Synthese von Triafulven-Vorstufen für Retro-Diels-Alder-Reaktionen

Synthesis of Triafulvene Precursors for Retro-Diels-Alder Reactions Triafulvene precursors exo? 15 and endo? 15 have been prepared by addition of dibromocarbene to benzobarrelene 12 followed by a lithium-halogen exchange, methylation, and elimination of HBr ( 12→13→14→15 ), (Scheme 2). Gas-phase pyrolysis of exo/endo-mixtures of 15 above 400° gave minor amounts of naphthalene ( 16 ), traces of a hydrocarbon C₄H₄ identified by MS (presumably triafulvene 1 ) and predominantly (36%) the isomerization product 17 (Scheme 3). In a second synthetic approach the well-known cycloheptatriene-norcaradiene equilibrium of type 26?27 has been utilised to prepare various endo-trans-3-(X-methyl) tricyclo3.2.2.0^2,4]nona-6,8-dienes 31 (Scheme 5). However, numerous elimination experiments 31→9 failed so far. The structure of two rearrangement products 33 and 34 (Scheme 6) has been elucidated.