Stereochemistry and reactivity of F- and H-vinyldiazocarbonyl compounds and their phosphazines: synthesis of pyrazoles and pyridazines

3-(Trifluoromethyl)-substituted (F) 2-vinyl-2-diazocarbonyl compounds, having cis-relationship of functional groups (AlkO(2)C. CN2), do not undergo 1,5-electrocyclization, but readily take part in the tandem Staudinger-diaza-Wittig reactions to produce trifluoromethyl-substituted pyridazines, whereas their non-fluorinated analogs (H), with trans-configuration, easily cyclize to pyrazoles, but remain intact under Staudinger-diaza-Wittig reaction conditions. The difference in the reactivity of H- and F-vinyldiazoketones, vinyldiazoacetates, and derived phosphazines is apparently caused by the different stereochemical arrangements of the AlkO(2)C and CN2 groups. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.