Regioselectivity of the Base-Induced Ring Cleavage of 1-Oxygenated Derivatives of Cyclobutabenzene

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/hlca.19980810207

Oxy anions 3 generated from 1,2-dihydrocyclobutabenzen-1-ones 1 through addition of a charged nucleophile or from 1-hydroxy-1,2-dihydrocyclobutabenzenes 2 by deprotonation with base lead to stable products through distal and/or proximal cleavage of the strained four-membered ring via benzyl carbanion 4 and/or aryl carbanion 5. A systematic study of this process reveals the relative stability of the two isomeric carbanions 4 and 5 as a key factor in determining the course of the ring-cleavage reaction. While benzyl carbanions 4 can be trapped with carbon electrophiles, attempts at trapping aryl carbanions 5 with electrophiles other than H⁺ failed. In protic solvents, the magnesium salt of the tertiary alcohol 2 shows an increased rate of proximal cleavage as compared to its alkali salts. From this, we conclude that, in contrast to benzyl carbanions 4, free aryl carbanions 5 are of transient existence only. Proximal C,C-bond cleavage seems to occur either through protonation of 5 from a fast, reversible equilibrium 3?5 in which 3 strongly predominates, or in protic solvents possibly even through a rate-limiting protonation of 3 at the aromatic C-atom, bypassing free anion 5 altogether. Thus, additional factors other than just the relative stability of isomeric carbanions 4 and 5 are of importance in determining the regiochemistry of the base-induced C,C-bond cleavage in ketones 1 and in alcohols 2.