Nitrene-carbene-carbene rearrangement. photolysis and thermolysis of tetrazolo[5,1- a ]phthalazine with formation of 1-phthalazinylnitrene, o-cyanophenylcarbene, and phenylcyanocarbene

1-Azidophthalazine 9A is generated in trace amount by mild FVT of tetrazolo[5,1-a]phthalazine 9T and is observable by its absorption at 2121 cm-1 in the Ar matrix IR spectrum. Ar matrix photolysis of 9T/9A at 254 nm causes ring opening to generate two conformers of (o-cyanophenyl) diazomethane 11 (2079 and 2075 cm-1), followed by (o-cyanophenyl)carbene 312, cyanocycloheptatetraene 13, and finally cyano(phenyl)carbene 314 as evaluated by IR spectroscopy. The two carbenes 312 and 314 were observed by ESR spectroscopy (D|hc = 0.5078, E|hc = 0.0236 and D|hc = 0.6488, E|hc = 0.0195 cm-1, respectively). The rearrangement of 12 â., 13 â., 14 constitutes a carbene-carbene rearrangement. 1-Phthalazinylnitrene 310 is observed by means of its UV-vis spectrum in Ar matrix following FVT of 9 above 550 C. Rearrangement to cyanophenylcarbenes also takes place on FVT of 9 as evidenced by observation of the products of ring contraction, viz., fulvenallenes and ethynylcyclopentadienes 16-18. Thus the overall rearrangement 10 → 11 → 12 â., 13 â., 14 can be formulated

Comments on photochromism of 3-(3-pyridyl)sydnone and 4-alkenylsydnones

The blue photochromism of sydnones 1, in particular 3-(3-pyridyl) sydnone 1a, has been ascribed to the formation of nitrosaminoketenes 2 as carriers of the blue color, allegedly supported by CNDO/S-CI and STO-3G calculations. New calculations at TD-B3LYP/6-31+G∗∗, RM06-2X/6-311+ +G(d,p), CAM-B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p), and CASPT2//CASSCF(6,6)/PVDZ levels demonstrate that the nitrosaminoketenes should be yellow and cannot possibly be blue. The sydnone photochromsm is not currently understood, and further experimental and computational investigation is required

Nitrile ylides: allenic and propargylic structures from pyrazinylnitrenes. Experimental and theoretical characterization

Matrix photolysis of 2-pyrazinyl azides/tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrazines generates nitrile ylides 15 via pyrazinylnitrenes 13 and triazacycloheptatetraenes 14. The nitrile ylides 15 are characterized by IR spectroscopy in conjunction with harmonic and anharmonic vibrational frequency calculations. The nitrile ylides exist in the matrices in the Z,Z-conformations in which they are born. Substitution on the nitrile carbon of nitrile ylides has a profound effect on their structure. Even different conformers of the same molecule can have differences up to 200 cm in the IR absorptions of the ylide moieties. Nitrile ylides 15a and 15b (R = H or Cl, R' = H) have allenic structures (15 Allenic). Nitrile ylide 15c (R = R′ = CH) has a distinctly propargylic structure (15 Propargylic) in the experimentally observed Z,Z-conformation

Iminopropadienones RN=C=C=C=O and bisiminopropadienes RN=C=C=C=NR: Matrix infrared spectra and anharmonic frequency calculations

Methyliminopropadienone MeN=C=C=C=O 1a was generated by flash vacuum thermolysis from four different precursors and isolated in solid argon. The matrix-isolation infrared spectrum is dominated by unusually strong anharmonic effects resulting in complex fine structure of the absorptions due to the NCCCO moiety in the 2200 cm-1 region. Doubling and tripling of the corresponding absorption bands are observed for phenyliminopropadienone PhN=C=C=C=O 1b and bis(phenylimino)propadiene PhN=C=C=C=NPh 9, respectively. Anharmonic vibrational frequency calculations allow the identification of a number of overtones and combination bands as the cause of the splittings for each molecule. This method constitutes an important tool for the characterization of reactive intermediates and unusual molecules by matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopy

(Iminomethylidene)phosphines (RP=C=NR)

There has been much recent interest in compounds incorporating P=C 2,3 and P=P 4 double bonds. Furthermore, the stable (2,2-dimethylpropylidyne)phosphine, (CH 3)CC≡P, featuring a PC triple bond has been prepared.5 However, previous attempts to isolate cumulenes possessing a two-coordinate phosphorus atom, RP=C=X, have failed,2,3,6 except in a single case, the preparation of the stable and sterically protected (CH 3)CP=C=NC(CH 3h)-3. We now wish to report a general method of preparation of unstable (iminomethylidene)phosphines (monophosphorus analogues of carbodiimides), their direct observation by IR and mass spectrometry, and their initial chemical reactions