Abstract
The reaction of 2,2-dimethoxy-3,4-bis(diphenylmethylene)cyclobutanone (II), 2,2-dimethoxy-3,4-bis(diphenylmethylene)cyclobutanol (III), 2-hydroxy-3,4-bis(diphenylmethylene)cyclobutanone (IV), and 2-methoxy-3,4-bis(diphenylmethylene)cyclobutanol (VIII) with methanolic potassium hydroxide was studied. The three methoxy compounds, II, III, and VIII, afforded the ring-opened products, methyl 4,4-dimethoxy-2-diphenylmethylene-3-diphenylmethylbut-3-enate (X), 4,4-dimethoxy-2-diphenylmethylene-3-diphenylmethyl-but-3-enal (XIII), and 4-methoxy-2-diphenylmethylene-3-diphenylmethylbut-3-enal (XVI) respectively. However, the ketoalcohol IV afforded the enolizable cyclobutenedione, 3,4-bis(diphenylmethyl) cyclobutenedione (XXI).