Département de chimie moléculaire

The intermol. Pauson-Khand reaction has been reproduced in the gas phase by using electrospray ionization coupled to modified tandem mass spectrometry. It has been found, as in soln., that the use of a strained alkene is preferred because of its relatively high reactivity. To observe the final cyclopentenone product, the cobaltacycle produced after a first ion-mol. reaction must necessarily collide with CO. Furthermore, when competition between an inter vs. an intra-mol. reaction is possible, the intermol. reaction is favored.