ChemInform Abstract: Alkynyl Halides in Ruthenium(II)-Catalyzed [2 + 2] Cycloadditions of Bicyclic Alkenes

Ru-catalyzed [2+2] cycloadditions between bicyclic alkenes and alkynyl halides were found to occur in moderate to good yields. The presence of the halide moiety greatly enhances the reactivity of the alkyne component in the cycloaddition and can be transformed into a variety of products that are difficult or impossible to obtain by direct cycloaddition. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)