Potential energy surface of 1,6-Methano
The potential energy surface of 1,6-methano[10]annulen-11-ylidene and its isomers has been investigated by density functional (BLYP and B3LYP) molecular orbital methods. These calculations indicate the lowest energy annulene structure to be 56.9 kcal mol(-)(1) higher in energy than triplet 1-naphthylcarbene. These calculations, together with calculations on transition states connecting possible rearrangement products derived from this carbene, indicate that the trapping products reported by Carlton et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1976, 98, 6068-6070 arise from rearrangement of the annulene-carbene to a tricyclic isomer.
Modarelli
DA
Department of Chemistry, Knight Chemical Laboratory, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3601, USA.