SYNTHESIS AND INVESTIGATIONS OF ENETETRAYNES

Several enetetrayne containing compounds have been synthesized and the ir chemistry explored vis-a-vis the Bergman cycloaromatization. With o ne exception the compounds were unreactive along this pathway. AM1 cal culations were performed in order to gain further insights into these reactions. The results indicate that the strain of constraining the re sulting benzodiyne in a small ring raises the energy of the transition state of the initial Bergman reaction.