CuCl-induced formation and migration of isoindazolyl carbenoids.

Two azo-ene-butadiyne conjugated systems undergo CuCl-mediated cyclization to afford isoindazolyl carbenoids that could be trapped with 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene as [2+1] cycloaddition products. X-ray structure analysis of the resultant cyclopropanes showed that formal migration to the distal carbenoid isomer and subsequent trapping had occurred. The possible CuCl-induced cyclization/migration pathways were explored using density functional theory, which indicated that the reaction most likely occurred via coordination of CuCl to the distal alkyne bond.