title: Nitrile anion cyclization with epoxysilanes followed by Brook rearrangement/ring-opening of cyclopropane nitriles/alkylation.
abstract: [reactions: see text] The reaction of delta-silyl-gamma,delta-epoxypentanenitrile derivatives 9-12 with a base and an alkylating agent affords (Z)-delta-siloxy-gamma,delta-unsaturated pentanenitrile derivatives via a tandem process that involves the formation of a cyclopropane derivative by epoxy nitrile cyclization followed by Brook rearrangement and an anion-induced cleavage of the cyclopropane ring. Exclusive formation of a (Z)-derivative from trans-epoxides is explained by the reaction pathway that involves a backside displacement of the epoxide by the alpha-nitrile carbanion and the O-Si bond formation followed by concerted processes involving Brook rearrangement and the anti-mode of eliminative ring fission of the cyclopropane from the rotamer 19. The fact that (E)-isomers are exclusively obtained from cis-epoxides and alpha-cyclopropyl-alpha-silylcarbinol derivative 26 provides experimental support for the proposed pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-Ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Seigo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okugawa
authors.forename: Hyuma
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Masu
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeda
mesh_terms: D000478:Alkylation; D003500:Cyclization; D003521:Cyclopropanes / Q000737:chemistry; D009570:Nitriles / Q000737:chemistry*; D012821:Silanes / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003521:Cyclopropanes; D009570:Nitriles; D012821:Silanes