Photoinduced Double Addition of Acetylene to 3-Oxocyclopent-1-ene-1-carbonitrile or 3-oxocyclopent-1-enyl acetate leading to 2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-one and other rearranged products

UV Irradiation of 3-oxocyclopent-1-enyl acetate ( 17 ) and acetylene in MeCN at 0° gives, besides the product of normal enone-alkyne [2 + 2] cycloaddition (cis-4-oxobicyclo[3.2.0] hept-6-en-1-yl acetate, 18 ) and its product of oxa-di-π-methane rearrangement (5-oxotricyclo[4.1.0.0^2,7]hept-2-yl acetate, 19 ), unexpected products of further addition of a molar equivalent of acetylene. These are indanone ( = 2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-one, 16 ), in 21% yield, cis-1-cisoid-1,2-cis-2- ( 20 ) and cis-1-transoid-1,2-cis-2-7-oxotricyclo[4.3.0.0^2,5]non-3-en-1-yl acetate ( 21 ), 4-oxo-7-‘exo’-vinyltricyclo[3.2.0.0^2,6]hept-2-yl acetate ( 22 ), cis-4-oxo-6-‘endo’- ( 23 ) and cis-4-oxo-6-‘exo’-vinylbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-1-yl acetate ( 24 ), and cis-4-oxo-7-‘exo’-vinylbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-1-yl acetate ( 25 ). At least in part, indanone must be formed via intermediates 20 and 21 . In fact, on heating a 9:1 mixture 20/21 , indanone is obtained quantitatively. With 3-oxocyclopent-1-ene-1-carbonitrile ( 15 ) in place of 17 , indanone is formed in lower (8%) yield besides much tars.