title: Diverging chemoselective reactions of separable amide rotational isomers.
abstract: Diverging chemoselective reactions of a pair of amide rotamers have been observed by separating the rotamers and then reacting them individually. Reduction of (Z)-N-allyl-2-(phenylselanyl)-N-(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)acetamide with tributyltin hydride at room temperature provides only the product of 5-exo cyclization, 4-methyl-1-(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)pyrrolidin-2-one. In contrast, reduction of the corresponding (E) amide rotational isomer under identical conditions provides only the reduced product, (E)-N-allyl-N-(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)acetamide. Such diverging reactions of rotamers may be common in transformations involving reactive intermediates (carbenes, radicals, organometallic intermediates) that have low barriers to onward reactions relative to amide rotation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA.
authors.forename: Xiben
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dennis P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Curran