The metalloradical activation of ortho‐benzallylaryl N‐tosyl hydrazones with [Co(TPP)] (TPP=tetraphenylporphyrin) as the catalyst enabled the controlled exploitation of the single‐electron reactivity of the redox non‐innocent carbene intermediate. This method offers a novel route to prepare eight‐membered rings, using base metal catalysis to construct a series of unique dibenzocyclooctenes through selective Ccarbene−Caryl cyclization. The desired eight‐membered‐ring products were obtained in good to excellent yields. A large variety of aromatic substituents are tolerated. The proposed reaction mechanism involves intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) to CoIII–carbene radical intermediates followed by dissociation of an ortho‐quinodimethane that undergoes 8π cyclization. The mechanism is supported by DFT calculations, and the presence of radical‐type intermediates was confirmed by trapping experiments.

Catalytic synthesis of substituted 1,2-dihydronaphthalenes via metalloradical activation of o-styryl N-tosyl hydrazones is presented. Substrates with an alkyl substituent on the allylic position reacted to form E-aryl-dienes rather than the expected 1,2-dihydronaphthalenes.

A Staudinger/aza‐Wittig reaction sequence is described that is catalytic in phosphorus. Towards this end, the phosphane oxide is reduced in situ by diphenylsilane, which allows for substoichiometric amounts of the catalyst 5‐phenyldibenzophosphole to be used. The substrate scope is investigated and benzoxazoles, benzodiazepine imidates and a 2‐methoxypyrrole were successfully synthesized. These investigations show that a fast aza‐Wittig reaction is required to obtain high yields.

The metalloradical activation of ortho‐benzallylaryl N‐tosyl hydrazones with [Co(TPP)] (TPP=tetraphenylporphyrin) as the catalyst enabled the controlled exploitation of the single‐electron reactivity of the redox non‐innocent carbene intermediate. This method offers a novel route to prepare eight‐membered rings, using base metal catalysis to construct a series of unique dibenzocyclooctenes through selective Ccarbene−Caryl cyclization. The desired eight‐membered‐ring products were obtained in good to excellent yields. A large variety of aromatic substituents are tolerated. The proposed reaction mechanism involves intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) to CoIII–carbene radical intermediates followed by dissociation of an ortho‐quinodimethane that undergoes 8π cyclization. The mechanism is supported by DFT calculations, and the presence of radical‐type intermediates was confirmed by trapping experiments.