Nucleophilic and acid-catalyzed cleavage of the cyclopropane rings of β,γ-unsaturated α-spirocyclopropyl ketones

Treatment of isophorone (8) with sodium amide and 1,2-dibromomethane gives 6,6-dimethyl-8-methylenespiro[2.5]octan-4-one (9) and 6,6,8-trimethylspiro[2.5]oct-7-en-4-one (10); similar treatment of 3-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-one (5) gives analogous spiro compounds 6 and 7 together with 8-methylenedispiro[2.1.2.3]decan-4-one (11) and 8-methyldispiro[2.1.2.3]dec-8-en-4-one (12). The spiro ketones 6, 7, 9, and 10 undergo homoconjugate nucleophilic addition on being heated in morpholine with cleavage of the cyclopropane rings to give 2-[2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl]cyclohex-2-en-1-ones. The rates of reaction are much greater for the exo methylene compounds 6 and 9 than for their endo isomers 7 and 10, but the rate of reaction of 10 is only slightly greater than that of the corresponding saturated compound, 6,6,8-trimethylspiro[2.5]octan-4-one (15). A corresponding rate differential between 9 and 10 is observed in their reactions with isophorone (8) and sodium hydride to give 2,2′-(ethanediyl)bis[3,5,5-trimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-one] (18). The acceleration in the cases of 6 and 9 relative to that of 15 is attributed to spiroactivation by both the carbonyl and exocyclic ethylenic groups; the much smaller effect of the endocyclic ethylenic groups in the cases of 7 and 10 is ascribed to torsional strain in the transition states for ring opening. The spiro ketones 6, 7, 9, and 10 also undergo acid-catalyzed cyclopropane ring cleavage in ethanol, giving 2-(2-ethoxyethyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-ones. Again the exo methylene compounds 6 and 9 react much more rapidly than their endo isomers 7 and 10; this is considered to be due to factors analogous to those operative in the nucleophilic addition reactions and/or the more rapid protonation of the exo methylene compounds.