Methylenecyclopropane is an organic compound with the formula . It is a hydrocarbon which, as the name suggests, is derived from the addition of a methylene substituent to a cyclopropane ring. It is a colourless, easily condensed gas that is used as a reagent in organic synthesis.
Methylenecyclopropane can be synthesized via an intramolecular cyclisation reaction from methallyl chloride by treatment with a strong base such sodium amide—sodium tert-butoxide (yield 43%)[1] or sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide with further treatment by sodium tert-butoxide (yield 72%).[2] Sodium tert-butoxide is used to isomerize byproduct 1-methylcyclopropene into methylenecyclopropane.
Being a strained and unsaturated molecule methylenecyclopropane undergoes many reactions, especially in the presence of metal catalysts.[3] For example, methylenecyclopropanes can be converted to cyclobutenes in the presence of a Platinum catalyst.[4] This can be considered similar to the ring expansion seen in vinylcyclopropane rearrangements
Substituted methylenecyclopropanes can also be involved in trimethylenemethane cycloaddition reactions.