Rearrangements of the carbanions derived from allyl benzyl thioether

Abstract

The metalation of allyl benzyl thioether involves the benzylic or the allylic hydrogens. The benzylic carbanion undergoes a rapid[2,3] sigmatropic shift whereas the allylic carbanion gives rise to various rearrangements, among them migration of the allylic unit to the para position with allylic inversion. The temperature dependence of the ratio of products arising from the benzylic carbanion vs those from the allylic carbanion shows that the allylic-to-benzylic carbanion transformation occurs only under special conditions: (a) with slow addition of the base; (b) with thioether in excess relative to the base, and (c) on raising the temperature of the reaction medium from −78° to −15°. In the last instance, the proton transfer is intramolecular as shown with labeled thioethers. The extent of the different rearrangements depends on the temperature and solvent. A choice of mechanism cannot be made at this time for the para migration 5→ 9a. A leaving group effect on the reaction regioselectivity of the carbanion from allyl methyl thioether with benzyl halides has been noticed. The presence of dibenzyl indicates that, in addition to S N 2 reactions, some electron transfer process is occurring.