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DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1753142
A Twenty-Year Survey in Low-Valent Cobalt-Catalyzed Transformations Comes to an End – A Farewell
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Abstract
In this Account, I report the start of my independent career, concerning cobalt-catalyzed carbon–carbon bond formations and the twenty-year long journey to the final decision to abandon the field. Some highlights, such as the regiodiverse neutral Diels–Alder reaction and the cobalt versus ruthenium-catalyzed Alder-ene reaction are discussed. Besides such highlights, also some aspects that led to unpleasant experiences are reported from a personal point of view.
1 Introduction
2 The Regiodivergent Neutral-Diels–Alder Reaction
3 The Chemoselective [2+2+2] Cyclotrimerization of Alkynes and Nitriles
4 The Cobalt-Catalyzed Alder-ene Reaction
5 The Isomerization of Carbon–Carbon Double Bonds
6 The Final Chord
7 Conclusion
Key words
Alder-ene reaction - catalysis - cobalt - cyclotrimerization - Diels–Alder reaction - hydrovinylation - isomerizationPublication History
Received: 18 October 2022
Accepted after revision: 27 October 2022
Article published online:
23 November 2022
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- 22 For eternity unpublished results
- 23 Surprisingly, a Web of Science search for Prof. Donald Hilvert in association with the key word ‘cobalt’ gave not a single hit?!
- 24 Over the process of preparing this Account, I had a brief discourse with the editor-in-charge and he sent me a very useful comment for many situations in life. Prof. K. Peter C. Vollhardt wrote in German: ‘Schwamm drüber!’, which translates most likely into: ‘No hard feelings!’ The German metaphor is much more illustrative.
Shortly after I started my independent career in Munich in September 1999, my PhD advisor Prof. Eberhard Steckhan passed away so-to-say in the lecture hall in early 2000 and, under shock, we submitted our first paper on cobalt catalysis as soon as possible to a formerly high-ranked journal, see:
But, I made the same mistake again, see:
For early reports, see: