Cobalt-Catalyzed Synthesis of Alkenyl Heterocycles via Regioselective Intramolecular 1,4-Hydrofunctionalization of Dienes.

We report a novel cobalt-catalyzed intramolecular 1,4-hydrofunctionalization of dienes. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions and is amenable to N- and O-nucleophiles. The protocol exhibits exclusive regioselectivity, yielding a number of different alkenyl heterocycles, including but not limited to dihydroisobenzofurans, isochromanes, tetrahydrofurans, morpholines, lactones, and isoindolines.