Synthesis of 1,2,3,4‐Tetrahydro‐1,2‐dimethylidenenaphthalene: A Reactive s‐cis‐Butadiene Undergoing Highly Chemo‐ and Regioselective Cyclodimerization

1,2,3,4‐Tetrahydro‐1,2‐dimethylidenenaphthalene 11 has been derived in three steps from tetralone. In the condensed state and at −80°, it undergoes a highly chemo‐ and regioselective cyclodimerization to give 3,3′,4,4′‐tetrahydro‐2‐methylidenespironaphthalene‐1(2H),2′(1′H)‐phenanthrene] ( 14 ), the structure of which has been established by single‐crystal X‐ray‐diffraction analysis. Dimer 14 undergoes cycloreversion to diene 11 under flash‐pyrolysis conditions. The reaction of diene 11 with SO₂ occurs without acid promoter at −80° and gives a mixture of (±)‐1,4,5,6‐tetrahydronaphth1,2‐d]1,2]oxathiin 2‐oxide ( 23 ; a single sultine), 1,3,4,5‐tetrahydronaphtho1,2‐c]thiophene 2,2‐dioxide ( 25 ), and dimer 14 . The high reactivity of diene 1 in its Diels‐Alder cyclodimerization and its highly regioselective hetero‐Diels‐Alder addition with SO₂ can be interpreted in terms of the formation of relatively stable diradical intermediates or by concerted processes with transition states that can be represented as diradicaloids.