title: Chromium mediated reductive coupling of isonitrile forms unusual heterocycles.
abstract: The quintuply bonded α-diimine chromium dimer [(H)L(iPr)Cr]2 reductively couples cyclohexyl isocyanide to produce various novel nitrogen heterocycles. Tetramerization yielded, inter alia, the aromatic squaramidinate, i.e. [C4(NCy)4](2-), whereas hexamerization produces a substituted 1,4-diaza-bicyclo[3.3.0]octadiene dianion. These unprecedented transformations complement the coupling reactions of isoelectronic CO, and they may prove synthetically useful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware , Newark, Delaware 19716, United States.
authors.forename: Jingmei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Glenn P A
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.forename: Klaus H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Theopold