LDA (Lithium Diisopropylamide) Mediated Reactions of 1-Naphthalynes with Lithiated Acetonitriles and 1,4-Dipolar Nucleophilic Anions

3-Bromo-2-methoxy-(5) and 3-bromo-2-methoxy-6-methylnaphthalene (6) yield 1-naphthalyne intermediates which react with various α-lithiated nitriles 10 to afford both rearranged 1-arylmethyl- or 1-hetarylmethyl-3-methoxynaphthalene-2-carbonitriles 11 and 12, respectively, and 3-naphthylated aryl- or hetarylacetonitriles 13 and 14, respectively. Product distributions 11:13 favoring rearranged nitriles (65:35-90:10) were obtained from LDA-mediated reactions of 5 with arylacetonitriles 9a, b and thiopheneacetonitriles 9c, d. Similar treatment of 6 with 9a-d gave product distributions 12: 14 heavily in favor of rearranged nitriles (>90:10) presumably due to the ability of the additional 7-methyl group to increase the rate of cyclization of the initial aryne-nitrile anion adduct, the crucial step in the rearrangement pathway