Ab Initio Study of the Acetylene–Allene Rearrangement in 2-Propargylpyrrole, 2-Propargylfuran, and 2-Propargylthiophene

Abstract

Ab initio (MP4/6-31G*//RHF/6-31+G*) calculations have been performed to study the acetylene–allene rearrangement in X–CH₂–C≡CH propargyl systems, where X = ethenyl, E-1-butadienyl, 2-pyrrolyl, 2-furanyl, and 2-thienyl. The spatial and electronic structures, as well as the relative stability, of the initial and final acetylene structures and the corresponding allenes are examined. Migration of the triple bond from the terminal position into the chain, including the stage of allene structure formation, is shown to be thermodynamically favorable for the whole series of compounds. The propargyl substituents of heterocycles isomerize as readily as open diene systems. The differences in the isomerization energies in the series of allenyl- and 1-propynyl-substituted pyrrole, furan, and thiophene are mainly due to the differences in the nature of long-range interactions between heteroatoms and the tricarbon π system.