Photochemistry of 3-substituted bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-3-en-2-ones. Regioselective synthesis of ortho-substituted phenols by Pauson-Khand reaction

[reaction: see text] 3-Substituted bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-3-en-2-ones 3, easily obtained by Pauson-Khand reaction between terminal alkynes and cyclopropene, have been quantitatively converted into ortho-substituted phenols 4 by irradiation with UV light (350 nm). The kinetics and mechanism of this photochemical process have been studied by means of FT-IR and semiempirical (AM1 3x3 CI) calculations.