Cyclobutane derivatives made from [2+2] cycloaddition of feedstock alkenes and an iron-based catalyst

Monday, September 7, 2015 - 08:30 in Physics & Chemistry

(Phys.org)—Substituted cyclobutanes, four-membered carbon rings with substituents on some of the carbon atoms, can be made with regio- and stereo-selectivity through various methods, including photochemistry. But because these methods often require activated alkenes, there are limits to the varieties of substituted cyclobutanes that are synthetically available. There has been much interest in making cyclobutanes from simple, unactivated, alkenes that are often used in industrial processes using a reaction that is analogous to a [4+2] Diels Alder cycloaddition reaction. While this is thermodynamically feasible, until now, it has not been realized.

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