Structural and Solvent Effects on the Mechanism of the Thermal Decarboxylation of 2-Oxetanones. A Limiting Case between Concerted and Stepwise Pathways in Pericyclic Reactions

摘要

The thermal decarboxylation of 2-oxetanones (β-lactones) to yield alkenes has been studied using ab initio SCF-MO computational methods. Solvent effects have also been taken into account. The reaction is predicted to be concerted in the gas phase, the corresponding transition structures having non-Woodward-Hoffmann topologies.