10.1016/0040-4020(67)80009-7
The study investigates the carbenoid reaction of various compounds with alkyllithium in the presence of olefins. Dibromodiphenylmethane reacts with methyllithium in the presence of ethyl vinyl ether to produce 1,1-diphenyl-2-ethoxycyclopropane and tetraphenylethylene. However, 9,9-dibromofluorene and 9,9-dichloro-9H-tribenzo[a.c.e]cycloheptene do not yield cyclopropane derivatives under similar conditions but instead produce compounds like 9,9'-bifluorenylidene and 9-methylene-9H-tribenzo[a.c.e]cycloheptene. The study explores the mechanisms behind these reactions, suggesting that the formation of cyclopropane derivatives is influenced by the stability of intermediates and the steric hindrance around the reaction centers. The results indicate that the reactivity of these compounds with olefins cannot be fully explained by existing hypotheses and may involve different transition states and intermediates.