DIRECT OBSERVATION OF ALPHA-OXO KETENES FROM THE PHOTOLYSIS OF ALPHA-DIAZO BETA-DIKETONES

Monitoring by IR spectroscopy of the broad-band irradiation of the symmetrically substituted 2-diazo-cyclohexane-1,3-dione (I 1), 3-diazopentane-2,4-dione (19), and 4-diazo-2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dione (24) in Ar matrices at 12 K showed the formation of 2-carbonylcyclopentanone (s-Z-12), acetyl(methyl)ketene (s-E-20), and tert-butyl(pivaloyl)ketene (s-E-25), respectively, in less than 10 min. On increasing the photolysis time to >3 h, the alpha-oxo ketenes 12,20, and 25 decarbonylated to the corresponding oxocarbenes which underwent Wolff rearrangement to carbonylcyclobutane (15), dimethylketene (23), and di-tert-butylketene (28), respectively. The reaction of 2-carbonylcyclopentanone (12) with CH3OH was monitored by IR spectroscopy. Thus, it was found that the reaction started at ca. 100 K and was essentially complete at 140 K, involving the initial formation of the enol form (9) of methyl 2-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate.