Catalytic version of enediyne cobalt-mediated cycloaddition and selective access to unusual bicyclic trienes.
Go cyclic! The use of [Co(H)(PMe3)4] as a cobalt catalyst allows the previously unattainable catalytic version of the cobalt-mediated cycloaddition of enediynes without the requirement of thermal or light activation (see scheme). The importance of a chelating group on the substrate that can selectively direct the reaction pathway toward the classical polycyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes or a new family of bicyclic trienes is also demonstrated.