Alumina-catalyzed Cope rearrangement

TL;DRAbstract

The alumina-catalyzed Cope rearrangements of meso- and dl-3,4-diphenylhexa-1,5-diene were examined in detail, following up a preliminary observation by H. Berg at Portland State University. Commercial column-chromatography grade alumina was employed, and was further activated before use by heating at 650-700° for four hours. Using a ratio of 20 mg of dl-3,4-diphenylhex-l,5-diene to 1 g of alumina in heptane, the Cope rearrangement was complete within 15 minutes at room temperature to give exclusively trans,trans-1,6-diphenylhexa-1,5-diene. This was identified.by melting point, infrared spectroscopy and vapor phase chromatography. The catalyzed rearrangement of meso-3,4-diphenylhexa-l,5-diene was run using the same diene to alumina ratio. It was found that 31% of the meso-diene was converted to cis,trans- and trans,trans-l,6-diphenylhexa-1,5-diene at room temperature in four hours. Product isomerization appeared to take place; the initial ratio of cis,trans-diene to trans,trans-diene wa

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