The Claisen rearrangement (not to be confused with the Claisen condensation) is a powerful carbon-carbon bond-forming chemical reaction discovered by Rainer Ludwig Claisen. The heating of an allyl vinyl ether will initiate a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement to give a γ,δ-unsaturated carbonyl.
Discovered in 1912, the Claisen rearrangement is the first recorded example of a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement.[1][2][3]
Many reviews have been written.[4][5][6][7]
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The Claisen rearrangement (and its variants) are exothermic (about 84 kJ/mol), concerted pericyclic reactions which according to the Woodward-Hoffmann rules show a suprafacial reaction pathway.
There are substantial solvent effects in the Claisen reactions. More polar solvents tend to accelerate the reaction to a greater extent. Hydrogen-bonding solvents gave the highest rate constants. For example, ethanol/water solvent mixtures give rate constants 10-fold higher than sulfolane.[1][2]
Trivalent organoaluminium reagents, such as trimethylaluminium, have been shown to accelerate this reaction.[8][9]
The aromatic variation of the Claisen rearrangement is the [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of an allyl phenyl ether to an intermediate which quickly tautomerizes to an ortho-substituted phenol.
If ortho position is substituted then reaction goes to para position with retention in configration.[10]
The Bellus-Claisen rearrangement is the reaction of allylic ethers, amines, and thioethers with ketenes to give γ,δ-unsaturated esters, amides, and thioesters.[11][12][13]
The Eschenmoser-Claisen rearrangement proceeds from an allylic alcohol to a γ,δ-unsaturated amide, and was developed by Albert Eschenmoser in 1964.[14][15]
Mechanism:[10]
The Ireland-Claisen rearrangement is the reaction of an allylic acetate with strong base (such as Lithium diisopropylamide) to give a γ,δ-unsaturated carboxylic acid.[16][17][18]
Mechanism:[10]
The Johnson-Claisen rearrangement is the reaction of an allylic alcohol with trimethyl orthoacetate to give a γ,δ-unsaturated ester.[19]
Mechanism:[10]
An iminium can serve as one of the pi-bonded moieties in the rearrangement.[20]
Chromium can oxidize allylic alcohols to alpha-beta unsaturated ketones on the opposite side of the unsaturated bond from the alcohol. This is via a concerted hetero-claisen reaction, although there are mechanistic differences since the chromium atom has access to d- shell orbitals which allow the reaction under a less constrained set of geometries.[21][22]
The Chen-Mapp reaction also known as the [3,3]-Phosphorimidate Rearrangement or Staudinger-Claisen Reaction installs a phosphite in the place of an alcohol and takes advantage of the Staudinger Ligation to convert this to an imine. The subsequent claisen is driven by the fact that a P=O double bond is more energetically favorable than a P=N double bond.[23]
The Overman rearrangement (named after Larry Overman) is a Claisen rearrangement of allylic trichloroacetimidates to allylic trichloroacetamides.[24][25][26]
Unlike typical Claisen rearrangements which require heating, zwitterionic Claisen rearrangements take place at or below room temperature. The acyl ammonium ions are highly selective for Z-enolates under mild conditions.[27][28]
The enzyme Chorismate mutase (EC 5.4.99.5) catalyzes the Claisen rearrangement of chorismate ion to prephenate ion, a key intermediate in the shikimic acid pathway (the biosynthetic pathway towards the synthesis of phenylalanine and tyrosine).[29]