and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectral studies of cycloheptenyl, cyclooctenyl, and cyclononenyl cations and some of their derivatives are reported and compared with those of cyclopentenyl and cyclohexenyl cations. All the cycloallylic cations were studied in two different superacid solvents, FS03H-SbF5 and SbFj diluted with S02C1F (S02) at low temperature. The parent cycloheptenyl cation was observed, while the parent cyclooctenyl and cyclononenyl cations were found to be unstable even in superacid media, although a series of substituted derivatives were obtained. The stabilities of cycloalkenyl cations decrease as the ring size increases. The equilibration of the stereoisomers of protonated 2-cyclohepten-l-one and the protonated 2-cycloocten-l-one in FS03H-SbF5-S02ClF solution are also discussed.
Variousgroups have investigated the generation of cycloallylic carbocations either in concentrated sulfuric acid or in much stronger superacid solvents.2The characteristic proton magnetic resonance band positions for cycloalkenyl cations have been very well demonstrated by Deno and others.3 Cyclization of linear allylic cations into either cyclopentenyl or cyclohexenyl cations and the equilibrium between the latter two allylic cations have also been paid much attention.4 However, among the reported cycloalkenyl cations only substituted cyclobutenyl,5-6 cyclopentenyl, and cyclohexenyl cations have been directly observed: no unsubstituted derivatives and larger cycloalkenyl cations such as cycloheptenyl,7 cyclooctenyl, and cyclononenyl cations have been observed.