Carbanion Rearrangements in the Gas Phase: The Unusual Claisen Rearrangement of Deprotonated Allyl Vinyl Ether

Abstract

Allyl vinyl ether is reported to undergo a facile Wittig rearrangement to yield penta-1,4-dien-3-ol under base- catalysed conditions in the condensed phase. In marked contrast, the Wittig rearrangement is not a major reaction in the gas phase. Instead, initial rearrangement occurs by a Claisen process and subsequent fragmentations involve some of the most complex interconversions yet proposed for negative ions.