Ketene–Ketene Interconversion. 6-Carbonylcyclohexa-2,4-dienone–Hepta-1,2,4,6-tetraene-1,7-dione–6-Oxocyclohexa-2,4-dienylidene and Wolff Rearrangement to Fulven-6-one

Synthesis of 4-sulfonyl-1,7-diesters via K2CO3-mediated alkylative debenzoylation of α-sulfonyl o-hydroxyacetophenones with acrylates

The synthesis of 4-sulfonyl-1,7-diesters was well developed, under open-vessel conditions, by K2CO3-mediated double alkylation of α-sulfonyl o-hydroxyacetophenones with acrylates and tandem debenzoylation of the resulting α,α-disubstituted o-hydroxyacetophenones. A plausible mechanism is proposed and discussed here. This high-yielding protocol provides a highly effective intermolecular alkylation and intramolecular debenzoylation via the formation of two carbon-carbon (C-C) single bonds and the cleavage of a carbon-carbon (C-C) single bond.

Activation of Carbon Dioxide by 9-Carbene-9-borafluorene Monoanion: Carbon Monoxide Releasing Transformation of Trioxaborinanone to Luminescent Dioxaborinanone

The first structurally characterized example of a trioxaborinanone (2) is produced by the reaction of a 9-carbene-9-borafluorene monoanion and carbon dioxide. When compound 2 is heated or irradiated with UV light, carbon monoxide (CO) is released, and a luminescent dioxaborinanone (3) is formed. Notably, carbon monoxide releasing molecules (CORMs) are of interest for their ability to deliver a specific amount of CO. Due to the turn-on fluorescence observed as a result of the conversion to 3, CORM 2 serves as a means to optically observe CO loss "by eye" under thermal or photochemical conditions.

On the absolute photoionization cross section and threshold photoelectron spectrum of two reactive ketenes in lignin valorization: fulvenone and 2-carbonyl cyclohexadienone

We report the absolute photoionization cross section (PICS) of fulvenone and 2-carbonyl cyclohexadienone, two crucial ketene intermediates in lignin pyrolysis, combustion and organic synthesis. Both species were generated in situ by pyrolyzing salicylamide and dectected via imaging photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy. In a deamination reaction, salicylamide loses ammonia yielding 2-carbonyl cyclohexadienone, a ketoketene, which further decarbonylates at higher pyrolysis temperatures to form fulvenone. We recorded the threshold photoelectron spectrum of the ketoketene and assigned the ground state (X̃⁺²A′′ ← X̃¹A′) and excited state (Ã⁺²A′ ← X̃¹A′) bands with the help of Franck–Condon simulations. Adiabatic ionization energies are 8.35 ± 0.01 and 9.19 ± 0.01 eV. In a minor reaction channel, the ketoketene isomerizes to benzpropiolactone, which decomposes subsequently to benzyne by CO₂ loss. Potential energy surface and RRKM rate constant calculations agree with our experimental observations that the decarbonylation to fulvenone outcompetes the decarboxylation to benzyne by almost two orders of magnitude. The absolute PICS of fulvenone at 10.48 eV was determined to be 18.8 ± 3.8 Mb using NH₃ as a calibrant. The PICS of 2-carbonyl cyclohexadienone was found to be 21.5 ± 8.6 Mb at 9 eV. Our PICS measument will enable the quantification of reactive ketenes in lignin valorization and combustion processes using photoionization techniques and provide advanced mechanistic and kinetics insights to aid the bottom-up optimization of such processes.

The absolute photoionization cross section (PICS) of these crucial ketene intermediates supports their quantification in lignin pyrolysis, combustion and organic synthesis.

UV-Induced Photochemistry of 1,3-Benzoxazole, 2-Isocyanophenol, and 2-Cyanophenol Isolated in Low-Temperature Ar Matrixes

The monomers of 1,3-benzoxazole isolated in a cryogenic argon matrix were characterized by infrared spectroscopy. The photochemistry of matrix-isolated 1,3-benzoxazole, induced by excitation with a frequency-tunable narrowband UV light, was investigated. Irradiation at 233 nm resulted in a nearly quantitative conversion of 1,3-benzoxazole into 2-isocyanophenol. The individual photochemical behavior of the in situ produced 2-isocyanophenol was studied upon excitations at 290 nm, where 1,3-benzoxazole does not react. The photochemistry of isomeric matrix-isolated 2-cyanophenol was also studied. The photoreactions of 2-substituted (cyano- or isocyano-) phenols were found to have many similarities: (i) OH bond cleavage, yielding a 2-substituted (cyano- or isocyano-) phenoxyl radical and an H-atom, (ii) recombination of the detached H-atom, resulting in an oxo tautomer, and (iii) decomposition leading to fulvenone, together with HCN and HNC. In another photoprocess, 2-cyanophenol undergoes a [1,5] H-shift from the hydroxyl group to the cyano group yielding isomeric ketenimine. The analogous [1,5] H-shift from the hydroxyl group to the isocyano group must have also occurred in 2-isocyanophenol; however, the resulting nitrile ylide isomer is kinetically unstable and collapses to benzoxazole. All photoproducts were characterized by comparing their observed infrared spectra with those computed at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. The mechanistic analysis of the photochemistry occurring in the family of the title compounds is presented.

Flash Vacuum Pyrolysis: Techniques and Reactions

Flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) had its beginnings in the 1940s and 1950s, mainly through mass spectrometric detection of pyrolytically formed free radicals. In the 1960s many organic chemists started performing FVP experiments with the purpose of isolating new and interesting compounds and understanding pyrolysis processes. Meanwhile, many different types of apparatus and techniques have been developed, and it is the purpose of this review to present the most important methods as well as a survey of typical reactions and observations that can be achieved with the various techniques. This includes preparative FVP, chemical trapping reactions, matrix isolation, and low temperature spectroscopy of reactive intermediates and unstable molecules, the use of online mass, photoelectron, microwave, and millimeterwave spectroscopies, gas-phase laser pyrolysis, pulsed pyrolysis with supersonic jet expansion, very low pressure pyrolysis for kinetic investigations, solution-spray and falling-solid FVP for involatile compounds, and pyrolysis over solid supports and reagents. Moreover, the combination of FVP with matrix isolation and photochemistry is a powerful tool for investigations of reaction mechanism.

Photolysis of a Benzyne Precursor Studied by Time-Resolved FTIR Spectroscopy

The 266 nm laser flash photolysis of phtaloyl peroxide (2) in liquid acetonitrile solution at room temperature has been investigated. Upon 266 nm laser irradiation, 2 is effectively photodecarboxylated leading to the formation of o-benzyne (1) and two equivalents of CO2, yet a small fraction of photolyzed 2 follows a different pathway leading to 6-oxocyclohexa-2,4-dienylideneketene (3) and one equivalent of CO2. Compound 3 is kinetically reactive and reacts in the microsecond time scale following a first-order kinetic law. The presence of 1 in the photolysis experiment is confirmed by trapping experiments with methyl 1-methylpyrrole-2-carboxylate (6). The Diels-Alder reaction between 1 and 6 occurs under the selected experimental conditions on a time scale shorter than 100 ms.

1,2-Azaborine: The Boron-Nitrogen Derivative of ortho-Benzyne

The BN analogue of ortho-benzyne, 1,2-azaborine, is generated by flash vacuum pyrolysis, trapped under cryogenic conditions, and studied by direct spectroscopic techniques. The parent BN aryne spontaneously binds N2 and CO2, thus demonstrating its highly reactive nature. The interaction with N2 is photochemically reversible. The CO2 adduct of 1,2-azaborine is a cyclic carbamate which undergoes photocleavage, thus resulting in overall CO2 splitting.

Efficient strategy for construction of 6-carbamoylfulvene-6-carboxylate skeletons via [3 + 2] cycloaddition of 1-cyanocyclopropane 1-ester with β-nitrostyrenes

An efficient and straightforward the preparation of 6-carbamoylfulvene-6-carboxylates via a cycloaddition reaction between 1-cyanocyclopropane 1-ester and β-nitrostyrenes.