“…[58] Base mediated routes from 1,5-or 1,3-cyclooctadiene to 3 are available as well. [65] Since one could speculate pathways to ring non-contracted olefins like 1,3-cyclooctadiene and 1,2-cyclooctadiene (an allene) via C-H insertions to 7 (and G rel values for cyclooctyne, 1,3-cyclooctadiene and 1,2-cyclooctadiene are 35.4, 13.6, and 29.8 kcal/mol), we tested the chemistry of 1,3-or 1,5-cyclooctadiene using either gold catalyst or strong acid (100 or 120°C in CHCl 3 ). As evident from the data presented in Supporting Information, either no products of 2 and Figure 4).…”