First Exclusive Regioselective Fragmentation of Primary Ozonides Controlled by Remote Carbonyl Groups and a New Method for Determining the Regiochemistry of Carbonyl Oxide Formation

The first exclusive regioselective fragmentation of primary ozonides controlled by remote carbonyl groups on ozonolysis of norbornene derivatives and reaction of final ozonides with triethylamine as a new probe for determining the regiochemistry of carbonyl oxide formation from primary ozonide fragmentation are reported. Ozonolysis of the endo adducts 3a-d and the deuterated compounds 8a and 8b in CDCl(3) at -78 degrees C gave the final ozonides 4a-d, 9a, and 9b as the sole products (>95%), respectively. No detectable amount of the isomeric final ozonides 5, 10, 11, and 12 was obtained. A mechanism is proposed to account for the exclusive regioselective fragmentation of the primary ozonides. Ozonolysis of 3a-d, 8a, and 8b in CH(2)Cl(2) at -78 degrees C followed by treatment with triethylamine exclusively gave the convex tetraquinane oxa cage compounds 16a-d, 19a, and 19b in 85-90% yields, respectively. No detectable amount of the other regioisomers 17a-d, 20a, and 20b was obtained. Ozonolysis of 3a-d, 8a, and 8b in CH(2)Cl(2) at -78 degrees C followed by reduction with dimethyl sulfide gave the tetraacetal tetraoxa cage compounds 21a-d, 23a, and 23b in 85% yields, respectively. The difference in function between triethylamine and dimethyl sulfide in reaction with final ozonide is demonstrated. Ozonolysis of the endo adducts 24a and 24b in CDCl(3) at -78 degrees C exclusively gave the final ozonides 27a and 27b, respectively. The order of the preference of various remote carbonyl groups to control the fragmentation of the primary ozonides formed by ozonolysis of norbornene derivatives is investigated. Ozonolysis of the endo esters 32a-c in CH(2)Cl(2) at -78 degrees C followed by reduction with dimethyl sulfide gave the new tetraacetal oxa cages 35a-c, with an alkoxyl group directly on the skeleton, and the novel triacetal oxa cages 36b and 36c, respectively. The structures of triacetal oxa cages are proven for the first time by X-ray analysis of the crystalline compound 36c.