Stephan Deuerlein

1‐Phenyl‐1,2‐cyclohexadiene: Generation, Interception by Activated Olefins, Dimerisation and Trimerisation

Four possible precursors of 1-phenyl-1,2-cyclohexadiene (2) were examined, namely, 6,6-dibromo-1-phenylbicyclo[3.1.0]hexane, (1alpha,5alpha,6alpha)-6-bromo-6-fluoro-1-phenylbicyclo[3.1.0]hexane, 1-bromo-2-phenylcyclohexene and 1-bromo-6-phenylcyclohexene. All four compounds could be converted into 2, as demonstrated by the products of the interception of 2 with activated olefins. Styrene, 1,1-diphenylethene, indene, furan and 2,5-dimethylfuran were employed as such. Whereas the first three gave [2+2] cycloadducts of 2, the last two provided one [4+2] cycloadduct each. To create the [2+2] cycloadducts, the pi bond of 2 that is more remote from the phenyl group reacted, whereas the pi bond of 2 conjugated with the phenyl group exclusively produced the [4+2] cycloadducts. The generation of 2 in the absence of a trapping reagent brought about relatively good yields of a dimer or a trimer of 2 depending on the mode of the liberation of 2. Being derivatives of triphenylene, the dimer as well as the trimer have unusual structures, thereby indicating that a phenyl group is participating in the formation of these compounds. The most surprising structure of the trimer was elucidated by X-ray crystal diffraction. As to the mechanisms, diradical intermediates are proposed both for the cycloadditions and for the dimerisation. The initial steps of the latter seem to proceed also in the trimerisation.

N-Aryl Anions: Half Way between Amides and Carbanions

A ‘carbanion’ can coordinate to a metal like an ‘amide’ if there is a nitrogen atom present to withdraw electron density from the formally negatively charged carbon center. On the other hand, shifting the negative charge from the amido nitrogen atom to the carbon substituent should convert an ‘amidic’ into a ‘carbanionic’ coordination behavior. This seems feasible with various substituents at the aromatic ring in a primary amide. This paper is concerned with the influence of aromatic substitution, as well as with the nature of the metal ion on the coordination mode of an amide ligand. Discussed are the parent lithium anilide [(thf)2LiNH(C6H5)]2 (1), the pentafluorinated lithium anilide [(thf)2LiNH(C6F5)]2 (2) and the lithium amino benzonitrile [(thf)2LiNH(C6H4pCN)]2 (3). All amide ligands coordinate the lithium cation exclusively with their amido nitrogen atom. In the dimeric structure of 1 the atom can be regarded to be sp2-hybridized. Fluorine substitution of the ring results in a slightly more pronounced coupling of the negative charge to the aromatic ring. A para-nitrile group further enhances quinoidal perturbation of the C6-perimeter from six-fold symmetry. Consequently, the ipso- and ortho-carbon atoms of the ring are partially negative charged. Those carbon atoms are only attractive for the soft rubidium cation in an aza allylic coordination in [(thf)2RbNH(C6H4pCN)]n (4) but not to the hard lithium cation.