The notion is put forward that norbornadienes having weak donor substituents at C‐7 should suffer homolysis of the C‐1/C‐7 bond on heating, leading via the diradical 6 to either cycloheptatrienes or benzylic compounds. In contrast, norbornadienes having strong donor systems at C‐7 should suffer heterolysis of the C‐1/C‐7 bond, whereupon the resulting zwitterion 7 collapses directly to carbenes in a singlet ground state.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Hoffmann et al. (1986) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: