Two Useful Directing Modes in Singlet Oxygen Reactivity: Electrostatic Effects in the Ene Reaction with Allylic Alcoholates and a Chemoselectivity Change with α‐Alkoxy Michael Esters

Abstract

AbstractThe singlet oxygen reaction with trisubstituted E‐allylic alcohols resulted in the unselective formation of regioisomeric secondary and tertiary allylic hydroperoxides. Increasing the steric demand at the allylic hydroxymethyl group leads to a moderate large‐group effect that can be strongly enhanced by deprotonation of a dimethylated allylic alcohol and even more pronounced by cation complexation. The presence of alkoxide groups did additionally alter the diastereoselectivity of the singlet oxygen ene reactions with chiral allylic alcohols. The molecular combination of Michael ester and enol ether in α‐alkoxy ester substrates made possible the design of chemoselective substrates for singlet oxygen ene versus [2+2] cycloaddition, e. g. a 3,3‐dimethylated Michael ester as a selective substrate for the ene reaction and an adamantyl analogue as a selective 2+2 substrate. The Z/E‐monomethylated substrates as probes for cis regioselectivity revealed that there is no site preference for Z‐alkoxy hydrogen transfer on the way to the corresponding ene product.