Generation of hexahydroazulenes

(Z)-Cyclodec-1-en-6-yne (3) generates three conjugated hexahydroazulenes 3→1k→1c, 1ℓ under FVP conditions, whereas flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) of cyclodecyne (2) leads to 1,2,9-decatriene (9). We attribute the different thermal behavior of 2 (ring opening) and 3 (ring closure) to different transannular interactions. Altogether 22 constitutional isomers of hexahydroazulene should exist; three new isomers (1k, 1ℓ, and 1m) are presented here, ten were described earlier, but the reinvestigation of the dehydration route of bicyclic alcohol 11 showed that one of the ten structures has to be revised.