Herein we report a method for facilitating the inverse-electron-demand Diels–Alder reaction of 1,2-diazines and cyclooctynes by utilizing a boron-based bidentate Lewis acid catalyst. Readily available electron-deficient and electron-rich phthalazines proved to be suitable substrates in this transformation. The described method enables the facile construction of diversely substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons fused to eight-membered carbocycles.
Key words
cycloaddition - diazines - cyclooctyne - bidentate catalysis - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - Diels–Alder reactions