Partitioning of π-Electrons in Rings of Polycyclic Conjugated Hydrocarbons. 5. Nonalternant Compounds

All possible nonalternant hydrocarbons with a total of two, three, or four 5-, 6-, and 7-membered rings have been examined for the partition of their pi-electrons by averaging over all Kekulé structures (considered to contribute equally to the electron distribution) the pi-electrons in each ring in accordance to the rules introduced earlier: for each double bond shared with another ring one pi-electron is taken into account, and for double bonds that are not shared two pi-electrons are added. The trends observed for the partitions are discussed, and a comprehensive bibliography is provided as Supporting Information for all such systems, including both experimental and theoretical published data.

Thermal rearrangements of spiro[2.4]hepta-1,4,6-trienes

Thermolysis of spiro[2.4]hepta-1,4,6-triene (1a) at 50 degrees C yielded bicyclo[3.2.0]hepta-1,3,6-triene (5), which dimerized in two different fashions to form cyclobutanes. The 1,2-dimethyl and 1-propyl derivatives of 1a also rearranged at 50 degrees C, but at a faster rate, each yielding a pair of cyclobutane dimers. The structures of these symmetrical dimers were investigated by 1D and 2D NMR and NOE difference spectroscopy. Ab initio calculations indicated that the two strained olefins 1a and 5 had comparable energies about 50 kcal/mol lower than norborna-1(7),2,5-triene, which was thus excluded as a reaction intermediate.