SummaryLow temperature (-130" to -110") addition of exo-norborn-5-en-2-01 (7) to excess HS03F in S02CIF yielded a mixture of exo-5-(fluorosulfonyloxy)-exo-2-and endo-2-norbornylhydroxonium ions (9 + 10) under kinetic control that was different from the mixture of 9 + 10 obtained by addition of endo-norborn-5-en-2-01(8) to HS03F under kinetic control. These mixtures differed from the mixture of 9+ 10 observed at higher temperature (-80" to -60") (thermodynamic control). Addition of 3-nortricyclanol(23) or exo-2,3-epoxynorbornane (24) to HS03F at -120"k 10" yielded a mixture containing the exo-2-(fluorosulfonyloxy)-anti-7-and syn-7-norbornylhydroxonium ions (26+ 27) as major adducts. Qualitative rates of the isomerization of 26 + 27 to the more stable ions 9 + 10 and of the isomerization 9 % 10 were evaluated. The solvolysis of 9 + 10 in HS03F yielded the exo-2, exo-5-and exo-2, endo-5-norbornanediyl bis (fluorosulfates) (21 + 22). Norbornadiene and quadricyclane added 2 equivalents of HS03F and furnished kinetically a mixture of exo-2, anti-7-and exo-2, syn-7-norbornanediyl bis (fluorosulfates) (36 + 37) as major adducts. The latter 36+37 were isomerized into a kinetic mixture of the more stable isomers 21 + 22. The rates of these isomerizations were compared. The use of DS03F and (exo-2-D)-norborn-5-en-2-01 (15) confirmed that heterolyses of the fluorosulfates were responsible for the observed isomerization; elimination-addition processes occurred but much more slowly. The results are interpreted in terms of substituted classical and o-bridged secondary 2-norbornyl cation intermediates. It appears that the electron withdrawing substituents FSO, and H20+ (HO) destabilize the o-bridged 2-norbornyl cation more at C(5) than C(7). If the o-bridged ions 5-Z substituted at C(5) by Z=FSO, or H20+ (HO) are transition states in the isomerization of the corresponding classical ions 3-Z,4-Z, the free enthalpy difference between the 'non-classical' o-bridged ion and the classical ions is not higher than the energy barrier to the quenching of the latter intermediates by FSOj in HSO,F/SO*ClF.
I)
2,Present address: Lonta AG, CH-3930 Visp, Switzerland. Author, to whom correspondence should be addressed.
336HELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA -Vol. 62, Fasc. 1 (1979) -Nr. 36 Introduction. -The nature of the secondary 2-norbornyl cation has stirred a controversy that is not yet settled [l]. A long-standing problem is whether this carbocation exists as a pair of 'rapidly equilibrating' enantiomorphic structures 1 1' (double minimum energy hypersurface) or as a 'non-classical' o-bridged carbonium ion 2 with C,-symmetry in its ground state (single minimum energy hyper~urface)~).