• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.1364-1368
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• 2008

The activity of the catalytic system composed of Fe$(acetylacetonate)_3$ (Fe$(acac)_3$), triphenylphosphine, and diethylaluminum chloride for the dimerization of bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene (2,5-norbornadiene, NBD) to produce hexacyclic endo-endo dimer (hexacyclo[$7.2.1.0^{2,8}.1^{3,7}.1^{5,13}.0^{4,6}$]tetradec-10-ene, Hnn) was significantly enhanced by the presence of $AlCl_3$, especially at the molar ratios of NBD/Fe$(acac)_3$ of 500. XPS analysis of the catalytic systems clearly demonstrates that $AlCl_3$ facilitates the reduction of Fe$(acac)_3$ to form active species, Fe(II) and Fe(0) species. The layer separation was observed when [BMIm]Cl was used along with $AlCl_3$, but catalyst recycle was not very successful.