Cope Rearrangement in the Thiophene Series

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00352a011

The inability to observe Cope rearrangement at elevated temperature for diethyl α-allylphenylmalonate does not extend to the analogous systems resulting from replacement of the benzene ring by 2- and 3-thiophene nuclei.Thermal rearrangement of diethyl α-allyl-2-thienylmalonate (5) at 250-260 deg C for 12 h produces the expected Cope rearrangement product diethyl (3-allyl-2-thienyl)malonate (6) (49percent) accompanied by ethyl 6-carboethoxy-5,6-dihydro-4H-5-cyclopentathiopheneacetate (7) (28percent).The structural verification of 6 was obtained by degradation to 3-allyl-2-methylthiophene which was compared with an authentic sample obtained by synthesis.The structure of 7 was based on analogy.Similar results were observed with the 3-substituted analogues of 5, both diethyl (2-allyl-3-thienyl)malonate (14) and ethyl 4-carboethoxy-5,6-dihydro-4H-5-cyclopentathiopheneacetate (15) being formed.In this case the structure of 14 was verified by synthesis.Speculative mechanistic considerations are offered regarding the mode of transformation of 6 to 7 and 14 to 15.That the methine proton of the malonate substituent in 6 and 14 is involved in this transformation is seen by the inability of the appropriate methyl-substituted derivative of 6 to undergo thermal cyclization.