Adamantyl-substituted alkenes

Another feature of systems that are subject to B-strain is their reluctance to form strained substitution products. The cationic intermediates usually escape to elimination products in preference to capture by a nucleophile. Rearrangements are also common. 2-Methyl-2-adamantyl p-nitrobenzoate gives 82% methyleneadamantane by elimination and 18% 2-methyl-2-adamantanol by substitution in aqueous acetone. Elimination accounts for 95% of the product from 2-neopentyl-2-adaman l p-nitrobenzoate. The major product (83%) from 2-r-butyl-2-adamantyl p-nitrobenzoate is the rearranged alkene 5. 

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