Zum Mechanismus der Cyclopropan-“Walk”-Umlagerung: Synthese und Eigenschaften eines optisch aktiven Diazoalkan-Addukts von Toluol; eine hochstereoselektive N2-Eliminierung†

Mechanism of the Cyclopropane “Walk” Rearrangement: Synthesis and Properties of an Optically Active Diazoalkane-Toluene Adduct; a Highly Stereoselective N2 Elimination The synthesis and the thermal and photochemical behavior of the optically active 2-diazo-1-methoxypropane-toluene adduct 3 are reported. The N2 elimination of 3 ocurs with one and the same stereochemical course upon thermolysis as well as direct photolysis: 7-(Methoxymethyl)-1,7-dimethyl-1,3,5-cycloheptatriene (1) is formed with retention of configuration at C-7 and 7-(methoxymethyl)-2,7-dimethyl-1,3,5-cycloheptatriene (2) with inversion of configuration at C-7. These stereochemical findings are explained by an intermediary singlet diradical 1[4] in which the ring closure between C-1 and C-7 or C-5 and C-7 is faster than the rotation around the single bond between C-6 and C-7. In the case of the thermally induced formation of 2 a concerted N2 elimination has to be considered as a competitive pathway. The results presented here are well in accord with the stereochemical analysis of the cyclopropane “walk” rearrangement 1⇋2 reported previously and are therefore a good evidence that the diradical intermediate 4 is also involved in the “walk” rearrangement. In the photochemically induced N2 elimination of 3, sensitized by benzophenone and leading again to 1 and 2, a surprisingly high degree of stereoselectivity is observed. Thus, the intermediary triplet diradical 3[4] must have a much shorter life time than ordinary 1,3-diradicals in the triplet state.