Fragmentation reactions of n-butoxychlorocarbene (9), isobutoxychlorocarbene (10), and benzyloxychlorocarbene (2) were studied by product analysis and by laser flash photolysis (LFP). The carbenes were generated photochemically from 3-alkyl-3-chlorodiazirines in (1) MeCN solution; (2) 5.77 M pyridine in MeCN; (3) 0.504 M tetrabutylammonium chloride (Bu4NCl) in MeCN; or (4) 5.77 M pyridine + 0.504 M Bu4NCl in MeCN. In MeCN, 9 gave mainly HCl-capture product, n-butyl dichloromethyl ether (45.1%), carbene dimer (9.8%), and azine (14.6%). Fragmentation products 1-butene (14.4%), 2-butyl chloride (6.0%), and 1-butyl chloride (10.2%) were limited. With added pyridine, HCl was scavenged, the dichloromethyl ether was suppressed, and 1-butene (42.1%), 2-butyl chloride (7.3%), and 1-butyl chloride (24.1%) were dominant. With added Bu4NCl, 1-butyl chloride increased to 46.4%. With both pyridine and Bu4NCl, 1-butyl choride was 63% of the product, with 1-butene at 22.8%. A similar pattern was observed with carbene 10. Products in MeCN included isobutene (23%), 1- and 2-butene (8−9%), tert-butyl chloride (1.7%), 2-butyl chloride (5.8%), isobutyl chloride (0.4%), isobutyl dichloromethyl ether (53%), and carbene dimer (8%). The isobutyl chloride fragmentation product increased from 0.4% in MeCN, to 7.3% with pyridine, to 32% with Bu4NCl, and to 38% with both addends. With 2, benzyl chloride increased from 83% in MeCN to 91% with added pyridine and Bu4NCl. The increases in chloride displacement products are attributed to bimolecular attacks of chloride ions at the α-carbon atoms of the carbenes, particularly 9 and 10. LFP kinetic studies show that the rate constants for fragmentations of these carbenes increase linearly with the concentration of added Bu4NCl in pyridine−MeCN. Second-order rate constants (k 2) as a function of [Cl-] (M-1 s-1, 24 °C) for the fragmentations are 8.2 × 106 (9), 2.7 × 106 (10), and 2.2 × 106 (2). The decrease in k 2 as R in ROCCl changes from n-butyl to isobutyl to benzyl is in accord with a SN2-like mechanism for the carbene fragmentations in which the benzyl case involves the competitive incursion of SN1-like fragmentation.

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Fragmentations of cyclobutoxychlorocarbene (13, kfrag = 7.1 × 105 s−1) and cyclopropylmethoxychlorocarbene (14, kfrag = 7.6 × 105 s−1) in MeCN proceed to tight and distinct [R+ OC Cl−] ion pairs, which collapse to different distributions of cyclopropylcarbinyl, cyclobutyl and allylcarbinyl chlorides. B3LYP/6–31G* calculations support these conclusions, affording computed fragmentation activation energies of 6.4 (13) and 3.0 (14) kcal mol−1. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[R(+) OC Cl(-)] ion pairs were generated in methanol/dichloroethane solutions, with R(+) as the 1-bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl, 1-adamantyl, or 3-homoadamantyl cation. Ion pairs were produced either by the direct fragmentation of alkoxychlorocarbenes (ROCCl), with R = 1-bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl, 1-adamantyl, or 3-homoadamantyl, or by the ring expansion-fragmentation of R'CH(2)OCCl, with R' = 1-norbornyl, 3-noradamantyl, or 1-adamantyl. Correlations of the [ROMe]/[RCl] product ratios as a function of the mole fraction of MeOH in dichloroethane showed that the homoadamantyl chloride ion pairs, produced by either the direct or ring expansion-fragmentations, were identical, solvent- and anion-equilibrated, and precursor independent. Laser flash photolysis experiments gave 20-30 ps as the time required for solvent equilibration and precursor independence. Methanol/chloride selectivities of the (less-stable) 1-adamantyl chloride and 1-bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl chloride ion pairs were not independent of their ROCCl or R'CH(2)OCCl precursors. Computational studies provided transition states for the fragmentations and for the structures of the ion pairs.