Chemodivergent, Regio‐ and Enantioselective Cycloaddition Reactions between 1,3‐Dienes and Alkynes

Alkynes and 1,3-dienes are among the most readily available precursors for organic synthesis. We report two distinctly different, catalyst-dependent, modes of regio- and enantioselective cycloaddition reactions between these classes of compounds providing rapid access to highly functionalized 1,4-cyclohexadienes or cyclobutenes from the same precursors. Complexes of an earth abundant metal, cobalt, with several commercially available chiral bisphosphine ligands with narrow bite angles catalyze [4+2]-cycloadditions between a 1,3-diene and an alkyne giving a cyclohexa-1,4-diene in excellent chemo-, regio- and enantioselectivities. In sharp contrast, complex of a finely tuned phosphino-oxazoline ligand promotes unique [2+2]-cycloaddition between the alkyne and the terminal double bond of the diene giving a highly functionalized cyclobutene in excellent regio- and enantioselectivities.