Rhodium(I) catalysed rearrangements of cyclo-octatetraene epoxide and bicyclo[6,1,0]nonatrienes
Abstract
Ring contraction of cyclo-octatetraene epoxide to cycloheptatriene-7-aldehyde occurs at –50° in the presence of rhodium(I) and further rearrangement occurs at higher temperatures, whilst in the carbon series bicyclo[6,1,0]nonatriene and its 9,9-dimethyl derivative undergo stereospecific rearrangement, in the presence of rhodium(I), to the corresponding cis-8,9-dihydroindenes.