COBALT-CATALYZED DIMERIZATION OF NORBORNADIENE (C7H8) TO BINOR-S - EVIDENCE AGAINST THE PI-COMPLEX MULTICENTER PROCESS

Product ratios obtained from the dimerisation of (7-MeC7H7) using a [(C7H8)2Co2(CO)4]/[BF3·OEt2] catalyst system in dichloromethane, or the use of catalyst prepared from [C7H8)2Co2(CO)4] and I2 without [BF3·OEt2] are only consistent with a reaction scheme based on a mononuclear CoI catalyst, and suggest that a π-complex multicentre process is not important. © 1979.