Cyanoethylation of azafluorenes and syntheses of alcohols containing an azafluorene fragment

Isomeric (with respect to the position of the nitrogen atom) azafluorenes were cyanoethylated. The resulting 9,9-bis(β-cyanoethyl) derivatives were converted to the corresponding dibasic acids and their diesters. The latter were subjected to the Dieckmann reaction to obtain spiro compounds with azafluorene and cyclohexene fragments. The analogous spirans with 1,3-dioxalane and 1,3-dioxane rings were obtained from 3-methyl-2-azafluorenone. © 1983 Plenum Publishing Corporation.