Cyclopropenes formation

As shown in Scheme 8.67, the cyclization of diazoalkenes 273 requires thermal activation and not only affords 3/7-pyrazoles 274, but also cyclopropenes 275 that are formed from carbene intermediates (319). The activation parameters for cyclopropene formation (i.e., N2 elimination from 273) have been determined (320). A novel example involves the cyclization of the 3-nitro-l-diazoprop-2-ene derivative 276 into pyrazolopyridine derivative 277 (45). 

Although cyclopropene formation has been observed to be reversible,150 and its conversion to indene has been achieved thermally,43 the two products are not interconvertible under the photochemical reaction conditions, showing that they are formed by different pathways.45,153 An elegant proof of this is the isolation of different indenes from 116 and 118 (Scheme 59).71... 

The question as to whether the thermal azirine formation proceeds through a vinyl nitrene intermediate or by a concerted mechanism is not as yet resolved. A nitrene intermediate seems most probable on the basis of its similarity with cyclopropene formation from alkenylcarbenesM>> and because either thermal or photochemical decomposition of vinyl azides yields die azirines (Table XI). 

Subjection of 3H-pyrazoles to thermolysis often results in cyclopropene formation but competing reactions, the subtleties of which are not yet understood, interfere (equations 14 and IS). It is therefore the photochemical reaction which has received most... 

The latter product is an example of a concerted, photochemically allowed, elec-trocyclic reaction. A hydrogen atom migration from the cyclopropyldimethyl radical can account for the cyclopropene formation. This product, then, is suggestive of a ring structure in the excited state ... 

As with the 1,2,4-triazines,83 temperature control during these cycloadditions is important, since additions at 0-25 C result in the formation of 2 1 cyclopropene-azepine cycloaddition products.113... 

The photochemical study of 3H-pyrazoles was carried out in the search for a route to cyclopropenyl tertiary alcohols. Irradiation of 63a in dry dichloromethane at 300 nm and at room temperature for 0.5 h led to the exclusive formation of the gem-dimethylcyclopropene 65 (Scheme 17). The formation of cyclopropene 65 arises from the loss of N2 and cycUzation of the vinylcarbene intermediate (III). 

Products of a so-called vinylogous Wolff rearrangement (see Sect. 9) rather than products of intramolecular cyclopropanation are generally obtained from P,y-unsaturated diazoketones I93), the formation of tricyclo[2,1.0.02 5]pentan-3-ones from 2-diazo-l-(cyclopropene-3-yl)-l-ethanones being a notable exception (see Table 10 and reference 12)). The use of Cu(OTf), does not change this situation for diazoketone 185 in the presence of an alcoholl93). With Cu(OTf)2 in nitromethane, on the other hand, A3-hydrinden-2-one 186 is formed 160). As 186 also results from the BF3 Et20-catalyzed reaction in similar yield, proton catalysis in the Cu(OTf)2-catalyzed reaction cannot be excluded, but electrophilic attack of the metal carbene on the double bond (Scheme 26) is also possible. That Rh2(OAc)4 is less efficient for the production of 186, would support the latter explanation, as the rhodium carbenes rank as less electrophilic than copper carbenes. 

Under the catalytic action of Rh2(OAc)4, formation of a propargylic ether from a terminal alkyne (229, R1=H) is preferred as long as no steric hindrance by the adjacent group is felt162,218>. Otherwise, cyclopropenation may become the dominant reaction path [e.g. 229 (R1 = H, R2 = R3 = Me) and methyl diazoacetate 56% of cyclopropene, 36% of propargylic ether162)], in contrast to the situation with allylic alcohols, where O/H insertion is rather insensitive to steric influences. 

As was shown for the mechanism of quinocyclopropene formation in acetic anhydride75 (see p. 20), acylation of the cyclopropenone is reasonable for the primary reaction step, then the O-acyl-cyclopropenium ion 74 forms methylene cyclopropene 73 through addition of the anion of the C-H acidic component and elimination of acetic acid. 

The ring expansion reaction of diaryl cyclopropenones and cyclopropene thiones occurring with pyridinium, sulfonium, and phosphonium enolate betaine 427268-270) is related to 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions. This process results in formation of 2-pyrones 428 by loss of pyridine (or sulfide or phosphine) and insertion of the remaining fragment C=C-0 to the C1(2)/C3 bond of the cyclopropenone ... 

Acetylene dicarboxylate and maleic anhydride failed to react with simple methylene cyclopropenes, but reacted readily with calicene derivatives, as shown by Prinz-bach293. Thus ADD combined with benzocalicene 497 to give the dimethyl tri-phenylene dicarboxylate 499, whose formation can be rationalized via (2 + 2) cycloaddition across the semicyclic double bond as well as (4 + 2) cycloaddition involving the three-membered ring (498/501). The asymmetric substitution of 499 excludes cycloaddition of ADD to the C /C2 triafulvene bond (500), which would demand a symmetrical substituent distribution in the final triphenylene derivative. 

The carbene obtained by heating compound 68 with DMAD at first gave a cyclopropene derivative, which underwent further transformations (z/rro-substitution and cyclization) to afford tricyclic product 69 in 40% yield <1999TL1483>. The thermolysis carried out in the presence of ArCH=C(CN)2 and DMAD used in excess led to the formation of highly functionalized cyclopentene derivatives 70 <2003TL5029, 2005TL201>. 

Very recent work111 has shown that the predominant formation of the endo adduct in the reaction between cyclopropene and isotopically substituted butadiene could be attributed to an attractive interaction between a C—H bond of cyclopropene and the jt bond being formed in the diene moiety. 

The ratio of isomeric ethers is strongly affected by polar substituents which induce an asymmetric distribution of charge in allylic cations. Photolysis of methyl 2-diazo-4-phenyl-3-butenoate (20) in methanol produced 24 in large excess over 25 as the positive charge of 22 resides mainly a to phenyl (Scheme 8).19 As would be expected, proton transfer to the electron-poor carbene 21 proceeds reluctantly intramolecular addition with formation of the cyclopropene... 

The elusive diazoalkenes 6 and 14 are unlikely to react with methanol as their basicity should be comparable to that of diphenyldiazomethane. However, since the formation of diazonium ions cannot be rigorously excluded, the protonation of vinylcarbenes was to be confirmed with non-nitrogenous precursors. Vinyl-carbenes are presumedly involved in photorearrangements of cyclopropenes.21 In an attempt to trap the intermediate(s), 30 was irradiated in methanol. The ethers 32 and 35 (60 40) were obtained,22 pointing to the intervention of the al-lylic cation 34 (Scheme 10). Protonation of the vinylcarbene 31 is a likely route to 34. However, 34 could also arise from protonation of photoexcited 30, by way of the cyclopropyl cation 33. The photosolvolysis of alkenes is a well-known reaction which proceeds according to Markovnikov s rule and is, occasionally, associated with skeletal reorganizations.23 Therefore, cyclopropenes are not the substrates of choice for demonstrating the protonation of vinylcarbenes. 

---