Conformations and Reactions of Bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-6-en-8-ylidene

Bicyclo­[3.2.1]­oct-6-en-8-ylidene (1) can assume either the conformation of “classical” carbene 1a or that of foiled carbene 1b in which the divalent carbon bends toward the double bond. Oxadiazoline precursors for the generation of 1 were prepared, followed by photochemical and thermal decomposition as well as flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) of a tosyl hydrazone sodium salt precursor, to give a number of rearrangement products. Matrix isolation experiments demonstrate the presence of a diazo intermediate and methyl acetate in all photochemical and thermal precursor reactions. The major product from rearrangements of “classical” bridged carbene 1a is bicyclo[3.3.0]­octa-1,3-diene as a result of an alkyl shift, while dihydrosemibullvalene formed from a 1,3-C–H insertion. In contrast, thus far unknown strained bicyclo[4.2.0]­octa-1,7-diene formed by a vinyl shift in foiled carbene 1b. The experimental results are corroborated by density functional theory (DFT), MP2, and G4 computations.