Molybdenum Hexacarbonyl Catalyzed Cyclopropanation of α,β-Unsaturated Esters and Nitriles with Diazocarbonyl Compounds

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo01296a047

Molybdenum hexacarbonyl, when employed in catalytic amounts, effectively promotes cyclopropanation of acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, and ethyl acrylate by ethyl diazoacetate and α-diazoacetophenone; the intermediacy of molybdenum carbene species in the formation of cyclopropane derivatives is suggested.