FLASH VACUUM THERMOLYSIS OF DISPIROALKADIENES

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)87687-0

The Flash Vacuum Thermolysis (FVT) of dispiro<2.2.6.2>tetradeca -4,13-diene (7a). dispiro<2.2.5.2>trideca-4,12-diene (7b) and dispiro<2.2.2.2>deca-4,9-diene (7e) at 500-750 deg C is reported.The complicated reaction mixture from 7a and 7b (Scheme 3) included at lower temperatures vinylspiroalkadienes 9, ethylidenespiroalkadiene 10b, β-ethylcycloalkabenzenes 11, while at higher temperatures, p-n-alkyl-(5) and p-sec-alkylstyrenes 14 and p-divinylbenzene (15) dominated.Product formation is explained by invoking diradicals 8,6 and 12 as well as the cyclophanes 1 and 13 as intermediates.For 7e, the product mixture was less complicated and consisted of p-ethylstyrene (5e), 15 and, unexpectedly,p-isopropylstyrene (14e) which contains one carbon more than the starting material.The analysis and interpretation of product formation largely confirms previously suggested reaction pathways and furnishes further interesting details.However, new and unexpected features are also encountered, especially in the fragmentations of 1 and 13 which may stimulate future investigations on the thermal behaviour of these relatively simple hydrocarbons.