Several dioxepins were treated with dimethyl diazomalonate under bis(acetyl
acetonato)copper(II) catalysis. The 4,7-dihydro-2-methyl-1,3-dioxepin (1a)
gave oxonium ylide originated products and a cyclopropane derivative (see 3
a and 2a. resp.. in Scheme 3b). However, the 2,2-dimethyl derivative 1b of
1,3-dioxepin yielded only the cyclopropanation product 2b, (Scheme 3.b), wh
ereas 4,5-dihydro-2-methyl-1,3-dioxepin (9) gave the furanofuran derivative
10 (Scheme 4).