Die Reaktion von 1-Halogeno-1-Lithiocyclopropanen mit CuCl2: Konkurrenz zwischen ?Carben-Dimerisierung? und oxidativer Kupplung

Stereoselective Preparation of Six Diastereomeric Quatercyclopropanes from Bicyclopropylidene and Some Derivatives

Diastereomeric meso- and d,l-bis(bicyclopropylidenyl) (5) were obtained upon oxidation with oxygen of a higher-order cuprate generated from lithiobicyclopropylidene (4) in 50 and 31 % yield, respectively. Their perdeuterated analogues meso-[D(14)]- and d,l-[D(14)]-5 were obtained along the same route from perdeuterated bicyclopropylidene [D(8)]-3 (synthesized in six steps in 7.4 % overall yield from [D(8)]-THF) in 20.5 % yield each. Dehalogenative coupling of 1,1-dibromo-2-cyclopropylcyclopropane (6) gave a mixture of all possible stereoisomers of 1,5-dicyclopropylbicyclopropylidene 16 in 69 % yield, from which (Z)-cis-16 was separated by preparative gas chromatography (26 % yield). The crystal structure of meso-5 looks like a superposition of the crystal structures of two outer bicyclopropylidene units (3) and one inner s-trans-bicyclopropyl unit, whereas the two outer cyclopropyl moieties adopt a gauche orientation with respect to the cyclopropane rings at the inner bicyclopropylidene units in (Z)-cis-16. Birch reduction with lithium in liquid ammonia of meso-5 and d,l-5 gave two pairs of diastereomeric quatercyclopropanes trans,trans-(R*,S*,R*, S*)-17/cis,trans-(R*,S*,R*,R*)-18 and trans,trans-(R*,S*,S*,R*)-19/cis,trans-(R*,S*,S*,S*)-20 in 97 and 76 % yield, respectively, in a ratio 9:1 for every pair. The latter diastereomer was also obtained as the sole product by Birch reduction of (Z)-cis-16 in 96 % yield. Under the same conditions, tetradecadeuterio analogues trans,trans-[D(14)]-(R*,S*,R*,S*)-17/cis,trans-[D(14)]-(R*, S*,R*,R*)-18 (8:1) and trans,trans-[D(14)]-(R*,S*,S*,R*)-19/cis,trans-[D(14)]-(R*,S*,S*,S*)-20 (12:1) were prepared from meso-[D(14)]-5 and d,l-[D(14)]-5 in 37 and 63 % yield, respectively. Reduction of meso-5 with diimine gave the cis,cis-quatercyclopropane (S*,S*,R*,R*)-21 as the main product (58 % yield) along with the cis,trans-diastereomer (S*,S*,R*,S*)-18 (29 % yield). Thus, five of the six possible diastereomeric quatercyclopropanes were obtained from meso-5, d,l-5, and (Z)-cis-16. The X-ray crystal structure analyses of trans,trans-(R*,S*,R*,S*)-17 and cis,cis-(S*,S*,R*,R*)-21 revealed for the both an unusual conformation in which the central bicyclopropyl unit adopts an s-trans-(antiperiplanar) orientation with phi=180.0 degrees , and the two terminal bicyclopropyl moieties adopt a synclinal conformation with phi=49.8 and 72.0 degrees , respectively. In solution the vicinal coupling constants (3)J(H,H) in trans,trans-(R*,S*,R*,S*)-[D(14)]-17, trans,trans-(R*,S*,S*,R*)-[D(14)]-19, trans,cis-(R*,S*,R*,R*)-[D(14)]-18 and trans,cis-(R*,S*,S*,S*)-[D(14)]-20 were found to be 4.1, 4.7, 5.9 and 5.9 Hz, respectively. This indicates a predominance of the all-gauche conformer in (R*,S*,R*,S*)-17 and a decreasing fraction of it in this sequence of the other diastereomers.

Syntheses and Properties of Enantiomerically Pure Higher (n ≥ 7) [n−2]Triangulanedimethanols and σ-[n]Helicenes

(P)-(+)-Hexaspiro[2.0.0.0. 0.0.2.1.1.1.1.1]pentadecane [(P)-17] as well as (M)-(-)- and (P)-(+)-octaspiro[2.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1]nonadecanes [(M)- and (P)-25]-enantiomerically pure unbranched [7]- and [9]triangulanes-have been prepared starting from racemic THP-protected (methylenecyclopropyl)methanol 6. The relative configurations of all important intermediates as well as the absolute configurations of the key intermediates were established by X-ray crystal structure analyses. This new convergent approach to enantiomerically pure linear [n]triangulanes for n=7, 9 was also tested in two variants towards [15]triangulane. Some of the most prominent and unexpected features of the newly prepared compounds are the remarkable modes of self-assembly of the diols (P)-14, (E)-(3S,3'S,4S,4'S,5R,5'R)-21, (P)-(+)-22, and (E)-31 in the solid state through frameworks of intermolecular hydrogen bonds leading to, depending on the respective structure, nanotube- [(P)-14, (P)-(+)-22, and (E)-31], honeycomb-like structures [(E)-(3S,3'S,4S,4'S,5R,5'R)-21] or a supramolecular double helix [(P)-(+)- and (M)-(-)-22]. Liquid crystalline properties of the esters and ethers of the diols (P)-14, (P)-, and (M)-22 have also been tested. Although all of these [n]triangulanes have no chromophore which would lead to significant absorptions above 200 nm, they exhibit surprisingly high specific rotations even at 589 nm with [alpha](20)(D)=+672.9 (c=0.814 in CHCl(3)) for (P)-(+)-17, +909.9 (c=0.96 in CHCl(3)) for (P)-(+)-25, -890.5 (c=1.01 in CHCl(3)) for (M)-(-)-25, and -1302.5 (c=0.36 in CHCl(3)) for (M)-(-)-39, and the specific rotations increase drastically on going to shorter wavelengths. This outstanding rotatory power is in line with their rather rigid helical arrangement of sigma bonds, and accordingly these helically shaped unbranched [n]triangulanes may be termed "sigma-[n]helicenes", as they represent the sigma-bond analogues of the aromatic pi-[n]helicenes. Density functional theory (DFT) computations at the B3 LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory for the geometry optimization and time-dependent DFT for determining optical rotations with a triplet-zeta basis set (B3 LYP/TZVP) reproduce the optical rotatory dispersions (ORD) very well for the lower members (n=4, 5) of the sigma-[n]helicenes. For the higher ones (n=7, 9, 15) the computed specific rotations turn out increasingly larger than the experimental values. The remarkable increase of the specific rotation with an increasing number of three-membered rings is proportional neither to the molecular weight nor to the number of cyclopropane rings in these sigma-[n]helicenes.

Effects of Ag(I), Au(III), and Cu(II) on the reductive dechlorination of carbon tetrachloride by green rust

Green rusts (GRs), mixed iron(II)/iron(III) hydroxide minerals found in many suboxic environments, have been shown to reduce a range of organic and inorganic contaminants, including several chlorinated hydrocarbons. Many studies have demonstrated the catalytic activity of transition metal species in the reduction of chlorinated hydrocarbons, suggesting the potential for enhanced reduction by GR in the presence of an appropriate transition metal catalyst. Reductive dechlorination of carbon tetrachloride (CT) was examined in aqueous suspensions of GR amended with Ag(I), Au(III), or Cu(II). The CT reduction rates were greatly increased for systems amended with Cu(II), Au(III), and Ag(I) (listed in order of increasing rates) relative to GR alone. Observed intermediates and products included chloroform, dichloromethane, chloromethane, methane, acetylene, ethene, ethane, carbon monoxide, tetrachloroethene, and various nonchlorinated C3 and C4 compounds. Product distributions for the reductive dechlorination of CT were highly dependent on the transition metal used. A reaction pathway scheme is proposed in which CT is reduced primarily to methane and other nonchlorinated end products, largely through a series of one-electron reductions forming radicals and carbenes/carbenoids. Recently, X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of aqueous GR suspensions amended with Ag(I), Au(III), or Cu(II) showed that the metals were reduced to their zerovalent forms. A possible mechanism for CT reduction is the formation of a galvanic couple involving the zerovalent metal and GR, with reduction of CT occurring on the surface of the metal and GR serving as the bulk electron source. The enhanced reduction of CT by GR suspensions amended with Ag(I), Au(III), or Cu(II) may prove useful in the development of improved materials for remediation of chlorinated organic contaminants.

Spirocyclopropanated bicyclopropylidenes: straightforward preparation, physical properites, and chemical transformations

Perspirocyclopropanated bicyclopropylidene (6) was prepared in three steps from 7-cyclopropylidenedispiro[2.0.2.1]heptane (4) (24% overall) or, more efficiently, through dehalogenative coupling of 7,7-dibromo[3]triangulane (15) (82%). This type of reductive dimerization turned out to be successful for the synthesis of (E)- and (Z)-bis(spiropentylidene) 14 (67%) and even of the "third-generation" spirocyclopropanated bicyclopropylidene 17 (17% overall from 15). Whereas the parent bicyclopropylidene 1 dimerized at 180 degrees C to yield [4]rotane, dimerization of 6 at 130 degrees C under 10 kbar pressure occured only with opening of one three-membered ring to yield the polyspirocyclopropanated (cyclopropylidene)cyclopentane derivative 19 (34% yield), and at the elevated temperature the polyspirocyclopropanated 2-cyclopropylidene[3.2.2]propellane derivative 20 (25 % yield). Perspirocyclopropanated bicyclopropylidene 6 and the "third-generation" bicyclopropylidene 17 gave addition of bromine, hydrogen bromide, and various dihalocarbenes without rearrangement. The functionally substituted branched [7]triangulane 28 and branched dichloro-C2v-[15]triangulane 32 were used to prepare the perspirocyclopropanated [3]rotane (D3h-[10]triangulane) 49 (six steps from 6, 1.4% overall yield) and the C2v-[15]triangulane 51 (two steps from 17, 41% overall). Upon catalytic hydrogenation, the perspirocyclopropanated bicyclopropylidene 6 yielded 7,7'-bis(dispiro[2.0.2.]-heptyl) (52) and, under more forcing conditions, 1,1'-bis(2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropyl) (53). The bromofluorocarbene adduct 33 of 17 reacted with butyllithium to give the unexpected polyspirocyclopropanated 1,4-di-n-butyl-2-cyclopropylidenebicyclo[2.2.0]hexane derivative 37 as the main product (55% yield) along with the expected "third-generation" perspirocyclopropanated dicyclopropylidenemethane 38 (21% yield). Mechanistic aspects of this and the other unusual reactions are discussed. The structures of all new unusual hydrocarbons were proven by X-ray crystal structure analyses, and the most interesting structural and crystal packing features are presented.