₃SCl→ 24 was accompanied by the formation of (1RS, 2RS)-2-(2,4-dinitrophenylthio)cyclopent-3-ene-l-acetic acid ( 25 ). The latter was the major product in AcOH containing LiClO₄. The additions of PhSeCl and PhSeBr to bicyclo2.2.2]oct-5-en-2-one ( 6 ) were less stereoselective (proportion of exo vs. endo mode of electrophilic attack was ca. 3:1) but highly regioselective gazing adducts 27/28 and 29/30 , respectively, the regioselectivity being the same as that of the electrophilic additions of 5 . The reaction of PhSeCl with a 4:1 mixture of 2-exo-chloro- and 2-endo-chlorobicyclo2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carbonitriles ( 12 ) was slower than addition 5 + PhSeCl; it gave adducts 31/32 (4:1) in which the PhSe moiety occupies the exo position at C(6) and the Cl atom the endo position at C(5). The addition of PhSeCl to 2-chlorobicyclo2.2.1]oct-5-ene-2-carbonitriles ( 13 ) was very slow and gave adducts with the same regioselectivity as 12 + PhSeCl, but opposite with that of reactions of the corresponding enones 5 and 6 . PhSeX (X = Cl, Br, OAc) added to 2-cyanobicyclo2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-yl acetates ( 14 ) with the same regioselectivity as 12 + PhSeCl. The additions of PhSeCl, PhSeBr, NO₂C₆H₄SCl, and (NO₂)₂C₆H₃SCl to 2-(bicyclo2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-ylidene)propanedinitrile ( 49 ) were not regioselective, showing that a dicyanomethylidene function is not like a carbonyl function when homoconjugated with a π system. The results are in agreement with predictions based on MO calculations suggesting that a carbonyl group homoconjugated with an electron-deficient centre can behave as an electron-donating, remote substituent because of favourable n(CO)?σC(1), C(2)?p(C(6) hyperconjugative interaction.