{(E)- and {(Z)-2-[α,β-bis(methoxycarbonyl)vinyl]cyclopentadien-1-ylidene}triphenylphosphorane

The Ramirez ylide undergoes electrophilic substitution with dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates, yielding a mixture of the Z and E adducts. The crystal structure analyses of the two adducts formed using dimethylacetylene, viz. dimethyl (E)- and (Z)-1-[2-(triphenylphosphoranylidene)cyclopentadien-1-yl]ethylenedicarboxylate, both C(29)H(25)O(4)P, explain an unusual chemical shift observed for the vinyl H atom of the Z adduct, which had previously precluded a definitive assignment of the isomers. In addition, the structures explain why only one of the isomers reacts further with acetylene esters to produce azulenes with a rare substitution pattern.