IS PSEUDOROTATION THE OPERATIONAL PATHWAY FOR BOND SHIFTING WITHIN [8]ANNULENES - PROBE OF PLANARIZATION REQUIREMENTS BY 1,3-ANNULATION OF THE CYCLOOCTATETRAENE RING - KINETIC-ANALYSIS OF RACEMIZATION AND 2-D NMR QUANTITATION OF PI-BOND ALTERNATION AND RING INVERSION AS A FUNCTION OF POLYMETHYLENE CHAIN-LENGTH

The chiral 1,3-bridged cyclooctatetraenes 9a-c have been prepared in nine steps from the appropriate 2-cycloalkenone precursors. Following annulation with ethyl acetoacetate to give 15, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene was cycloadded photochemically in a [2 + 2] reaction and a cyclobutene ring was ultimately formed. Once reduction to alcohol 19 was accomplished, dehydration was effected and the bicyclo[4.2.0]octatrienes so generated underwent disrotatory ring opening to deliver the [8]annulenes. The rates of this electrocyclic ring opening were determined in two examples. Polarimetric studies provided quantitative measure of the readiness with which planar dianion formation occurs as a function of loop size. Unexpectedly, attempts to resolve these molecules failed to deliver them in optically active condition because of too rapid enantiomerization via ring inversion and/or bond shifting. The rates of these processes were determined by 2-D dynamic NMR methods, the data revealing that both processes are accelerated relative to nonbridged models. These and related findings are interpreted in terms of a pseudorotation scheme leading to flattened saddle and not planar-alternate transition states. The unique features associated with this mechanistic phenomenon are discussed. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.