Synthesis of angularly fused cyclopentanoids and analogous tricycles via photoinduced ketyl radical/radical anion fragmentation–cyclization reactions

Angular fused tricycles were synthesized through intramolecular tandem fragmentation–cyclization reactions by photochemically induced electron transfer (PET) of tricyclic α-cyclopropyl ketones with an unsaturated side chain at the position γ to the carbonyl group. The reactions resulted in regioselective cleavage of a β-cyclopropyl bond with formation of angular fused tricyclic ring systems via ketyl radical/radical anions as reactive intermediates. In general, triethylamine (TEA) was used as a strong reducing reagent in acetonitrile. The preferred regioselectivity of the cyclization step (exo vs endo) depending on the substitution pattern at the quaternary carbon center (Cβ′) of the tricyclic α-cyclopropyl ketones was investigated. In addition, we also checked a two-step pathway for the synthesis of angular dioxa-triquinanes including photolysis of an allyloxy-substituted cyclopenta[c]furanone derivative and subsequent β-cleavage of the resulted dioxa-[4.5.5.5]fenestrane under reductive PET conditions.