Dicobalt octacarbonyl promoted rearrangement of 4-isoxazolines to acylaziridines: dramatic rate acceleration with very high substrate tolerance.

[reaction: see text] Dicobalt octacarbonyl [Co(2)(CO)(8)] in acetonitrile at 75 degrees C triggers the cleavage of the N-O bond of 4-isoxazolines (1) to bring about the valence rearrangement to 2-acylaziridines (2). The isoxazolines were stable at 75 degrees C in the absence of the cobalt complex.