Photoreaction of 2-naphthonitrile and vinyl ethers; a novel photorearrangement of the primary cycloadduct
Abstract
Irradiation of the dihydrocyclobutanaphthalene adduct (I), obtained by photocycloaddition of 2-naphthonitrile to alkyl vinyl ethers, affords the isomeric dihydro-cyclobutanaphthalene (II) and the dihydrobenzocyclooctene (III); pyrolysis of (II) gives (III), whereas irradiation of (III) gives the dihydrocyclobutanaphthalene (IV) quantitatively.