title: "Formal" ruthenium-catalyzed [4+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes to 1,3-dienes: formation of cyclooctatrienes vs vinylcyclohexadienes.
abstract: [reaction: see text] A new "formal" Ru-catalyzed [4+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes to 1,3-dienes giving conjugated 1,3,5-cyclooctatrienes and vinylcyclohexadienes is described. This formal cycloaddition is really a tandem process, the Ru(II)-catalyzed formation of (Z)-tetraenes or vinyl-(Z)-trienes followed by a pure thermal conrotatory 8 pi- or disrotatory 6 pi-electrocyclization. The proposed mechanism allows the differences in product ratio to be explained in terms of steric and stereochemical considerations.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgánica y Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Varela
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Castedo
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saá