ChemInform Abstract: Cycloaddition of Nitrile Oxides to Aza-Analogues of Phenanthrene.

Mesitonitrile oxide, but not benzonitrile oxide, adds to ate-analogues of phenanthrene to give low yields of monocycloadducts. Only phenanthridine reacts with the two nitrile oxides affording phenanthridinone. 4,7-phenanthroline also gives some other minor products among which the bisadduct to a pyridine ring was isolated. The reactivity of aza-analogues under examination is discussed in terms of FMO approximation. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.