Rearrangements of Cationic Oxygen

Protonation of the divalent oxygen atom of alcohols and ethers by strong acids produces a tricoordinate oxonium cation. Because the oxygen of an oxonium ion has a valence shell octet, it does not constitute an electron deficient site and cannot serve as a rearrangement terminus. To induce rearrangement in the same manner as a tricoordinate carbocation, oxygen must be converted to a unicoordinate oxacation, as noted in the following diagram. A 1,2-alkyl or aryl shift then transforms a relatively unstable oxacation into a more stable carbocation.

The simplest precursor of an oxa cation is a peroxide or equivalent derivative (e.g. R-O-OH or R-O-X). Removal of hydroxide anion from a hydroperoxide is energetically unfavorable, unless it is initially converted to a better leaving group in a manner similar to that used to facilitate substitution reactions of alcohols. By protonating the hydroxyl group, the leaving group becomes water, thus generating an oxacation. A useful industrial procedure for preparing phenol (and acetone) is based on this strategy.

مواضيع ذات صلة

تفاعلات البروبان الحلقي

تفاعلات المركبات الحلقية

تحضير الهكسان الحلقي

تحضير البنتان الحلقي ومشتقاته

تحضير البيوتان الحلقي ومشتقاته

تحضير البروبان الحلقي ومشتقاته

Curtius Rearrangement

Hofmann Elimination

Hofmann rearrangement

Preparation of acyl chlorides

Synthesis of banana oil

Preparation of esters by Fischer esterification