Trimethylenemethane: Activation energy for ring-closure of the diradical

The energy of activation for ring-closure of ground state triplet trimethylenemethane (I) to methylenecyclopropane has been measured by following the rate of dissappearance of the electron spin resonance spectrum over the temperature range –155° to –140°, in a series of frozen solid matrices. The experiments described make use of 3-methylenecyclobutanone and methylenecyclopropane as precursors to trimethylene-methane.Kinetic results obtained starting from methylenecyclopropane were most satisfactory and lead to an energy of activation for ring-closure of 7 kcal/mole. This value is significantly smaller than the aprpox. 20 kcal/mole barrier estimated on the basis of theoretical models. Truncation of the barrier by a tunnelling mechanism is made unlikely by the finding that trimethylenemethane-d₆(I-d₆) undergoes ring-closure with the same 7 kcal/mole energy of activation as the parent I.