Ruthenium-catalyzed cycloisomerization of cis-3-en-1-ynes to cyclopentadiene and related derivatives through a 1,5-sigmatropic hydrogen shift of ruthenium-vinylidene intermediates.

We report a new ruthenium-catalyzed cycloisomerization of unactivated cis-3-en-1-ynes, which produces substituted cyclopentadiene and related derivatives. The mechanism of this cyclization is proposed to involve a [1,5]-sigmatropic hydrogen shift of ruthenium-vinylidene intermediates on the basis of deuterium-labeling experiments.