Rhodium(II) Acetate Catalysed Reactions of 2-Diazo-1,3-indandione and 2-Diazo-1-indanone with Various Substrates

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00247a007

Decomposition of 2-diazo-1,3-indandione (3) by rhodium(II) acetate (1) in cyclohexane and in benzene results in overall carbon-hydrogen insertion to give 2-substituted 1,3-indandiones.Anisole, 1, and 3 yield 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-indandione (74 percent); benzenes substituted by a single methyl or halogen groups yield the corresponding ortho- and para-substitution products.Spirocyclopropanes are obtained by rhodium(II)-catalyzed additions of 3 to olefins; electron-deficient olefins do not give adducts.Substituted 4H-indeno<1,2-b>furan-4-ones and 2,3-disubstituted spiroindene>-1',3'-diones are formed from rhodium(II)-catalyzed reactions of 3 with acetylenes.Reactions of 1 and 3 with cyclohexane, olefins, acetylenes, and arenes involve selective electrophilic carbenic or ylidic processes. 2-Diazo-1-indanone (4) is converted by 1 to 2,2'-bis (48).Thiophenol reacts with 4 and 1 to yield 2-(phenylthio)-1-indanone (49).Cyclopropanations of cyclohexene and styrene by 4 as catalyzed by 1 result in spiroheptane-7,2'-<2H>indan>-1-one (50) and 2-phenylspiroinden>-1'(3'H)-one (51), respectively.