Substituent effects of rate constants for thermal [4π + 2π] cycloreversion of spiro-fused β-lactam oxadiazolines

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Abstract
Twelve Δ3-1,3,4-oxadiazolines in which C-2 is also C-4 of a β-lactam moiety (spiro-fused β-lactam oxadiazoline system) were thermolyzed as solutions in benzene. Substituents in the β-lactam portion affect the rate constant for thermal decomposition of the oxadiazolines to N2, acetone, and a β-lactam-4-ylidene. The total spread of first-order rate constants at 100 °C was 47-fold and the average value was 6.7 × 10−4 s−1. A phenyl substituent at N-1 or at C-3 was found to be rate enhancing, relative to methyl. At C-3, H and Cl were also rate enhancing, relative to methyl. The data are interpreted in terms of the differential effects of substituents on the stabilities of the ground states, and on the stabilities of corresponding transition states for concerted, suprafacial, [4π + 2π] cycloreversion. The first products, presumably formed irreversibly, are N2 and a carbonyl ylide. The latter subsequently fragments to form acetone (quantitative) and a β-lactam-4-ylidene.