Ketones cyclobutanones, from

Table 6. Cyclobutanones from Ketones with 1-Bromo-l- ...

The photochemical behavior of cyclobutanone (IS) contrasts sharply with that of other ketones. Cyclobutanone undergoes a cleavage also from the (n, r ) state, with subsequent fragmentation to ketene and olefin, decarbonylation to cyclopropane or cyclization to oxacarbene (16), whose concerted formation has also been proposed on the basis of stereochemical observations (Stohrer et al., 1974). In contrast, cyclohexanone cleaves exclusively from the triplet state and undergoes disproportionation reactions. The photochemical activity of cyclobutanone persists even at low temperatures (77 K) where cyclohexanone is photostable. 

Evidence for the intermediacy of carbenes in these dehalogenations comes from the isolation of (851) when (850) is treated with sodium naphthalene (NaNp), from the formation of cyclobutanones via oxaspiropentanes when gfcm-dihalogenocyclo-propanes are treated with BuLi in the presence of ketones, and from the intramolecular trapping of the carbene by a double bond in an olefinic or allenic dibro-mocyclopropane. 

Carboxylic acid hydrazides from cyclic ketones Cyclobutanone ring opening... 

Cyclic Ketones.—A simple method for the preparation of cyclobutanone from phenylthiocyclopropane and formaldehyde applicable to large-scale (30 g) runs has been described."... 

The photoreduction of cyclobutanone, cyclopentanone, and cyclohexanone by tri-n-butyl tin hydride was reported by Turro and McDaniel.<83c> Quantum yields for the formation of the corresponding alcohols were 0.01, 0.31, and 0.82, respectively. Although the results for cyclopentanone and cyclohexanone quenching were not clear-cut (deviations from linearity of the Stem-Volmer plots were noted at quencher concentrations >0.6 M), all three ketone photoreductions were quenched by 1,3-pentadiene, again indicating that triplets are involved in the photoreduction. 

From the reactions presented in this section one can conclude that cyclic acetal formation via addition to a carbene intermediate is a general reaction for type I cleavage of cyclobutanones, tricyclic compounds, and certain bridged bicyclics as minor products. No acetal has been isolated from photolyses of cyclopentanones or cyclohexanones except for the special case of an a-sila ketone previously discussed. 

The facility of the rearrangement to cyclobutanones is reflected in the high chemoselectivity. The cases of oxaspiropentanes from epoxyketones offer a particularly difficult challenge. Nevertheless, no problems resulted (Table 2, entries 19, 20, 38 and 39). Oxaspiropentanes which form particularly stabilized carbonium ions frequently rearrange to cyclobutanones during their formation. For example, cyclo-propylmethyl ketone and benzophenone led only to cyclobutanones in their condensations with 9. In one case, further reaction of the ylide with the rearranged cyclobutanone was noted (Eq. 31) 58). 

Not too many examples of this process exist. Protonation of the vinyl cyclobutanones derived from a,P-unsaturated ketones creates just such a reactive intermediate. 

The fragmentation is stereospecifically anti as shown by complementary geometry obtained in the cleavage of the epimeric pair of epoxycyclobutanones 91 and 92 (Eq. 110). The fragmentation product 93 of cyclobutanone 91 is transformable into the dimethyl ester of the pheromone of the Monarch butterfly. Considering the availability of the starting epoxy ketones from enones, the oxasecoalkylation serves to reorient the oxidation pattern with chain extension as summarized in Eq. 111. 

The availability of cyclopentenones from butanolides allows the lactone annulation to facilitate the synthesis of cyclopentyl natural and unnatural products. An example that highlights the latter is dodecahedrane (178) for which 179 constitutes a critical synthetic intermediate 136,137). Lateral fusion of cyclopentenones as present in 179 can arise by acid induced reorganization and dehydration of 180. While a variety of routes can be envisioned to convert a ketone such as 182 into 180, none worked satisfactorily137 On the other hand, the cyclobutanone spiro-annulation approach via 181 proceeds in 64 % overall yield. Thus, the total carbon cource of dodecahedrane derives from two building blocks — cyclopentadiene and the cyclopropyl sulfonium ylide. 

Cyclobutanones were found to be much more reactive under these conditions, presumably due to relief of ring strain (131). Racemic cyclobutanone (192) is oxidized under the conditions described above to provide lactones 193 and 194 in a ratio of 55 45, Eq. 111. The expected lactone product 193 is formed in 67% ee while the abnormal product 194 is formed in 92% ee. The major enantiomers of the two products are complementary, resulting from enantiomeric ketones. 

The cyclobutanone 105, on thermolysis at 190°C, undergoes a retro-ene reaction yielding the crystalline 0,y-unsaturated ketone 115. This product in the solid regenerates 105 photochemically, in almost quantitative yield, whereas in solution the diketone 116 is the exclusive photoproduct. The ketone 115 is found in the solid to have the conformation 115a, a conformation that results, presumably, from the requirement for the bulky methyl at C-7 to adopt the pseudo-equatorial rather than the pseudoaxial position. This molecule in fact has a shape... 

The photochemistry of cyclobutanone presents a special case since the Norrish type-I cleavage to give an acylalkyl diradical intermediate releases ring-strain energy. Thus the energy available for subsequent reactions is reduced correspondingly, compared to the energy retained in an acyl radical from an acychc ketone, or less strained cyclic ketones. 

Spirocyclic 2-alkylidenecyclobutanones can be prepared from vinylidenecycloalkane additions with dimethylketene (see Tabic 1). Alternatively, cycloaddition of cycloalkylidenemethanone to allenes permits synthesis of spirocyclic cyclobutanones. This latter route is more attractive because of the greater availability of simple allcnes as compared with the alkylidenecycloalka-nes. The in situ generation of cyclohexylidenemethanone in the presence of excess tetramethyl-allcnc produced the spirocyclic ketone 9 in reasonable yield.5... 

The regiochemistry of ketene iminium salt cycloadditions can also differ from ketene cycloadditions. Whereas reaction of styrene with a series of ketene iminium salts gave 3-phenyI-cyclobutanones7 (60-70% yield) similar to the regiochemistry of ketene cycloadditions, reaction with a series of acrylates and a,/J-unsaturated ketones gave cyclobutanones 5 with regiochemistry opposite to what would be expected from electrostatic considerations of ketene cycloadditions.s... 

Bromo-l-lithiocyclopropanes, readily obtained by transmetalation of 1,1-dibromocyclo-propanes with butyllithium in tetrahydrofuran at — 100 CC, undergo addition to aldehydes and ketones forming bromohydrins. On warming, before workup, the adducts from ketones (but not from aldehydes) eliminate lithium bromide and cyclizc to oxaspiropentanes, which may be rearranged to cyclobutanones by treatment with acids (Table 6).76-78... 

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