Carbolong Chemistry: Planar CCCCX-Type (X = N, O, S) Pentadentate Chelates by Formal [3+1] Cycloadditions of Metalla-Azirines with Terminal Alkynes

Three-membered unsaturated rings have been widely utilized in organic synthesis due to their inherent highly strained structures.Although much research has been applied to ring-expansion reactions of such strained ring systems,pathways other than[3+2]cycloadditions have rarely been observed in their reactions with alkynes,and to date,no[3+1]cycloadditions of isolated three-membered unsaturated rings with alkynes have been reported.Here we demonstrate an unprecedented[3+1]cycloaddition in which a fused metalla-azirine is used as a template to generate a series of planar CCCCX-type(X=N,O,S)pentadentate carbolong complexes 3–6.A series of substituted alkynes was tested for further exploration of the scope and mechanism for the[3+1]cycloaddition reactions.Complexes 3–6 represent rare examples of planar pentadentate complexes that assemble fourπ-conjugated fused rings by one bridgehead atom.These novel complexes are thermally stable in air and absorb ultraviolet,visible,and near-infrared light,and thus are potentially applicable in photoelectric devices and pharmaceuticals.