An Unprecedented Biradical Cyclization as an Alternative Pathway to the Myers–Saito Cycloaromatization in the Thermal Reactions of Enyne Allenes

Abstract

Tales of the Unexpected. The thermal reaction of aryl-substituted enyne allenes 1 does not proceed by the expected Myers-Saito cycloaromatization. Instead a novel cyclization via intermediate benzofulvene biradicals 2 takes place.