title: Theoretical insights into enantioselective catalysis: the mechanism of the Kharasch-Sosnovsky reaction.
abstract: The mechanism of the Kharasch-Sosnovsky reaction has been investigated using B3 LYP/6-31G* calculations on a chiral reaction model [cyclohexene+tert-butyl perbenzoate-->cyclohex-2-enyl benzoate+tert-butyl alcohol, catalyzed by a chiral bisoxazoline-copper(I) complex]. Although two previous reaction mechanisms have been considered, the results are consistent with a new mechanistic pathway. This path involves ligand exchange between the catalyst-cyclohexene complex with tert-butyl perbenzoate to give a catalyst-perester complex, which undergoes an (either one- or two-step) oxidative addition reaction to yield a copper(III) complex. The limiting step of the Kharasch-Sosnovsky reaction consists of an intramolecular step involving the abstraction of an allylic hydrogen from cyclohexene [which is pi-bound to the copper(III) complex]. The resulting allyl-copper(III) complex (subsequent to the loss of tert-butanol) can undergo a haptotropic rearrangement by means of an eta1-allyl/eta3-allyl equilibrium, leading to scrambling between vinylic and allylic positions when an isotopically labeled substrate is used. The allyl-copper(III) ion undergoes a stereospecific reductive elimination involving the pi-bond migration to yield a reaction product-catalyst complex, which can regenerate the alkene-copper(I) complex by ligand exchange. The proposed reaction mechanism is consistent with all known experimental results (including enantioselectivity data).
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgánica, ICMA-IUCH, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Zaragoza-CSIC, Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mayoral
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Rodríguez
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salvatella