Regioselective opening of a cyclopropane ring by mercury(II) and transmetalation of the product with molybdenum. A novel, stereoelectronically controlled, skeletal rearrangement ans Grob-type fragmentation of organomolybdenum intermediates

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)61108-5

Organomercurial 2, arising by a regioselective ring-opening of cyclopropane derivative 1, can be transmetalated with Mo-reagents to initially generate complexes 3 and 7. While 3 reacts further via a stereoelectronically controlled cascade rearrangement to afford 6, complex 7 favors a Grob-type fragmentation leading to 9.