Synthetic Approaches to the Hypothetical Lactone Intermediate in the Pyrolytic Conversion of 8-Methylcyclobuta[a]naphthalene-1,2-dione Into Acenaphthylene

Abstract

Synthetic approaches to the hypothetical lactone intermediate 8,8a-dihydro-2H-acenaphtho[1,8-bc]furan-2-one (2) based on intramolcular Diels -Alder reaction, and on intramolecular alkylation by diazoacetate groups, were not useful. Generation and pyrolysis of the 9-diazomethylnaphtho[1,2-c]furan-3(1H)-one (19) derived from the corresponding 9-formyl compound (15) gave products including acenaphthylene, consistent with the intermediacy of the lactone (2).