Mechanistic insight into cobalt-mediated [2 + 2 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions with γ-alkylidenebutenolide and γ-alkylidenebuterolactam as 2π partners.

The molecular complexity of recently reported cobalt(III) polycyclic complexes, resulting from an intramolecular formal (2 + 2 + 3) cycloaddition reaction on an enediyne containing a lactone moiety, has prompted us to computationally review the mechanisms of cobalt cycloaddition reactions with γ-alkylidenebutenolide or γ-alkylidenebuterolactam as 2π partners. Computed mechanisms are compared, leading to either cobalt(III)- or cobalt(I)-spiro complexes depending of both the nature of the reaction (intra- vs. intermolecular pathway) and the nature of the 2π partner (γ-alkylidenebutenolide vs. γ-alkylidenebuterolactam). These proposed mechanisms are supported by experiments, allowing us to report the synthesis and characterization of the predicted compounds.

When cobalt-mediated [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction dares go astray: synthesis of unprecedented cobalt(iii)-complexes.

In sharp contrast with the standard [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of diyne/ene, cobalt-mediated cycloadditions with γ-alkylidenebutenolide led to unprecedented cobalt(iii) polycyclic complexes. A plausible mechanism supported by a computational study based on an unusual fragmentation of the butenolide moiety was postulated to account for this original reaction.