Synthesis of Dibenzo[ <i>a</i> , <i>e</i> ]cyclooctatetraenes Enabled by a Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reaction

Herein, we report a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of sulfonylhydrazones with aryl or alkenyl halides, affording a diverse array of substituted dibenzo[<i>a</i>,<i>e</i>]cyclooctatetraenes featuring planar chirality. Substituents can be efficiently installed onto both aryl and alkene moieties. Preliminary asymmetric investigations have also been conducted, presenting a promising strategy for the enantioselective synthesis of cyclooctatetraene, an underexplored chiral diene ligand.