Reaction of levoglucosenone with diazocyclopropane

Depending of the reaction conditions, reaction of levoglucosenone with diazocyclopropane generated in situ from N-cyclopropyl- N-nitrosourea under the action of bases involved either the carbonyl group to give oxaspiropentane (MeONa/MeOH, s-30 °C), or the double C=C bond to give l-pyrazoline (K2CO3, CH2Cl2, 5 °C). The latter readily reacted with diazocyclopropane at the C=O group or added as a C-nucleophile in a regio-and stereoselective Michael reaction to the C=C bond of levoglucosenone. The direction of reaction depended on the reactant ratio. The reaction of the levoglucosenone—diazomethane adduct with an excess of levoglucosenone in the presence of a base yielded similar product bearing two levoglucosenone moieties.