Cross-Cyclotrimerization with Two Nitriles as a Synthetic Pathway to Unsymmetrically 3,3′-Disubstituted bis(Tetrahydroisoquinolines)

Microwave assisted CpCo(CO)(2) catalyzed cross-cyclotrimerizations of 1,7,9,15-hexadecatetrayne with two different nitriles to give unsymmetrically substituted bis(tetrahydroisoquinolines) was studied. The reaction proceeded with a range of alkyl and aryl nitriles with reasonable isolated yields.