title: Pyrrolizine-1,3-dione.
abstract: Pyrrolizine-1,3-dione 4 was made by oxidation of the alcohol 2 using pyridinium chlorochromate. The dione 4 shows ketone properties (e.g. formation of DNP derivative 11) and, in common with other pyrrolizinones, the lactam unit is readily ring-opened by methanol under basic conditions. The active methylene unit of 4 couples readily with diazonium salts to provide the hydrazone 15 whose structure was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The 'Meldrumsated' derivative 18 exists exclusively as the tautomer 18F; flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) of 18 at 700 degrees C gives the pyronopyrrolizine 20 exclusively. Reaction of 4 with DMF acetal gives the dimethylaminomethylene derivative 22 which exists as a mixture of rotamers at room temperature.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, UKEH9 3JJ. H.McNab@ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: Hamish
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McNab
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Tredgett