Enediynes via Sequential Acetylide Reductive Coupling and Alkyne Metathesis: Easy Access to Well-Defined Molybdenum Initiators for Alkyne Metathesis

A new synthetic route utilizes the reductive coupling of molybdenum(IV) acetylides toward the construction of both enediyne molecules and trialkoxymolybdenum alkylidynes, the latter being useful as alkyne metathesis initiators. The molybdaziridine hydride complex Mo(H)(η 2 - Me 2 CNAr)(N[i-Pr]Ar) 2, 1, readily prepared from MoCl 3 (thf) 3, is elaborated in three generally high-yielding steps to enediynes and/or metathesis catalysts.