Experimental and AM1 calculational studies of the deprotonation of bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2,5-dione and bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2,6-dione: a study of homoconjugation, inductive, and steric effects on the rates and diastereoselectivities of α enolization

Abstract

The kinetics of NaOD-catalyzed H/D exchange (enolization) at C3 α to the carbonyl group of bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2,5-dione (1) and bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2,6-dione (2) have been studied in 60:40 (v/v) dioxane–D2O at 25.0 °C. The second-order rate constants for exchange are (9.7 ± 1.5) × 10−1 and (3.4 ± 1.2) × 10−5 L mol−1 s−1 for 1 and 2, respectively. Thus, 1, exchanges 76 times faster than bicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-one (3) (k = (1.27 ± 0.02) × 10−2 L mol−1 s−1), but the 2,6-dione 2 unexpectedly is much less reactive (2.7 × 10−3) than the monoketone. Unlike the large exo selectivity of 658 observed in the case of bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one, small and opposite selectivities, exo (1.2) for 1 and endo (2.1) for 2, are found for the isomeric [2.2.2] ketones. The results indicate that the incipient enolate of 1 is stabilized by a polar effect of the β carbonyl group at C5, not by homoconjugation. The source of the surprising low reactivity of 2 is unknown at this stage. The small diastereoselectivities, exo (1.2) for 1 and endo (2.1) for 2, correlate with relative energies of the diastereomeric pyramidal enolates calculated with AM1. Keywords: enolization, bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2,5-dione, bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2,6-dione, AM1, thermodynamic acidities.