IChO 1984 · Theory problem 6

A C5 hydrocarbon from pyrolysis fractions: dimerization, epoxidation and stereoisomers

A technical interesting \(\ce{C5}\) hydrocarbon A is separated via dimerization from the for-runnings of the benzene-pyrolysis fraction. This is achieved either by heating to \(140–150\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\) under pressure or by heating over several hours at \(100\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\). Then it is distilled out at \(200\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\). Treatment of A with peroxyacetic acid under neutral conditions (sodium acetate and sodium carbonate) in dichloromethane at \(20\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\) yields a product B. B yields two isomeric products C and D (summary formula \(\ce{C5H8O2}\)) by the reaction with aqueous sodium carbonate solution. The main product C contains three different bound carbon atoms whereas in the minor product D five different carbon atoms are present. C is chiral.

6.1 Write the formulas of A, B, C, and D considering the stereochemical representation.

6.2 What is the name of the chemical reaction which is used for the above mentioned separation procedure?

6.3 Which stereochemical rules hold for the dimerization reaction?

6.4 Give the structure of the dimerization product.

6.5 Give the mechanism of the formation of C and D from B.

6.6 Which kind of isomers are C and D ?

6.7 How many stereoisomers of C and D are principally (regardless of their synthetic availability) possible? Give their mutual stereochemical relations. Write their structural formulas.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 6.1
  • A: Cyclopenta-1,3-diene, \(\ce{C5H6}\): C1=CC=CC1.
  • B: Cyclopentadiene monoepoxide, 6-oxabicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-ene, \(\ce{C5H6O}\), as the racemic pair C1=CC[C@H]2O[C@@H]12 and C1=CC[C@@H]2O[C@H]12.
  • C: trans-Cyclopent-4-ene-1,3-diol, \(\ce{C5H8O2}\), as the racemic pair O[C@@H]1C[C@@H](O)C=C1 and O[C@H]1C[C@H](O)C=C1.
  • D: trans-Cyclopent-3-ene-1,2-diol, \(\ce{C5H8O2}\), as the racemic pair O[C@H]1[C@H](O)C=CC1 and O[C@@H]1[C@@H](O)C=CC1.

  • 6.2 A Diels–Alder \([4+2]\) cycloaddition, followed by a retro-Diels–Alder reaction when the monomer is recovered.

  • 6.3 Suprafacial addition on both components, retention of the dienophile’s relative stereochemistry, an s-cis diene, and preferential formation of the endo adduct.

  • 6.4 The usual major dimer is racemic endo-dicyclopentadiene, \(\ce{C10H12}\): C1=C[C@@H]2[C@H]3C=CC[C@H]3[C@H]1C2 and its enantiomer C1=C[C@H]2[C@@H]3C=CC[C@@H]3[C@@H]1C2.

  • 6.5 C forms by anti allylic \(S_\mathrm{N}2'\) opening, with migration of the double bond; D forms by direct \(S_\mathrm{N}2\) epoxide opening. Protonation of the resulting alkoxides gives the diols.

  • 6.6 C and D are constitutional positional isomers.

  • 6.7 The constitution of C has three stereoisomers: a trans enantiomeric pair and one cis meso form. The constitution of D has four stereoisomers: a trans enantiomeric pair and a cis enantiomeric pair. Thus there are seven altogether, listed explicitly below.

Solution

6.1 — Identification of A, B, C and D

The characteristic reversible dimerization identifies A as cyclopenta-1,3-diene. Its conjugated diene system readily undergoes a Diels–Alder reaction with another molecule of itself.

Peroxyacetic acid, CC(=O)OO, epoxidizes one double bond, producing B, cyclopentadiene monoepoxide, and acetic acid, CC(=O)O:

\[ \ce{C5H6 + CH3CO3H -> C5H6O + CH3CO2H}. \]

The reaction occurs at \(20\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\) in dichloromethane, ClCCl. The neutral conditions preserve the epoxide for the subsequent hydrolysis. The two carbon–oxygen bonds of its three-membered ring lie on the same face of the five-membered carbon ring. Attack on either face of the achiral starting diene gives the two enantiomers of B.

Hydrolysis adds one molecule of water, O, to the epoxide:

\[ \ce{C5H6O + H2O -> C5H8O2}. \]

This balanced equation applies separately to formation of C and D.

For C, put hydroxyl groups at positions 1 and 3 of a five-membered ring and the double bond between positions 4 and 5. Its carbon environments are:

\[ C_1\equiv C_3,\qquad C_4\equiv C_5,\qquad C_2. \]

Thus there are exactly three different carbon environments. The trans configuration has a proper twofold symmetry operation exchanging these carbon pairs, but is chiral. The corresponding cis configuration is meso. Consequently, the stated chirality identifies C as trans-cyclopent-4-ene-1,3-diol.

For D, the hydroxyl groups occupy adjacent positions 1 and 2, and the double bond occupies positions 3 and 4. All five carbons are different:

  • The two hydroxyl-bearing carbons have different relationships to the double bond.
  • The two alkene carbons have different neighbouring groups.
  • The remaining carbon is a methylene carbon.

Direct anti opening of the epoxide gives trans-cyclopent-3-ene-1,2-diol.

To draw either observed diol, show one hydroxyl group on a solid wedge and the other on a dashed wedge. Reversing both wedges gives its enantiomer. Because the reagents and conditions are achiral, the products are racemic; the statement that C is chiral refers to its individual molecules.

6.2 — Reaction used for separation

The dimerization is a Diels–Alder reaction. One molecule acts as the conjugated diene, and one double bond of another molecule acts as the dienophile:

\[ \ce{2 C5H6 -> C10H12}. \]

Dimerization is achieved under the stated conditions: several hours at \(100\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\), or heating to \(140–150\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\) under pressure.

Heating the isolated dimer to about \(200\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\) causes the reverse, retro-Diels–Alder reaction:

\[ \ce{C10H12 -> 2 C5H6}. \]

The regenerated volatile monomer is distilled off.

6.3 — Stereochemical rules

The relevant rules are:

  1. The diene must adopt an s-cis arrangement. Cyclopentadiene already holds its conjugated double bonds in the required arrangement.
  2. The thermal cycloaddition is suprafacial on both components. Both new bonds form on one face of the diene and on one face of the dienophile.
  3. Relative stereochemistry is retained. Groups that are cis on the dienophile remain cis in the adduct.
  4. The endo arrangement is kinetically favoured. The remaining unsaturated portion of the dienophile is directed toward the diene’s developing bicyclic framework, allowing favourable secondary orbital interactions.

6.4 — Structure of the dimer

The product is endo-dicyclopentadiene, systematically endo-tricyclo[5.2.1.0²,⁶]deca-3,8-diene. Its two enantiomeric SMILES are given in Answer 6.4.

Its structure contains:

  • A norbornene framework.
  • A cyclopentene ring fused across the saturated two-carbon bridge.
  • Two remaining carbon–carbon double bonds.
  • An endo orientation of the annulated cyclopentene ring relative to the norbornene methylene bridge.

For a precise drawing using the tricyclic numbering, place double bonds at \(C_3=C_4\) and \(C_8=C_9\), and orient the annulated cyclopentene ring toward the one-carbon bridge.

6.5 — Mechanisms of formation of C and D

Carbonate ion, [O-]C(=O)[O-], supplies hydroxide ion, [OH-], through its equilibrium with water. Hydrogen carbonate ion is O=C(O)[O-]:

\[ \ce{CO3^2- + H2O <=> HCO3- + OH-}. \]

For the mechanism, label the carbon perimeter of B as

\[ b_1-b_2=b_3-b_4-b_5-b_1, \]

with the epoxide oxygen bridging \(b_1\) and \(b_5\). Call the face bearing the epoxide oxygen the upper face.

Formation of C: allylic \(S_\mathrm{N}2'\) opening

Three electron-pair movements occur together:

  1. A hydroxide lone pair attacks \(b_3\) from the lower face.
  2. The \(\pi\) electrons of \(b_2=b_3\) form the new \(b_1=b_2\) double bond.
  3. The \(b_1-\mathrm O\) bond breaks, with its electrons moving onto the epoxide oxygen.

The original epoxide oxygen remains attached to \(b_5\) as an alkoxide. The incoming hydroxyl group at \(b_3\) is trans to it. Protonation gives C.

A representative intermediate is trans-3-hydroxycyclopent-4-en-1-olate:

[O-][C@@H]1C[C@@H](O)C=C1

The final ring has hydroxyl groups at positions 1 and 3 and its double bond at positions 4 and 5.

Formation of D: direct \(S_\mathrm{N}2\) opening

A hydroxide lone pair attacks the epoxide carbon \(b_1\) from the lower face. Simultaneously, the \(b_1-\mathrm O\) bond breaks toward oxygen.

This gives inversion at the attacked carbon. The original epoxide oxygen remains attached to \(b_5\), so the two oxygen substituents are trans. The original \(b_2=b_3\) double bond remains in place.

A representative intermediate is trans-2-hydroxycyclopent-3-en-1-olate:

[O-][C@H]1[C@H](O)C=CC1

Protonation gives D.

For either pathway, the balanced steps are

\[ \ce{C5H6O + OH- -> C5H7O2-}, \]

\[ \ce{C5H7O2- + H2O -> C5H8O2 + OH-}. \]

In the proton-transfer step, the alkoxide oxygen takes a proton from water, and that water molecule’s O–H bond electrons return to its oxygen. Hydroxide is therefore regenerated. The net reaction is

\[ \boxed{\ce{C5H6O + H2O -> C5H8O2}}. \]

6.6 — Relationship between C and D

They are constitutional isomers, specifically positional isomers:

  • C has the cyclopent-4-ene-1,3-diol connectivity.
  • D has the cyclopent-3-ene-1,2-diol connectivity.

Their hydroxyl-bearing carbons have different connectivity relationships, so C and D are not stereoisomers of one another.

6.7 — All possible stereoisomers

For C, the two stereogenic centres are constitutionally equivalent. The nominal configurations \((1R,3S)\) and \((1S,3R)\) describe the same meso compound. Hence there are three stereoisomers.

Stereoisomer of cyclopent-4-ene-1,3-diol Stereochemical SMILES Character
trans-\((1R,3R)\) O[C@@H]1C[C@@H](O)C=C1 Chiral
trans-\((1S,3S)\) O[C@H]1C[C@H](O)C=C1 Enantiomer of the preceding form
cis-\((1R,3S)\), identical to \((1S,3R)\) O[C@@H]1C[C@H](O)C=C1 Achiral, meso

The two trans forms are enantiomers. The cis meso form is a diastereomer of each trans form.

For D, the double bond makes the two stereogenic centres constitutionally inequivalent. No symmetry identifies any of the four configurations, so there are four stereoisomers.

Stereoisomer of cyclopent-3-ene-1,2-diol Stereochemical SMILES Character
trans-\((1R,2R)\) O[C@H]1[C@H](O)C=CC1 Chiral
trans-\((1S,2S)\) O[C@@H]1[C@@H](O)C=CC1 Enantiomer of the preceding form
cis-\((1R,2S)\) O[C@H]1[C@@H](O)C=CC1 Chiral
cis-\((1S,2R)\) O[C@@H]1[C@H](O)C=CC1 Enantiomer of the preceding form

Every cis form of D is a diastereomer of each trans form. There is no meso form of D.

In drawings, cis means both hydroxyl groups are on the same face; trans means they are on opposite faces. Ring conformations do not add further configurational stereoisomers.

\[ \boxed{N_C=3,\qquad N_D=4,\qquad N_{\mathrm{total}}=7.} \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.