IChO 2008 · Theory problem 2

From an aromatic hydrocarbon to compounds A-H

Determine the structure of the compounds A - H (stereochemistry is not expected), based on the information given in the following reaction scheme:

Figure 1

Hints:

  • A is a well-known aromatic hydrocarbon.
  • A hexane solution of C reacts with sodium (gas evolution can be observed), but C does not react with chromic acid.
  • \(\ce{^{13}C}\) NMR spectroscopy shows that D and E contain only two kinds of \(\ce{CH2}\) groups.
  • When a solution of E is heated with sodium carbonate an unstable intermediate forms at first, which gives F on dehydration.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

Problem 2 — structures A–H:

  • A: Naphthalene — c1ccc2ccccc2c1
  • B: Decalin (bicyclo[4.4.0]decane) — C1CCC2CCCCC2C1
  • C: Bicyclo[4.4.0]decan-1-ol — OC12CCCCC1CCCC2
  • D: Bicyclo[4.4.0]dec-1(6)-ene — C1CCCC2=C1CCCC2
  • E: Cyclodecane-1,6-dione — O=C1CCCCC(=O)CCCC1
  • F: Bicyclo[5.3.0]dec-1(7)-en-2-one — O=C1CCCCC2=C1CCC2
  • G: Bicyclo[5.3.0]decan-2-ol — OC1CCCCC2C1CCC2
  • H: Azulene — C1=CC=C2C=CC=C2C=C1

Stereochemistry is omitted as requested. The SMILES for H gives a Kekulé representation of its aromatic structure.

Solution

A and B — aromatic hydrocarbon and complete hydrogenation

Addition of five equivalents of hydrogen gives \(\ce{C10H18}\), so A has molecular formula \(\ce{C10H8}\). Its degree of unsaturation is

\[ \mathrm{DBE}=\frac{2(10)+2-8}{2}=7. \]

Naphthalene accounts for these seven units through two rings and five double bonds. Complete hydrogenation gives B, decalin, retaining the two fused six-membered rings:

\[ \ce{C10H8 + 5H2 ->[Pd] C10H18}. \]

The NMR and ozonolysis clues below confirm this choice of carbon skeleton; the molecular formula alone would not uniquely identify naphthalene.

C — oxidation at a bridgehead

Reaction with sodium, with hydrogen evolution, indicates an alcohol. Resistance to chromic acid identifies it as a tertiary alcohol, whose hydroxyl-bearing carbon has no hydrogen available for ordinary alcohol oxidation.

The only tertiary carbon atoms in decalin are its two equivalent bridgeheads. Consequently, C is bicyclo[4.4.0]decan-1-ol, with the hydroxyl group on a bridgehead.

Using \(\ce{[O]}\) for one oxygen-atom equivalent supplied by the unspecified radical oxidant, the transformation is

\[ \ce{C10H18 + [O] -> C10H18O}. \]

Its reaction with sodium is

\[ \ce{2C10H18O + 2Na -> 2C10H17ONa + H2}. \]

The organic product is sodium bicyclo[4.4.0]decan-1-olate, [Na+].[O-]C12CCCCC1CCCC2; the gas is hydrogen, [H][H].

D — dehydration and the symmetry clue

Zinc chloride promotes dehydration:

\[ \ce{C10H18O ->[ZnCl2] C10H16 + H2O}. \]

Loss of the hydroxyl group from one bridgehead and hydrogen from the other forms a double bond along the bond shared by the two six-membered rings. Thus D is bicyclo[4.4.0]dec-1(6)-ene.

This placement explains the NMR observation. Its eight methylene carbons fall into exactly two equivalent sets:

  • Four methylene carbons directly adjacent to an alkene carbon.
  • Four remaining methylene carbons, one position farther away.

A double bond between a bridgehead and a neighboring non-bridgehead carbon would destroy this symmetry.

E — reductive ozonolysis

Ozonolysis cleaves the shared double bond of D. Neither alkene carbon carries a hydrogen, so both become ketone carbonyls.

Removing the shared bond leaves the ten-carbon outer perimeter as one ring. The carbonyl groups occupy positions 1 and 6, identifying E as cyclodecane-1,6-dione.

Including the acidic zinc workup, a balanced net equation is

\[ \ce{C10H16 + O3 + Zn + 2H+ -> C10H16O2 + Zn^{2+} + H2O}. \]

The NMR clue is again satisfied: the four methylene groups adjacent to carbonyl groups are equivalent, and the other four form a second equivalent set.

F — intramolecular aldol condensation

Number the ring of E so that its carbonyl carbons are C1 and C6. Under the basic conditions, enolate formation at C2 allows this carbon to attack the carbonyl carbon C6. The carbonyl \(\pi\) electrons move onto oxygen, and protonation produces a hydroxyl group.

The new C2–C6 bond creates:

  • A five-membered ring: C2–C3–C4–C5–C6.
  • A seven-membered ring: C2–C1–C10–C9–C8–C7–C6.

The unstable aldol intermediate is therefore 7-hydroxybicyclo[5.3.0]decan-2-one, O=C1CCCCC2(O)C1CCC2.

Dehydration removes the hydroxyl group at C6 and a hydrogen at C2, using the original numbering of E. This forms C2=C6, conjugated with the remaining carbonyl group. The resulting enone is F, bicyclo[5.3.0]dec-1(7)-en-2-one.

The overall condensation balance is

\[ \ce{C10H16O2 -> C10H14O + H2O}. \]

Thus the double bond of F lies along the shared edge of its five- and seven-membered rings, and the carbonyl group lies in the seven-membered ring next to that edge.

G — hydrogenation followed by carbonyl reduction

Palladium-catalysed hydrogenation reduces the alkene of F:

\[ \ce{C10H14O + H2 ->[Pd] C10H16O}. \]

The intermediate is bicyclo[5.3.0]decan-2-one, O=C1CCCCC2C1CCC2.

Sodium borohydride then reduces the ketone to a secondary alcohol, giving G, bicyclo[5.3.0]decan-2-ol. Using \(\ce{[H]}\) to denote a formal hydrogen-atom reducing equivalent,

\[ \ce{C10H16O + 2[H] ->[NaBH4] C10H18O}. \]

The fused five- and seven-membered carbon skeleton remains intact through both steps.

H — aromatization and return to A

Heating G over palladium on carbon removes water and eight hydrogen atoms, equivalent to four molecules of hydrogen:

\[ \ce{C10H18O -> C10H8 + H2O + 4H2}. \]

The product retains the fused five- and seven-membered rings and contains five double bonds. It is therefore H, azulene, a nonbenzenoid aromatic hydrocarbon with a delocalized ten-\(\pi\)-electron system.

Finally, heating azulene to \(450\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\) rearranges its carbon skeleton to the two fused six-membered rings of naphthalene:

\[ \underset{\text{H: azulene}}{\ce{C10H8}} \xrightarrow{450\,^\circ\mathrm{C}} \underset{\text{A: naphthalene}}{\ce{C10H8}}. \]

This closes the reaction sequence and confirms the assignments.

The solution was checked against the official solution.