Intra- and intermolecular trapping of cyclopentapyrazine carbenes derived from 1,2-dialkynylimidazoles

The thermolysis of 1,2-dialkynylimidazoles in benzene solution affords high yields of 7-phenyl-5H-cyclopentapyrazines, which presumably form by solvent trapping of cyclopentapyrazine carbene intermediates. In cases where dialkynylimidazole contains side chains that can participate in intramolecular carbene C-H insertion or olefin addition, these processes compete with solvent addition to afford novel tri- and tetracyclic pyrazines, which can be obtained in good yield when the thermolysis is carried out in hexafluorobenzene.