Enantioselective synthesis of planar-chiral phosphaferrocenes by molybdenum-catalyzed asymmetric interannular...

The stereochemistry of electrocyclic reactions is strongly influenced by the orbital symmetry of the polyene HOMO. Under thermal conditions, the reaction proceeds via the ground-state HOMO.
Selection Rules: Thermal Activation
Conjugated systems containing an even number of π-electron pairs undergo a conrotatory ring closure. For example, thermal electrocyclization of (2E,4E)-2,4-hexadiene, a conjugated diene containing two π-electron pairs, gives trans-3,4-dimethylcyclobutene.

The Claisen rearrangement is a [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of allyl vinyl ethers to unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The rearrangement is a concerted pericyclic reaction proceeding via a chair-like transition state.

Due to their highly strained structures, epoxides can readily undergo ring-opening reactions through nucleophilic substitution, either in the presence of an acid or a base. The nucleophilic substitution reactions in the presence of acid are called acid-catalyzed ring-opening reactions, and nucleophilic substitution reactions in the presence of a base are called base-catalyzed ring-opening reactions. Epoxides undergo base-catalyzed ring-opening reactions in the presence of a strong nucleophile...

Catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes is a transition-metal catalyzed reduction of the double bond using molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. The mode of hydrogen addition follows syn stereochemistry.
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...

Epoxides that are three-membered ring systems are more reactive than other cyclic and acyclic ethers. The high reactivity of epoxides originates from the strain present in the ring. This ring strain acts as a driving force for epoxides to undergo ring-opening reactions either with halogen acids or weak nucleophiles in the presence of mild acid. The acid catalyst converts the epoxide oxygen, a poor leaving group, into an oxonium ion, a better leaving group, making the reaction feasible. The...