Cascade radical cyclizations of benzannulated enyne-allenes. Unusual cleavage of a benzene ring leading to twisted 1,1'-dialkyl-9,9'-bifluorenylidenes and spiro[1H-cyclobut[a]indene-1,9'-[9H]fluorenes].

Treatment of the benzannulated enediynyl propargylic alcohol 16 (isomer ratio = 2:1) with thionyl chloride induced a sequence of reactions leading to the twisted 1,1'-dipropyl-9,9'-bifluorenylidene 17, the polycyclic compounds 18 and 19, and the spiro[1H-cyclobut[a]indene-1,9'-[9H]fluorene] 20 (trans/cis = 5:1). The transformation from 16 to the unexpected 17 presumably involved an initial formation of the benzannulated enyne-allene 21 followed by a C(2)-C(6) cyclization reaction and an intramolecular radical-radical coupling reaction, giving rise to the formal Diels-Alder adduct 23. Repeat of this sequence then furnished 24. Cleavage of the bond connecting the two carbons having the propyl substituent afforded 25. A subsequent rotation of the carbon-carbon bond joining the two central five-membered rings then gave the trans isomer 26. Oxidation of 26, presumably by oxygen, followed by hydrolysis then produced 17. Interestingly, the pathway leading to 17 involved an unusual cleavage of a benzene ring. The X-ray crystal structure of 17 reveals that it has a twist angle of 45.2 degrees for the carbon-carbon double bond connecting the two bifluorenylidene fragments. The spiro[1H-cyclobut[a]indene-1,9'-[9H]fluorene] 20 apparently was produced via two intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of the benzannulated enyne-allene moieties, generated in situ from the benzannulated enediynyl propargylic alcohols. The twisted 1,1'-dimethyl-9,9'-bifluorenylidene 33 and the spiro[1H-cyclobut[a]indene-1,9'-[9H]fluorene] 39 (trans/cis = 3:1) were likewise produced from 32 and 38, respectively.