Abstract
Two new partially saturated tricyclic ring systems, 6, 6a, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10a, 11-octahydro-11-oxodibenz [b, e] oxepins (3a and 3b), and -thiepins (4a and 4b) were synthesized. Compounds 4a and 4b were desulfurized to give a pair of isomeric 2-methylbenzoylcyclohexanes (10a and 10b). Deuterated 4a and 4b (11a and 11b) were prepared starting from butadiene-d6 (12). The stereochemical features of 3a (trans), 3b (cis), 4a (trans) and 4b (cis) are compared with those of 10a, 10b, 11a and 11b on the basis of proton nuclear magnetic resonance data.