A cobalt carbonyl cluster, methylidynetricobaltnonacarbonyl, catalyzed inter- and intramolecular cyclotrimerization of alkynes producing substituted benzene derivatives in good to excellent yields.
By using drastic conditions for a Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction, it was possible to synthesize an oligophenylene with an extremely dense packing of the benzene rings. Crystallographic data could be obtained and a projection of the structure on the plane of the central phenyl ring reveals that the molecule retained its theoretical threefold symmetry with only minor deviations. Due to its dense packing of interlocked benzene rings, this oligophenylene could be furthermore used as a suitable precursor for constructing a subunit of,cubic graphite'.
Cobalt Octacarbonyl-Catalyzed Scalable Alkyne Cyclotrimerization and Crossed [2 + 2 + 2]-Cycloaddition Reaction in a Plug Flow Reactor
Cobalt-catalyzed alkyne cyclotrimerization and crossed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloadditions are developed in a plug flow reactor. The protocol generally uses 5 mol % of Co2(CO)8 and is scalable at least at multigram scale. Efficient and scalable use of Co2(CO)8 for crossed reactions of diynes and alkynes has hardly any precedent.