Abstract: | Irradiation of 2, 2-dimethyl-3-phenyl- ( 1a ), 2, 3-diphenyl-2H-azirine ( 1b ) or the azirine-precursors 1-azido-1-phenyl-propene ( 2a ) and 1-azido-1-phenyl-ethylene ( 2b ), respectively, in benzene in the presence of azodicarboxylic acid diethylester, yields the corresponding 1, 2-carbethoxy-3-phenyl-Δ3-1, 2, 4-triazolines 4a–d (Scheme 1). Refluxing 4 ( a, c or d ) in 0, 2–0, 4M aqueous ethanolic potassium hydroxide leads to the formation of the 1-carbethoxy-3-phenyl-Δ2-1, 2, 4-triazolines 6 ( a, c or d ). Under the same conditions 4b is converted to 3, 5-diphenyl-1, 2, 4-triazole ( 7b , Scheme 2). In 10M aqueous potassium hydroxide solution heating of either 4 ( c or d ) or 6 ( c or d ) yields the 3-phenyl-1, 2, 4-triazoles 7 ( c or d ). Photolysis of 1-carbethoxy-5, 5-dimethyl-3-phenyl-Δ2-1, 2, 4-triazoline ( 6a ) in benzene in the presence of oxygen and trifluoroacetic acid methylester gives the 5-methoxy-2, 2-dimethyl-4-phenyl-5-trifluoromethyl-3-oxazoline ( 13 , Scheme 5). 5, 5-Dimethyl-3-phenyl-1, 2, 4-triazole seems to be the intermediate, which on losing nitrogen gives the benzonitrile-isopropylide ( 3a ). |