3,3-Sigmatropic Shifts of Allyl Group Along Cyclopentadiene Ring Perimeter

Abstract

Reversible non-degenerate 3,3-sigmatropic shifts of the allyl group along the perimeter of the five-membered ring occurring with energy barriers ΔG°≠ = 28.5–30.2 kcal/mol (o-dichlorobenzene-d4) have been detected in the allyl derivatives of 5-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetramethoxycarbonylcyclopentadiene by NMR method. Using DFT B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method, it has been shown that degenerate migrations of the allyl group in the related 5-allyl-1,2,3,4,5-pentamethoxycarbonylcyclopentadiene should occur via 3,3-sigmatropic shift through transition states with conformation of a six-membered ring (chair or boat, with close barriers ΔG°≠ = 27.4 or 27.7 kcal/mol, respectively). The simulated higher barrier of alternative 1,5-sigmatropic shifts of the allyl group (ΔG°≠ = 30.8 kcal/mol) indicates the energy preference of the migrations via 3,3-shifts.