Halocyclopropanes reduction

Bromo- and iodocyclopropanes cannot be prepared by the direct halogenation of cyclopropanes. Substituted chloro- and bromocyclopropanes have been synthesized by the photochemical decomposition of a-halodiazomethanes in the presence of olefins iodocyclopropanes have been prepared from the reaction of an olefin, iodoform and potassium f-butoxide followed by the reduction of diiodocyclopropane formed with tri-w-butyl tin hydride. The method described employs a readily available light source and common laboratory equipment, and is relatively safe to carry out. The method is adaptable for the preparation of bromo- and chlorocyclopropanes as well by using bromodiiodomethane or chlorodiiodomethane instead of iodoform. If the olefin used will give two isomeric halocyclopropanes, the isomers are usually separable by chromatography. ... 

Problems with subsequent reaction of a 1-halocyclopropene may be avoided by reduction of the dihalocyclopropane to a monohalocyclopropane prior to dehydrohalogenation. Thus 3,3-dimethylcyclopropene may be obtained in multi-gram quantities by treatment of l-bromo-3,3-dimethylcyclopropane with potassium t-butoxide in DMSO at —78 °C19). Dehydrohalogenation of a series of related 3,3-dialkyl substituted monochloro- or monobromo-cyclopropanes leads to moderate yields of cyclopropenes (11, R = alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, CN, Cl, Rl = H, Ph, t-Bu, R2 = H)20) Indeed, dehydrobromination of (12) leads to either mono- or di-cyclopropenes 2l>. Reaction of a dihalocyclopropane with an alkyl lithium at low temperature followed by carboxylation of the derived 1-lithio-l-halocyclopropane provides a convenient source of 1-halocyclopropane carboxylates dehydrohalogenation leads to cyclo-... 

Reduction of vicinal dihalocyclopropanes has also been used to introduce deuterium labels stereoselectively. The peculiar stereochemistry of this process (all stereoisomers of the original halocyclopropane give the same stereoisomer of the product) suggests that perhaps a cyclopropene might be formed which then undergoes electron transfer reduction under the conditions of the reaction (see Figure 7). 

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