Diaryloxycarbenes from oxadiazolines

Symmetric and unsymmetric 2,2-diaryloxy-5,5-dimethyl-Δ3-1,3,4-oxadiazolines were synthesized by oxidative cyclization of aryloxycarbonyl hydrazones of acetone with lead tetraacetate and subsequent treatment of the product mixture with a phenol in acidic solution. Thermolysis of the oxadiazolines in benzene solution at 110°C afforded carbonyl ylide intermediates that cyclize, in part, to the corresponding 2,2-diaryloxyoxirane intermediates. The oxiranes, which were not observed, are required to account for the 1,1-diaryloxy-2-methylpropenes (ketene acetals) that were isolated. Most of the carbonyl ylides fragment to acetone and diaryloxycarbenes. The latter form dimers (tetraaryloxyethenes) or they can be trapped with phenols to form orthoformates. Diphenoxycarbene was also trapped with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD). The method appears to be the first for generating the parent diphenoxycarbene under relatively mild conditions in solution, and the only one to date for generating unsymmetrically substituted diaryloxycarbenes. Minor competing fragmentations of the oxadiazolines to 2-diazopropane and the appropriate diaryl carbonates, were also observed.Key words: diarylcarbonate, diaryloxycarbene, diaryloxy oxadiazoline, ketene acetal, orthoformate.