Organocobalt Mediated Cyclizations and Biochemically Inspired Isomerizations - Method Development and Mechanistic Studies.

Abstract

This dissertation describes research on a wide array of topics. Chapter one follows closelya review publication from our group which details the synthetic and mechanistic progress in the literature from the early to mid-2010s of the Pauson-Khand Reaction(PKR). Chapter two focuses on our work utilizing x-ray absorption spectroscopy(XAS) to characterize reaction in- termediates of the intermolecular PKR. Chapter three highlights our group’s work developing the use of N 2 O as a new promoter of the PKR in which also we utilized several alkynes and alkenes never before used in PKR thus expanding its synthetic scope. Chapter four discusses mechanistic studies of the cis/trans isomerization of 3-methyl-glutaconic acid. The appendices cover experimental detail and further data analysis of results presented in each chapter. In total this work so far has resulted in three publications.