DNA-encoded libraries of small molecules are being explored extensively for the identification of binders in early drug-discovery efforts. Combinatorial syntheses of such libraries require water-and DNA-compatible reactions, and the paucity of these reactions currently limit the chemical features of resulting barcoded products. The present work introduces strain-promoted cycloadditions of cyclic allenes under mild conditions to DNA-encoded library synthesis. Owing to distinct cycloaddition modes of these reactive intermediates with activated olefins, 1,3-dipoles and dienes, the process generates diverse molecular architectures from a single precursor. The resulting DNA-barcoded compounds exhibit unprecedented ring and topographic features-related to elements found to be powerful in phenotypic screening. File list (2) download file view on ChemRxiv strained_allenes-preprint.pdf (184.62 KiB) download file view on ChemRxiv strained_allenes-SI.pdf (2.14 MiB)