The cyclization of parent and cyclic hexa-1,3-dien-5-ynes--a combined theoretical and experimental study

The thermal cycloisomerization of both parent and benzannelated hexa-1,3-dien-5-yne, as well as of carbocyclic 1,3-dien-5-ynes (ring size 7-14), was investigated by using pure density functional theory (DFT) of Becke, Lee, Yang, and Parr (BLYP) in connection with the 6-31G* basis set and the Brueckner doubles coupled-cluster approach [BCCD(T)] with the cc-pVDZ basis set for the parent system. The initial cyclization product is the allenic cyclohexa-1,2,4-triene (isobenzene), while the respective biradical is the transition structure for the enantiomerization of the two allenes. Two consecutive [1,2]-H shifts further transform isobenzene to benzene. For the benzannelated system, the energetics are quite similar and the reaction path is the same with one exception: the intermediate biradical is not a transition state but a minimum which is energetically below isonaphthalene. The cyclization of the carbocyclic 1,3-dien-5-ynes, which follows the same reaction path as the parent system, clearly depends on the ring size. Like the cyclic enediynes, the dienynes were found to cyclize to products with reduced ring strain. This is not possible for the 7- and 8-membered dienynes, as their cyclization products are also highly strained. For 9- to 11-membered carbocycles, all intermediates, transition states, and products lie energetically below the parent system; this indicates a reduced cyclization temperature. All other rings (12- to 14-membered) have higher barriers. Exploratory kinetic experiments on the recently prepared 10- to 14-membered 1,3-dien-5-ynes rings show this tendency, and 10- and 11-membered rings indeed cyclize at lower temperatures.