IChO 2008 · Theory problem 4

Ring opening of oxiranes

A major transformation route for oxiranes (epoxides) is ring opening. This may be accomplished in various ways.

On acid catalysis the reactions proceed through cation-like (carbenium ion-like) species. For substituted oxiranes the direction of ring opening (which \(\ce{C-O}\) bond is cleaved) depends on the stability of the intermediate carbenium ion. The more stable the intermediate carbenium ion the more probable its formation. However, an open carbenium ion (with a planar structure) only forms if it is tertiary, benzylic or allylic.

On base catalysis the sterically less hindered \(\ce{C-O}\) bond is cleaved predominantly.

Keep stereochemistry in mind throughout the whole problem. To depict stereochemistry use only the

Figure 1

bond symbols and nothing else where necessary.

4.1 Draw the structure of the reactant and the predominant products when 2,2-dimethyl-oxirane (1,2-epoxy-2-methylpropane) reacts with methanol at low temperatures, catalysed by

(i) sulphuric acid

(ii) \(\ce{NaOCH3}\).

Figure 2

4.2 Draw the structure of the predominant product when the epoxide ring of the following leukotriene derivative is opened with a thiolate (\(\ce{RS^-}\)).

Figure 3

Different porous acidic aluminosilicates can also be used to catalyse the transformation of alkyl oxiranes. In addition to ring opening, cyclic dimerisation is found to be the main reaction pathway producing mainly 1,4-dioxane derivatives (six-membered saturated rings with two oxygen atoms in positions 1,4).

4.3 Draw the structure(s) of the most probable 1,4-dioxane derivative(s) when the starting compound is (S)-2-methyloxirane ((S)-1,2-epoxypropane). Give the structure of the reactant as well.

4.4 Draw the structure(s) of the substituted 1,4-dioxane(s) when the epoxide reacting is (R)-1,2-epoxy-2-methylbutane ((R)-2-ethyl-2-methyloxirane). Give the structure of the reactant as well.

4.5 Give the structure(s) of the substituted 1,4-dioxane(s) when this reaction is carried out with racemic 1,2-epoxy-2-methylbutane (2-ethyl-2-methyloxirane).

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 4.1 Reactant: 2,2-dimethyloxirane, CC1(C)CO1.
  • (i) Acid catalysis: 2-methoxy-2-methylpropan-1-ol, COC(C)(C)CO, with structure \(\ce{HOCH2C(CH3)2OCH3}\).
  • (ii) Base catalysis: 1-methoxy-2-methylpropan-2-ol, COCC(C)(C)O, with structure \(\ce{CH3OCH2C(CH3)2OH}\).

  • 4.2 The product has hydroxy at C3 and \(\ce{SR}\) at C4, with configuration (3S,4R). Its name is methyl (3S,4R,5E,7E,9Z,12Z)-3-hydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-4-(organosulfanyl)octadeca-5,7,9,12-tetraenoate.
    SMILES: COC(=O)C(C)(C)[C@H](O)[C@H](S*)/C=C/C=C/C=C\C/C=C\CCCCC
    Here * represents the unspecified organic group \(\ce{R}\).

  • 4.3 Reactant: (S)-2-methyloxirane, C[C@H]1CO1.
    Product: cis-(2R,5R)-2,5-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane, O1[C@H](C)CO[C@H](C)C1.

  • 4.4 Reactant: (R)-2-ethyl-2-methyloxirane, CC[C@]1(C)CO1. The products are three stereoisomers of 2,5-diethyl-2,5-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane:

Product SMILES
cis-(2R,5R) O1[C@](C)(CC)CO[C@](C)(CC)C1
cis-(2S,5S) O1[C@@](C)(CC)CO[C@@](C)(CC)C1
trans, meso-(2R,5S), identical to (2S,5R) O1[C@](C)(CC)CO[C@@](C)(CC)C1

Here cis/trans describes the relationship between the two methyl groups; the two ethyl groups have the same cis/trans relationship.

  • 4.5 The products are the same three stereoisomers listed in 4.4: the (2R,5R)/(2S,5S) enantiomeric pair and the meso-(2R,5S) compound.

Solution

4.1

The reactant is a three-membered ring containing oxygen, a methylene carbon and a carbon bearing two methyl groups. The reagents are methanol, CO; sulphuric acid, OS(=O)(=O)O; and sodium methoxide, [Na+].C[O-].

(i) Acid catalysis. Protonation activates the epoxide. Cleavage at the carbon bearing two methyl groups is favoured because it produces a tertiary carbenium centre. The original epoxide oxygen remains attached to the methylene carbon. Methanol attacks the tertiary centre through its oxygen, and deprotonation gives the product:

\[ \ce{C4H8O + CH3OH ->[H2SO4] HOCH2C(CH3)2OCH3}. \]

Thus, the methoxy group is attached to the more substituted carbon, while the hydroxy group is attached to the methylene carbon.

(ii) Base catalysis. Methoxide attacks the less hindered methylene carbon by an \(S_\mathrm{N}2\) mechanism. The electrons of its breaking bond to the epoxide oxygen move onto oxygen. Proton transfer from methanol then produces the alcohol and regenerates methoxide:

\[ \ce{C4H8O + CH3OH ->[NaOCH3] CH3OCH2C(CH3)2OH}. \]

Neither product has a stereogenic centre, because the substituted carbon bears two identical methyl groups.

4.2

Number the chain from the ester carbonyl carbon, C1. The geminal methyl groups are at C2, and the epoxide occupies C3 and C4.

The supplied trans-(3S,4S) reactant is methyl (3S,4S,5E,7E,9Z,12Z)-3,4-epoxy-2,2-dimethyloctadeca-5,7,9,12-tetraenoate:

COC(=O)C(C)(C)[C@@H]1O[C@H]1/C=C/C=C/C=C\C/C=C\CCCCC

The organothiolate ion, *[S-], attacks C4. C3 is more hindered because it lies next to the carbon bearing two methyl groups and the ester substituent.

Attack occurs opposite the breaking C4–oxygen bond, giving inversion at C4. The C3–oxygen bond remains intact, so C3 retains its configuration. Acid work-up supplies a proton, [H+], to the oxygen.

Consequently:

\[ \text{C3: }S\longrightarrow S, \qquad \text{C4: }S\longrightarrow R. \]

The balanced overall reaction, with \(\ce{R}\) unchanged, is

\[ \ce{C21H32O3 + RS^- + H+ -> C21H33O3SR}. \]

To draw the product, replace the epoxide bridge with a hydroxy group at C3 and an \(\ce{SR}\) group at C4, using wedges and hashed wedges consistent with (3S,4R). Preserve the four alkene configurations: 5E, 7E, 9Z and 12Z. The specified anti relationship concerns the direction of attack relative to the breaking bond; the resulting open chain can rotate about its single bonds.

4.3

The oxygen of one epoxide attacks the more substituted carbon of an acid-activated second epoxide. Subsequent intramolecular attack closes the six-membered ring, again opening an epoxide at its more substituted carbon.

The resulting ring contains two consecutive units of the form

\[ \ce{-O-CH(CH3)-CH2-}, \]

so the methyl groups occupy positions 2 and 5 of the 1,4-dioxane ring.

Each attacked carbon is secondary. Under the rules given in the problem, an open planar carbenium ion does not form, and each opening proceeds with inversion. Both original stereogenic centres therefore invert. Their relevant priority order remains oxygen, ring methylene carbon, methyl, hydrogen, so both S centres become R centres.

The balanced dimerisation is

\[ \ce{2C3H6O -> C6H12O2}, \]

catalysed by the acidic aluminosilicate.

The product is cis-(2R,5R)-2,5-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane. Draw a six-membered ring with oxygen atoms at positions 1 and 4 and methyl groups at positions 2 and 5 on the same face, with absolute configurations (2R,5R). In either chair conformation, one methyl group is axial and the other is equatorial.

4.4

The favoured opening again occurs at the more substituted epoxide carbon, producing the 2,5-substituted dioxane skeleton.

Here, however, that carbon is bonded to three carbon groups: methyl, ethyl and the ring methylene group. Ring opening can therefore produce a planar tertiary carbenium centre. Formation of the new carbon–oxygen bond can occur from either face, so the starting R configuration is lost.

This happens at both substituted centres. The possible configuration combinations are

\[ (R,R),\quad(S,S),\quad(R,S),\quad(S,R). \]

The last two represent the same compound because positions 2 and 5 are symmetry-related. Thus there are three distinct stereoisomers:

  • (2R,5R) and (2S,5S) are an enantiomeric pair. In each, the methyl groups lie on the same face of the ring, and the ethyl groups lie on the opposite face.
  • (2R,5S) is meso. Its methyl groups lie on opposite faces, as do its ethyl groups.

For a wedge-and-dash drawing, the two cis structures are mirror images. For the meso structure, put one methyl group on a solid wedge and the other on a hashed wedge, with each ethyl group opposite the methyl group on the same carbon.

The balanced reaction is

\[ \ce{2C5H10O -> C10H20O2}, \]

with the acidic aluminosilicate as catalyst. The problem does not specify the relative amounts of the three stereoisomers.

4.5

The racemic starting material contains equal amounts of (R)-2-ethyl-2-methyloxirane, CC[C@]1(C)CO1, and (S)-2-ethyl-2-methyloxirane, CC[C@@]1(C)CO1.

As in 4.4, the favoured ring openings pass through planar tertiary carbenium centres, erasing the original configurations. Therefore, the racemic reactant gives the same three products: (2R,5R), (2S,5S), and meso-(2R,5S).

The balanced overall dimerisation remains

\[ \ce{2C5H10O -> C10H20O2}. \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.