Carbenes and Nitrenes Flashcards

1
Q

Define a carbene

A

Neutral divalent carbon species

6 e- around the central atom

Highly reactive

Generally electrophillic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the two types of carbene?

A

Singlet and triplet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is a singlet carbene?

A

3 e- pairs and an empty p orbital around central atom

Bent structure with bp and lp in sp2 orbitals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the bond angle of singlet carbenes?

A

100-110°

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is a triplet carbene?

A

Two unpaired electrons (paramagnetic)

Non-linear bent strucutre

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the bond angles in triplet carbenes?

A

130-150°

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

When are singlet/triplet carbenes most common?

A

Singlet - more stable in aqueous media

Triplet - more stable in the gaseous state

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Why are triplet carbenes bent?

A

If linear then unpaired e- have no s character so less stable

Bending allows for some s character

However repulsion energy prevents more bending

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

When are singlets or triplets found wrt orbital energy?

A

Small energy gap between σ and p-orbitals then triplet

If large then singlet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the state of a heteroatom carbene?

A

Singlet ground state

Due to delocalisation of lone pair to empty p-orbital

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the ranking of carbene stability?

A

Most stable: N-heterocyclic carbenes (nucleophillic), then singlet ground states, triplet ground state

The more e- donation the more stable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What type of carbene is made due to irradiation?

A

Usually singletexcited state

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How can singlet carbenes be made?

A

Heating diazo or diazirine compounds

Relaxation to triplet state can occur though

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How can a triplet state carbene be made via irradiation?

A

Using a triplet sensitier

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is a diazirine and how are they made?

A

Made from ketones via :

oximation (to oxime)

tosylation

NH3 to diaziridines (with single N-N)

Jones oxidation (CrO3 and H2SO4)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the conditions for oximation of a ketone to an oxime?

A

NH2OH, HCl, and Pyridine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the conditions for tosylation of oximes?

A

TsCl and NEt3

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

How is a diazo compound synthesised?

A

Synthesised from corresponding amine with HNO2 (nitrous acid)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are the general reactions of carbenes?

A

Insertion into C-H bonds

Skeletal rearrangements

Additions to double bonds

Reactivity depends on substituent - if donate then carbene is not electrophillic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the Bamford-Stevens reaction?

A

Tosylhydrazones to alkene upon treatement with a strong base

Intermediate diazo compound can be isolated, this then forms carbene after heat

Carbenes only formed in aprotic solvents

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the Shapiro reaction?

A

Treatment of tosylhydrazones with 2 equivalents of alkyllithium to form alkenes

Electrophile e.g. H+, RCHO etc can be added to alkene

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What determines if the bamford-stevens or shapiro reaction occurs?

A

Bamford-stevens uses only one equivalent of alkyllithium

Shaprio reaction uses two equivalents of alkyllithium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is Schlosser’s base?

A

n-BuLi and t-BuOK

Very strong base which can be used to produce a carbenoid (CR2LiCl) from CR2HLi

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What occurs to alkynes at high temperatures?

A

R-C≡C-H ⇔ (RH)C=C:

Eqm lies to the alkyne side

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What TM carbenoid is equivalent to a carbene?

A

Rhodium carbenoid (as it reduces reactivity)

26
Q

What occurs in the Wolff rearrangment?

A

α-diazo ketone to a ketene

Uses Ag(I) catalyst to aid N2 leaving

Mechanism is concerted or stepwise dependent on substrate and reaction conditions

27
Q

When is the wolff-rearrangment stepwise or concerted?

A

Thermal - concerted

Photochemical - stepwise via carbenes

28
Q

How do ketens react with NuH or A=B group?

A
29
Q

What is the orbital requirement for migration in the Wolff rearrangment?

A

Bond whihc migrates must be antiperiplanar to the C-N+ bond which is broken

30
Q

What is the Doering-LaFlamme allene synthesis?

A

Alkene to allene

Steps: CHBr3 & NaOH, then BuLi

31
Q

What is the Skattebol rearrangmenet?

A

Geminal dihalo cyclopropane to an allene using an organolithium base

Via a C-H insertion

32
Q

What are the types of carbene addition reactions?

A

Stereospecific for singlet carbenes - concerted reaction

Non-stereospecific for triplet carbenes - radical reaction

Distinguishes between them

33
Q

Why do triplet carbenes have non-stereospecific reactions?

A

Spin inversion (requiring molecular collision) may be slower than bond rotation leading to stereochem scrambling

Bond rotation causes triplet to singlet state

34
Q

What is the Reimer-Tiemann reaction?

A

Formylation of phenol to give ortho as major product with meta as minor

Uses CHCl3 and NaOH

Base deportonates CHCl3 which alpha-eliminates to give dichlorocarbene which is attacked by aromatic ring

35
Q

How can carbenes add to benzene?

A

Very electrophilic carbenes - requires strong EWG like an ester

Heat in benzene and causes 6π electrocyclic ring opening

36
Q

What is the simmons smith reaction?

A

Alkene + CH2I2 with Zn to form a stereospecific cyclopropane

Goes via a zinc carbenoid (IZnCH2I) which can be coordinated by a OH group (adds to same side)

37
Q

How are alpha-diazo ketones made?

A

From carboxylic acids: Arndt-Eistert homogylation

From acid anhydride: K2CO3 and TsN3

38
Q

What is the Arndt-Eistert reaction?

A

Homologated carboxylic acids or their derivatives

By reaction of acyl chloride with diazomethane

XS diazomethane can be destroyed by addition of small amounts of acetic acid or vigorous stirring

Then can do the Wolff-Rearrangement

39
Q

How do carbenes react with nucleophiles?

A

Nucleophiles attack carbene and -ve charge then attacks an electrophile

40
Q

How are nucleophillic carbenes used for the benzoin reaction?

A

Acts like a good nucleophile in resonance form, stabilises adjacent -ve charge, good LG

41
Q

What is the benzoin reaction?

A

Coupling between two aldehydes to allow preparation of alpha-hydroxyketones

Uses N-heterocyclic carbene salt and base

42
Q

What is a nitrene?

A

R-N

Neutral monovalent N species with 6e- around it

Isoelectronic with carbenes, but more reactive as more electrophillic

43
Q

What is the structure of nitrenes?

A

Linear although they do have triplet and singlet states

Larger energy separation between states - triplet is usually ground states (unless very good π donor substitutent)

44
Q

How are nitrenes formed?

A

Thermolysis or photolysis of azides

Reduction of nitro compounds using PR3

Carbazole synthesis using pschorr reaction

Generation from isocyanates using hv

45
Q

What is the Pschorr reaction?

A

Preparation of biaryl tricyclics by intramolecular substitution of one arene by an aryl radical

Radical is generated in situ from an aryl diazonium salt by copper catalysis

46
Q

How do nitrenes add to alkenes?

A

High conc of olefin causes singlet to react stereospecifically and low olefin conc there is a ground state to a triplet then will react non-stereospecifically

Competing reaction is 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to form triazoline which breaks down under heat/hv to aziridine

47
Q

What conditions do nitrenoids require for C-H insertion?

A

Better yields when milder conditions

Uses oxidant PhI(OAc)2 and Rh catalyst

48
Q

What occurs when alkyl azides are photolysed?

A

Imines are formed via a concerted 1,2-shift

Nitrenes are most likely not the intermediate

49
Q

What is the Curtis rearrangment?

A

Thermal decomposition of carboxylic azides to produce and isocyantes

Retention of config in migrating group

Isocynates + R’OH → RNHCOOR’

Isocynates + H2O → RNH2 + CO2

Isocynates + R’NH2 → RNHCONHR’

50
Q

What is the structure of isocyantes?

A
51
Q

What is the mechanism of the curtis rearrangment?

A
52
Q

What is the Hoffman rearrangment?

A

Amide → Amine

RCONH2 → RNHCOOH

Reagents: Br2 & NaOH

53
Q

What is the lossen rearrangement?

A

hydroxamate ester → isocyanate → amine

Reagents: NaOH to iso, then water to amine

Deprotonates amine group and causes rearrangement

54
Q

What is the schmidt reaction?

A

Carbonyl + HN3→ amine/amide

Via isocyanate intermediate

Alt: use an alkene to form an imine

55
Q

What are the different forms of the Schmidt reaction?

A

Carboxylic acid to amine

Ketone to amide (via azidohydrin)

Aldehydes to nitrile

Alkene to imine

Intramolecular to alkyl azides (can form rings)

56
Q

What is the beckmann rearrangment?

A

Oxime to amide by NH insertion

Reagents: H2SO4 conc and heat then water

57
Q

Which group migrates in the beckmann rearrangement?

A

Group anti to the LG, and retains config

Oximes can undergo E/Z isomerism in acidic cond

58
Q

What is the Neber rearrangement?

A

Ketoxime is converted into an alpha-aminoketone

Using NaOR then water

59
Q

Which substituent migrates in the neber rearrangement?

A

Substituent possesing most acidic H migrates

60
Q

What is the Steiglitz rearrangement?

A

1,2-rearrangement of trityl amine derivatives to triaryl imines

Reagent is PCl5 or AgNO3 & MeOH

61
Q

What is the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation?

A

Conversion of a ketone to an ester by O insertion

mCPBA in DCM

Via e- deficient transition state (EWG on the O) so group stabilising the +ve charge more migrates