Unambiguous Proof for Alcoxycarbonyl-group Migration in Wagner-Meerwein Rearrangements

In HSO₃F/SO₂ClF the β-hydroxy esters Ph-CHOH-CMe₂-COOR ( 1 , R?Me, Et) are doubly protonated, then transformed into the fluorosulfates 7 and (partly) into the fluorides 8. At ?15°, both 7 and 8 undergo a rearrangement, forming derivatives of Me₂C?C(Ph)COOR ( 2 ). By labelling 1 with ¹³C, singly (¹³C(3)) and doubly (¹³C(1,3)), it could be shown that exclusively the ROOC groups undergo a 1,2-shift. Compound 2 is also formed in HSO₃F/SO₂ClF from the isomeric Me₂COH-CHPh-COOR ( 3 ) by elimination, and less easily from the α-hydroxy ester Ph-CMe₂-CHOH-COOR (5) via a phenyl 1,2-shift. Another isomer, Ph-C(OH)Me-CHMe-COOR (4) gives products different from 2 . Using more acidic systems containing SbF₅, the free carbenium ions 13 (Ph-CH⁺-CMe₂-COOR) can be stabilized; they do not form 2 , possibly because of complexation of the ester group with SbF₅. The energy profile and the mechanism of the rearrangement 1 → 2 are discussed.