Ruthenium-Catalyzed Hydroalkynylative Cyclization of 1,6-Enynes Induced by Substituent Effects.

The ruthenium-catalyzed 1,6-enyne cyclization in the presence of bulky substituted terminal alkyne proceeds smoothly at room temperature to afford highly substituted five-membered cyclic compounds featuring a 1,5-enyne motif. Deuterium-labeling experiments showed that the key ruthenacyclopentene intermediate undergoes cleavage of metal-carbon bonds through the metal-assisted σ-bond metathesis reaction, thus leading to the formation of C(sp(2))-H and C(sp(3))-C(sp) bonds.