Comparative quantum chemical investigation of structures and properties of diazocyclopropane and other diazoalkanes

Reactions of endo-3-Diazotricyclo[3.2.1.02,4]oct-6-ene, a Potential Precursor for the Generation of a Neutral C8H8 Molecule with a Pyramidally Coordinated Carbon

endo-3-Diazotricyclo[3.2.1.0(2,4)]oct-6-ene (endo-6) has already been prepared in solution. According to B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) computations, the corresponding carbene endo-7 easily produces the highly strained neutral C8H8 compound 4 comprising a pyramidally tetracoordinated carbon which then rearranges to bridgehead alkene 15 through a cascade of rearrangements. Nonplanar diazocyclopropane structures are predicted for endo- and exo-6. Furthermore, their ring-opened isomers 27 are the first representatives of a new class of non-Kekulé compounds, the diazoallyls.