“…Diareno[ a , e ]cyclooctatetraenes and their derivatives comprise a remarkably useful class of functional molecules. , Applications span from size-switchable cavities to molecular tweezers, , materials for energy storage, , force , and free volume probes, adhesives, and light-emitting devices. − Perhaps the most prominent implementations of the parent members, dibenzo[ a , e ]cyclooctatetraene (dbCOT, 2 ) and dinaphto[ a , e ]cyclooctatetraene (dnCOT, 5 ), are found in coordination chemistry as bis-η 2 ligands . dbCOT was first developed as a catalyst-poison by Crabtree, but more recently, both dbCOT and dnCOT have been shown to confer both enhanced stability and superior performance when used as ligands in several catalytic systems. − Notable examples include iridium-catalyzed allylic substitutions, − iridium- and rhodium-catalyzed (5 + 2) cycloadditions, , a ruthenium-catalyzed oligomerization, and rhodium-catalyzed polymerization reactions .…”