Ruthenium-Catalyzed (2 + 2) Intramolecular Cycloaddition of Allenenes

Abstract

We report a ruthenium-catalyzed (2 + 2) intramolecular cycloaddition of allenes and alkenes. We have found that the use of the ruthenium complex RuH(2)Cl(2)(P(i)Pr(3))(2), which has previously gone unnoticed in catalytic applications, is crucial for the observed reactivity. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions and is fully diastereoselective, providing a practical entry to a variety of bicyclo[3.2.0]heptane skeletons featuring cyclobutane rings.