Access toward Fluorenone Derivatives through Solvent-Free Ruthenium Trichloride Mediated [2 + 2 + 2] Cycloadditions

An efficient and practical route for the preparation of highly substituted fluorenones and analogues via solvent-free ruthenium trichloride mediated [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of α,ω-diynes and alkynes has been developed. This green chemistry approach involves a solventless and atom-economical catalytic process to generate densely functionalized fluorenones and related derivatives of high synthetic utility.