Retro-ene reactions in acylallene derivatives

Allenic esters and amides 4 undergo a retro-ene reaction to vinylketene (6) and an aldehyde or imine (5) under the conditions of flash vacuum thermolysis (FVT). The same products are obtained by FVT of cyclobutenones 7 via electrocyclic ring opening to alkoxy-or aminovinylketenes 3 and 1,3-rearrangement of ketenes 3 to allenes 4. All the intermediates and products were characterized by matrix isolation IR spectroscopy, and in the case of 4c the reaction was also monitored by online mass spectrometry. A lower temperature for the retro-ene reaction of 4c, eliminating an imine, than for 4a, eliminating formaldehyde, is in agreement with a lower calculated activation barrier (167 and 181 kJ mol(-1), respectively, at the G2(MP2,SVP) level of theory). The allenic amide 11 undergoes an analogous retro-ene reaction to the (unobserved) vinylketene 13, the latter isomerizing to cyclohexenylacrolein 16 in a 1,5-H shift (calculated barrier 125 kJ mol(-1); G2 (SVP)), SVP)).