Cope reaction

The Cope elimination reaction is a name in the organic chemistry; it was named after the American chemist Arthur C. Cope (1909-1966), who wrote several papers on this reaction. First, it was described by Mamlock and Wolffenstein.

Overview reaction

In the Cope elimination is the cleavage of an alkyl group of a tertiary amine oxide to form the corresponding olefin and secondary hydroxylamine.

The reaction proceeds with peroxides, as here with the strong oxidant hydrogen peroxide. The radicals are organic radicals.

Reaction mechanism

The reaction proceeds by the following mechanism. The radicals R1, R2 and R3 are organic radicals, also here. This may be different but also the same.

1, the tertiary amine is oxidized by a strong oxidant, in this case hydrogen peroxide or other peroxides to an amine oxide 2. Condition here is that no acidic hydrogen atoms bonded to the radicals R in the α position. 2, the amine oxide is a hypothetical transition state, which is converted by thermal development at 100 ° C. There arise as products of a terminal olefin 3 and alkene and an amine hydroxide 4 The amine hydroxide carries two of the radicals of the starting amine. The third residue is now at the alkene.