IChO 1989 · Theory problem 5

Isomeric cyclobutanedicarboxylic acids

Carboxylic acids are a chemically and biologically important class of organic compounds.

5.1 Draw the constitutional (structural) formulae of all isomeric cyclobutanedicarboxylic acids and give the systematic names for these compounds.

5.2 There are three stereoisomers, I,II and III, of cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid. Draw perspective or stereo formulas of I, II and III indicating the relative configuration of each molecule.

5.3 Which pairs of stereoisomers I, II and III are diastereoisomers and which are enantiomers of each other?

5.4 Which reaction can be used to determine the relative configuration of diastereoisomers?

5.5 How may the enantiomers of cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid be separated?

5.6 Indicate the absolute configurations of each asymmetric centre on the structures of the stereoisomers I, II and III using the Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules (\(R,S\) system).

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

The statement does not assign particular structures to I–III; the following assignments are used throughout.

  • 5.1 The three constitutional isomers are:
  • Cyclobutane-1,1-dicarboxylic acid: O=C(O)C1(C(=O)O)CCC1
  • Cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid: O=C(O)C1C(C(=O)O)CC1
  • Cyclobutane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid: O=C(O)C1CC(C(=O)O)C1

  • 5.2 The three stereoisomers of cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid are:

  • I: cis, meso, \((1R,2S)\); O=C(O)[C@H]1[C@@H](C(=O)O)CC1
  • II: trans, \((1R,2R)\); O=C(O)[C@H]1[C@H](C(=O)O)CC1
  • III: trans, \((1S,2S)\); O=C(O)[C@@H]1[C@@H](C(=O)O)CC1

  • 5.3 II and III are enantiomers. I and II, and I and III, are diastereoisomers.

  • 5.4 Use intramolecular dehydration to a cyclic anhydride. I readily forms cis-cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic anhydride, O=C1OC(=O)[C@H]2CC[C@@H]12. II and III cannot form this anhydride while retaining their configurations.

  • 5.5 Form diastereomeric salts with a suitable enantiopure base, such as \((S)\)-1-phenylethan-1-amine, C[C@H](N)c1ccccc1. Separate the salts by fractional crystallization, then acidify each fraction to recover the individual acid enantiomers.

  • 5.6 I: \(1R,2S\), equivalently \(1S,2R\); II: \(1R,2R\); III: \(1S,2S\).

Solution

5.1 — Constitutional isomers

Fix one carboxyl group at carbon 1 of a cyclobutane ring. The second carboxyl group can occupy:

  1. The same carbon: cyclobutane-1,1-dicarboxylic acid.
  2. An adjacent carbon: cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid.
  3. The opposite carbon: cyclobutane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid.

Position 4 is equivalent to position 2 by reversing the ring numbering, so it gives no additional constitutional isomer.

To draw the structures, draw a square representing the four-carbon ring and attach two \(\ce{-C(=O)OH}\) groups to one vertex, two adjacent vertices, or two opposite vertices, respectively. The connectivity SMILES are given in the answers. All three have molecular formula \(\ce{C6H8O4}\).

5.2 — Stereoisomers and their drawings

Use a square projection with C1 at the upper left, C2 at the upper right, C3 at the lower right, and C4 at the lower left. Draw the carboxyl bonds outward: towards the upper left from C1 and towards the upper right from C2.

A solid wedge points towards the reader; a hashed wedge points away. Draw the hydrogen at each stereocentre with the opposite wedge type to its carboxyl group.

Isomer Carboxyl bond at C1 Carboxyl bond at C2 Relative configuration
I Solid wedge Solid wedge cis: both groups on the same face
II Solid wedge Hashed wedge trans: groups on opposite faces
III Hashed wedge Solid wedge trans: groups on opposite faces

These descriptions correspond to the stereochemical SMILES in the answers. The actual cyclobutane ring can pucker; the square projection specifies the configurations without specifying a particular puckered conformation.

There are two stereogenic centres, giving the candidate assignments \[ (R,R),\quad(S,S),\quad(R,S),\quad(S,R). \]

The two centres occupy symmetry-equivalent positions. Consequently, the cis assignments \((R,S)\) and \((S,R)\) describe the same meso compound, I. Drawing both carboxyl groups as hashed wedges therefore gives another representation of I.

The trans assignments \((R,R)\) and \((S,S)\) describe two distinct, chiral compounds, II and III. Thus there are three configurational stereoisomers.

5.3 — Stereochemical relationships

Reflection reverses both stereocentres: \[ (1R,2R)\longleftrightarrow(1S,2S). \] Therefore, II and III are nonsuperimposable mirror images: enantiomers.

I has cis substitution, whereas II and III have trans substitution. I is not the mirror image of either trans form. Therefore:

  • I/II: diastereoisomers.
  • I/III: diastereoisomers.

5.4 — Determining the relative configuration chemically

Use cyclic anhydride formation under dehydrating conditions that preserve the stereocentres.

In cis acid I, the two carboxyl groups lie on the same face and can undergo intramolecular dehydration. The resulting five-membered anhydride ring contains the two adjacent cyclobutane carbons, the two carbonyl carbons, and the bridging oxygen.

The product is cis-cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic anhydride, also named cis-3-oxabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-2,4-dione, with SMILES O=C1OC(=O)[C@H]2CC[C@@H]12.

The balanced dehydration equation is \[ \ce{C6H8O4 ->[\Delta] C6H6O3 + H2O}. \] The eliminated molecule is water, O.

The trans acids have their carboxyl groups on opposite faces. They cannot undergo the corresponding direct closure to this cis-fused anhydride while preserving both stereocentres. Thus ready cyclic anhydride formation distinguishes cis I from trans II and III. Conditions that cause epimerization must be avoided, since anhydride formation after epimerization would not establish the starting configuration.

5.5 — Separating the enantiomers

II and III have identical physical properties in an achiral environment, including solubility in an achiral solvent. To resolve them, introduce an enantiopure reagent that converts them into diastereomeric salts.

For example, use \((S)\)-1-phenylethan-1-amine, C[C@H](N)c1ccccc1, as the resolving base. With two equivalents of base per equivalent of dicarboxylic acid, the balanced proton-transfer equation, applicable to either acid enantiomer, is \[ \ce{C6H8O4 + 2C8H11N <=> C6H6O4^2- + 2C8H12N+}. \]

The salt components are:

Ion Stereochemical SMILES
\((S)\)-1-Phenylethylammonium ion C[C@H]([NH3+])c1ccccc1
\((1R,2R)\)-Cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylate O=C([O-])[C@H]1[C@H](C(=O)[O-])CC1
\((1S,2S)\)-Cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylate O=C([O-])[C@@H]1[C@@H](C(=O)[O-])CC1

Each salt contains two resolving-base cations and one acid dianion. The two salts are diastereomeric because the base configuration remains fixed while both acid stereocentres are reversed.

Choose a solvent in which the salts have sufficiently different solubilities and separate them by fractional crystallization. Acidify each purified salt separately to regenerate its corresponding acid enantiomer. Using hydronium ion, [OH3+], the balanced net ionic equation is \[ \ce{C6H6O4^2- + 2H3O+ -> C6H8O4 + 2H2O}. \]

This recovers II and III separately without changing their stereocentres.

5.6 — Absolute configurations by the CIP rules

At either stereocentre, the directly attached atoms are three carbons and one hydrogen. Hydrogen therefore has the lowest priority. Compare the atoms attached to each competing carbon, treating a double bond by the CIP duplicate-atom convention:

Attached group or ring direction Atoms compared at the next level Priority
Carboxyl carbon \((\mathrm{O},\mathrm{O},\mathrm{O})\) 1
Ring path through the other substituted carbon \((\mathrm{C},\mathrm{C},\mathrm{H})\) 2
Ring path through the neighbouring methylene carbon \((\mathrm{C},\mathrm{H},\mathrm{H})\) 3
Hydrogen — 4

Thus the priorities are:

  • At C1: \(\ce{-COOH}\) \(>\) path through C2 \(>\) path through C4 \(>\) H.
  • At C2: \(\ce{-COOH}\) \(>\) path through C1 \(>\) path through C3 \(>\) H.

With priority 4 directed away, a clockwise \(1\to2\to3\) sequence is \(R\), and an anticlockwise sequence is \(S\). If priority 4 points towards the reader, reverse the assignment.

Applying this to the drawings specified in 5.2:

Isomer C1 C2 Complete assignment
I \(R\) \(S\) cis-\((1R,2S)\), meso
II \(R\) \(R\) trans-\((1R,2R)\)
III \(S\) \(S\) trans-\((1S,2S)\)

The solution was checked against the official solution.