The intermolecular Pauson-Khand reaction

Five membered carbocycles are important building blocks for many biologically active molecules. Moreover, substituted cyclopentenones (e.g. cyclopentenone prostaglandins) exhibit characteristic biological activity. The efficiency and atom economy of the Pauson-Khand reaction render this process potentially one of the most attractive methods for the synthesis of such compounds. Although it was discovered in its intermolecular form, the scope of the intermolecular Pauson-Khand reaction has always been limited by the poor reactivity and selectivity of the alkene component. The past decade, especially the last three years, has seen concerted efforts to broaden the scope of this reaction. In this overview, we provide a comprehensive and critical coverage of the intermolecular Pauson-Khand reaction based on the reactivity characteristics of different classes of alkenes and a rationalization of successes and misfortunes in this area.