A solution-phase route to a tetraethynylated (cyclobutadiene)cyclopentadienylcobalt complex with a para-(1,3,2,4)-substitution pattern

Abstract

The synthesis of a tetraethynylated, CpCo-stabilized cyclobutadiene complex via a metalation/carbonylation/alkynylation route is reported; this synthetic sequence allows, for the first time, the solution phase synthesis of a tetraethynylcyclobutadiene(cyclopentadienyl)cobalt derivative, and sorts the four alkyne substituents into two para-related groups.