Competitive pathways in the reaction of lithium oxy-ortho-quinodimethanes and Fischer alkoxy alkynyl carbene complexes: synthesis of highly functionalised seven-membered benzocarbocycles.

Up to four different outcomes have been found for the reaction between 1-oxy-ortho-quinodimethanes (oQDMs) and alkoxy alkynyl Fischer carbene complexes (FCCs). The product formed depends on the structure of both reagents and on the reaction solvent. The pathways can be topologically classified as a [4C+2C], a [3(2C+O)+3C], and two different [4C+3C] processes and, in all these sequences, 1-oxy-oQDMs behave as enolates or as vinylogous enolates. The reaction of Choy and Yang's unsubstituted oQDM 1 with tungsten alkynyl FCCs is solvent controlled; thus, selective formation of benzocycloheptenones can be achieved in THF, whereas exclusive synthesis of benzocycloheptene ketals is reached in diethyl ether. On the other hand, THF is the solvent of choice to form benzocycloheptene ketals when an alkyl or aryl group is placed at position 1 of the oQDM in its reaction with tungsten carbene complexes; however, a pyranylidene carbene complex is formed when a chromium carbene complex is used. Alternatively, the presence of bulky alkoxy groups in the FCC component favours a Diels-Alder aromatisation sequence, which leads to 1-naphthyl FCCs. Furthermore, the isolation and the characterisation of several deuterated compounds by labelling experiments have provided some insight into the reaction pathways, and mechanisms consistent with those findings have been established and several reaction intermediates have been identified.