Photochemische Reaktionen. 104. Mitteilung [1]. Zur Photospaltung der C,C-Oxiranbindung konjugierter γ, δ-Epoxy-enone: Photolyse von 4-Methyliden-5,6-epoxy-5,6-dihydro-β-jonon

The photoinduced cleavage of the C,C-oxirane bond of γ, δ-epoxy-enones: UV.-irradiation of 4-methylidene-5,6-epoxy-5,6-dihydro-β-ionone On ¹n, π*-excitation (λ ≥ 347 nm, pentane) 5 gives the isomeric bicyclic ether 10 in 75% yield (s. Scheme 2). In methanol the photoconversion of 5 to 10 is strongly reduced (12%) in favour of the formation of the methanol adduct 11 (43%). On photolysis in aqueous acetonitrile 5 is converted to the bicyclic ether 10 (9%), the dihydrofurane 12 (18%) as well as to the triketones 13A and 13B (7%), and 14 (23%). On ¹π, π*-excitation (λ = 254 nm) in pentane no 10 is formed, but 5 isomerizes to the tricyclic cyclopropyl compound 16 (59%), the allenic product 17 (10%), and the cyclopropene compound 18 (12%; s. Scheme 3). Photolysis in methanol furnishes 11 (63%), and 18 (4%), but no tricyclic cyclopropyl compound 16 . In a secondary photoreaction (λ = 254 nm) the dihydrofurane 12 is isomerized to the bicyclic cyclopropyl compound 20 . Evidence is given that the products 11 and 13 are formed by solvent addition to an intermediate ketonium ylide b (s. Scheme 12). The presence of b is further proven by the formation of 12 , a product of an electrocyclization of b . On photofragmentation of b carbenoids d and e are presumably formed (s. Scheme 14). 1,2-Hydrogen shift in d yields the allene derivative 17 , and cyclization of d gives the cyclopropene compound 18 . On the other hand, e cyclizes to the non isolated cyclopropene compound 69 which is transformed to 16 by an intramolecular [4 + 2]-cycloaddition. The present investigation shows that the photochemistry of 5 is determined by photoinduced C,C-bond cleavage of the oxirane ring. This is in sharp contrast to the photochemistry of conjugated γ, δ-epoxy-enones without the additional double bond in ε, ζ-position, where selective photocleavage of the C(λ), O-bond is observed.