Tropolone inclusion complex

Similar irradiation of the 1 1 complex of tropolone ether 10b and host compound 8 led to photoproducts 11b (100% ee) and 12b (72% ee) in 12 and 14% yields, respectively. The authors interpreted these reactions as follows disrotatory electrocyclic closure of tropolone derivative 10 to afford photoproduct 11 in the inclusion crystals occurs in only one direction owing to the steric hindrance of host 8. This interpretation appeared to be reasonable based on an examination of the X-ray crystal structure study of the inclusion complex [18]. Formation of keto-ester 12 takes place by a more complex mechanism... 

The next example deals with the enantioselective photocyclization of a-tropolone alkyl ethers [182]. Cyclization occurs through an allowed 4e -disrotation that can result in opposite optical isomers depending on the direction of rotation (Sch. 37). Racemic products are obtained in solution, but irradiation of crystalline inclusion complexes of a-tropolone alkyl... 

The inclusion complex 26, shown in Scheme 11, has been used as a host by Toda and coworkers to carry out a number of enantioselective reactions [231]. For example, irradiation of a 1 1 host-guest assembly of a-tropolone methyl ether 27 and (S,S)-( — )-26, in the solid state gave (lS,5R)-( — )-28 of 100% ee. The authors state that the high stereoselectivity is a result of the steric hindrance to disrotatory ring closure from one direction due to the structure of the host. This leads to the formation of only one enantiomer of the product. More details on this topic are available in Chap. 13. 

Scheme 40. Enantioselective photorearrangement of a-tropolone derivatives in chiral inclusion complexes.

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