The first broad application of alkynyl sulfides as dienophiles in cobalt(I)-catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions

The cobalt(I)-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction of nonactivated aryl alkynyl sulfides with acyclic 1,3-dienes generates dihydroaromatic vinyl sulfides under very mild reaction conditions, and these products can be oxidized with mild oxidants to the corresponding diaryl sulfides in good overall yields. The steric and electronic effects of substituents on the aryl, as well as on the alkynyl, moieties of the aryl alkynyl sulfide are discussed. While the cobalt catalyst system is quite efficient in converting alkynyl sulfides to the Diels-Alder adducts, the transformation of the corresponding aryl alkynyl sulfoxides and sulfones under similar mild reaction conditions gave only moderate yields of the desired adducts.