Facile Synthesis of Oxatricyclic Systems with Various Ring Sizes and Substituents

A series of α-diazo carbonyl compounds having cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone and substituted cyclohexanone units with different tether lengths have been synthesized using diazomethane solution or methanesulphonyl azide. The above synthesized α-diazo carbonyl compounds with rhodium(II) acetate dimer furnish cyclic five- or six-ring carbonyl ylide dipoles, which undergo facile 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with different dipolarophiles to furnish the substituted and functionalized oxatricyclic systems having various ring sizes. Two X-ray crystallographic analyses of compounds 8b and 15a are reported to firmly establish the stereochemistry of the cycloadducts.