Dearomatization [4+2] Cycloaddition of Nonactivated Benzene Derivatives.

Dearomatization reactions have recently emerged as a powerful tool for the rapid buildup of molecular complexity. Here, an unparalleled thermal dearomatization [4+2] cycloaddition reaction between benzene derivatives and a 2H-phosphindole tungsten complex was reported. The unique reactivity of the in situ-generated 2H-phosphindole complex toward benzene was revealed by density functional theory calculations. We thus provide new insights into the dearomatization of nonactivated arenes and pave the way for the manipulation of the dearomatization for further applications.