Concomitant nitrene and carbene insertion accompanying ring expansion: spectroscopic, X-ray, and computational studies

J Org Chem. 2014 Feb 7;79(3):1199-205. doi: 10.1021/jo402621w. Epub 2014 Jan 17.

Abstract

Reinvestigation of the thermolysis of azido-meta-hemipinate (I) yielded, in addition to known II, unusual products III and IV. These products are formed via a rare intramolecular nitrene insertion into an adjacent methoxy C-H bond followed by an intermolecular reaction during a ring-expansion and a ring-extrusion reaction followed by a carbene insertion. The structures of the new compounds were confirmed using a battery of techniques, including HRMS (ESI-QTOF) and 2D NMR as well as X-ray crystallography for compound IV. Density functional theory methods were used to support the proposed mechanism of formation of the products.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Imines / chemistry*
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Methane / analogs & derivatives*
  • Methane / chemistry
  • Quantum Theory

Substances

  • Imines
  • carbene
  • phenylnitrene
  • Methane