Mechanisms of the thermal cyclotrimerizations of fluoro- and chloroacetylenes: density functional theory investigation and intermediate trapping experiments

Theoretical studies of the mechanisms of the thermal cyclotrimerization of fluoro- and chloroacetylenes, which were reported by Viehe and Ballester, respectively, were conducted with the aid of density functional theory calculations of the (U)B3LYP functional, indicating that the thermal cyclotrimerizations of fluoro- and chloroacetylenes involve tandem processes of regioselectively stepwise [2+2] and stepwise [4+2] cycloadditions. These tandem processes generate 1,2,6-trihalo-Dewar benzenes and 1,2,4-trihalo-Dewar benzenes, which then isomerize to the corresponding benzenes when heated. The rate-determining step of the cyclotrimerizations of haloacetylenes is the dimerization step involving open-shell singlet diradical transition states and intermediates. The substituent effects in the thermal cyclotrimerization of haloacetylenes have been rationalized using frontier molecular orbital theory. The higher reactivity of fluoroacetylenes compared to that of chloroacetylenes is due to the fact that fluoroacetylenes have lower singlet-triplet gaps than chloroacetylenes and more easily undergo dimerization and cyclotrimerization. In this report, additional experiments were performed to verify the theoretical prediction about the cyclotrimerization of chloroacetylene and to trap the proposed 1,4-dichlorocyclobutadiene intermediate. Experiments revealed that the thermal reaction of phenylchloroacetylene at 110 °C gave 1,2,3-triphenyltrichlorobenzene and 1,2,4-triphenyltrichlorobenzene together with a tetramer, cis-1,2,5,6-tetrachloro-3,4,7,8-tetraphenyltricyclo[4.2.0.0(2,5)]octa-3,7-diene. The proposed 1,4-diphenyldichlorocyclobutadiene intermediate in the thermal cyclotrimerization of phenylchloroacetylene was successfully trapped using dienophiles of maleic anhydride and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate.     

Cyclotrimerization of acetylene by the tris(acetylacetonato)titanium(III)–diethylaluminum chloride system

Reaction of acetylene with tris(acetylacetonato)titanium(III) and diethylaluminum chloride system leads to formation of benzene, a trace of ethylbenzene, and a small amount of polyacetylene. The isotopic composition of products obtained from cyclotrimerization of acetylene-d₂ and an equimolar mixture of acetylene and acetylene-d₂ is investigated to elucidate the mechanism of the cyclotrimerization. The results suggest a mechanism in which an acetylene inserts into the metal—ethyl bond formed by reaction of Ti(acac)₃ and Al(C₂H₅)₂Cl, followed by insertion of two acetylene molecules and elimination of a hydrogen atom from the first inserted acetylene to yield an ethylbenzene and a metal hydride intermediate. The metal hydride intermediate catalyzes acetylene cyclotrimerization to give benzene. During the reaction, the hydrogen atom in the metal hydride intermediate does not exchange with the hydrogen atom in the inserted acetylene molecules.     

A mechanistic study of the utilization of arachno-diruthenaborane [(Cp*RuCO)2B2H6] as an active alkyne-cyclotrimerization catalyst

The reaction of nido-[1,2-(Cp*RuH)(2)B(3)H(7)] (1a, Cp*=η(5)-C(5)Me(5)) with [Mo(CO)(3)(CH(3)CN)(3)] under mild conditions yields the new metallaborane arachno-[(Cp*RuCO)(2)B(2)H(6)] (2). Compound 2 catalyzes the cyclotrimerization of a variety of internal- and terminal alkynes to yield mixtures of 1,3,5- and 1,2,4-substituted benzenes. The reactivities of nido-1a and arachno-2 with alkynes demonstrates that a change in geometry from nido to arachno drives a change in the reaction from alkyne-insertion to catalytic cyclotrimerization, respectively. Density functional calculations have been used to evaluate the reaction pathways of the cyclotrimerization of alkynes catalyzed by compound 2. The reaction involves the formation of a ruthenacyclic intermediate and the subsequent alkyne-insertion step is initiated by a [2+2] cycloaddition between this intermediate and an alkyne. The experimental and quantum-chemical results also show that the stability of the metallacyclic intermediate is strongly dependent on the nature of the substituents that are present on the alkyne.     

Preparation of C3‐Symmetric Homochiral syn‐Trisnorbornabenzenes through Regioselective Cyclotrimerization of Enantiopure Iodonorbornenes

C₃‐symmetric homochiral (?)‐syn‐trisoxonorbornabenzene 1 possessing a rigid cup‐shaped structure was synthesized through a novel regioselective cyclotrimerization of enantiopure iodonorbornenes catalyzed by palladium nanoclusters. The yield of the cyclotrimerization was dependent on the stability of the palladium clusters, which was ascertained from the appearance and TEM images of the reaction mixtures. The efficient preparation of (?)‐syn‐ 1 was established in short steps, including the newly developed cyclotrimerization reaction. The thus‐prepared homochiral (?)‐syn‐ 1 can serve as a key intermediate for the synthesis of C₃‐symmetric homochiral cup‐shaped molecules with a helical arrangement of substituents. Introduction of several types of substituents was well demonstrated through palladium‐catalyzed coupling reactions with the corresponding phosphate and triflate of (?)‐syn‐ 1 .     

Ruthenium(II)-catalyzed selective intramolecular [2 + 2 + 2] alkyne cyclotrimerizations

In the presence of a catalytic amount of Cp*RuCl(cod), 1,6-diynes chemoselectively reacted with monoalkynes at ambient temperature to afford the desired bicyclic benzene derivatives in good yields. A wide variety of diynes and monoynes containing functional groups such as ester, ketone, nitrile, amine, alcohol, sulfide, etc. can be used for the present ruthenium catalysis. The most significant advantage of this protocol is that the cycloaddition of unsymmetrical 1,6-diynes with one internal alkyne moiety regioselectively gave rise to meta-substituted products with excellent regioselectivity. Completely intramolecular alkyne cyclotrimerization was also accomplished using triyne substrates to obtain tricyclic aromatic compounds fused with 5-7-membered rings. A ruthenabicycle complex relevant to these cyclotrimerizations was synthesized from Cp*RuCl(cod) and a 1,6-diyne possessing phenyl terminal groups, and its structure was unambiguously determined by X-ray analysis. The intermediary of such a ruthenacycle intermediate was further confirmed by its reaction with acetylene, giving rise to the expected cycloadduct. The density functional study on the cyclotrimerization mechanism elucidated that the cyclotrimerization proceeds via oxidative cyclization, producing a ruthenacycle intermediate and subsequent alkyne insertion initiated by the formal [2 + 2] cycloaddition of the resultant ruthenacycle with an alkyne.     

Synthesis and characterization of new dicyanate monomers. A way to obtain fully aromatic crosslinked poly(ether ketone)s

Several aromatic mono- and dicyanate monomers bearing ether and ketone groups in the main chain have been synthesized through high-yield reactions widely used in organic chemistry. FT-IR and NMR were used to characterize these monomers and the intermediate products. The cyclotrimerization reaction was studied by DSC in monocyanate models, and the enthalpy of the reaction was determined. The value obtained was approximately 95 kJ/mol of cyanate irrespective of the substituent and symmetry of the substitution. For short dicyanates, cyclotrimerization did not reach completion, and for long dicyanates, the enthalpy of reaction could not be evaluated with accuracy. The resulting cured polycyanurates networks, due to the selectivity of the cyclotrimerization reaction, could be considered as true fully aromatic crosslinked poly(ether ketone)s with controlled structure. T_g values of the networks were above 180°C. The higher values were found for shorter dicyanates and for monomers with para substitution. The 1% and 5% weight loss values in nitrogen were above 310 and 380°C, respectively, with char yields in the range 50–60%. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3155–3168, 1999     

A Mechanistic Study of the Utilization of arachno‐Diruthenaborane [(Cp*RuCO)2B2H6] as an Active Alkyne‐Cyclotrimerization Catalyst

The reaction of nido‐[1,2‐(Cp*RuH)₂B₃H₇] ( 1 a , Cp*=η⁵‐C₅Me₅) with [Mo(CO)₃(CH₃CN)₃] under mild conditions yields the new metallaborane arachno‐[(Cp*RuCO)₂B₂H₆] ( 2 ). Compound 2 catalyzes the cyclotrimerization of a variety of internal‐ and terminal alkynes to yield mixtures of 1,3,5‐ and 1,2,4‐substituted benzenes. The reactivities of nido‐ 1 a and arachno‐ 2 with alkynes demonstrates that a change in geometry from nido to arachno drives a change in the reaction from alkyne‐insertion to catalytic cyclotrimerization, respectively. Density functional calculations have been used to evaluate the reaction pathways of the cyclotrimerization of alkynes catalyzed by compound 2 . The reaction involves the formation of a ruthenacyclic intermediate and the subsequent alkyne‐insertion step is initiated by a [2+2] cycloaddition between this intermediate and an alkyne. The experimental and quantum‐chemical results also show that the stability of the metallacyclic intermediate is strongly dependent on the nature of the substituents that are present on the alkyne.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed regioselective [2 + 2 + 2] cyclotrimerization of trifluoromethyl group substituted internal alkynes

It found that the Ru(3)(CO)(12) coordinated with 2-(diphenylphosphino)benzonitrile (2-DPPBN) to effectively catalyze the [2 + 2 + 2] cyclotrimerization of the trifluoromethyl group substituted internal alkynes in high yields with up to >98% regioselectivity. Isolation of a ruthenacyclopentadiene was successful and confirmed that the complex is a reaction intermediate.     

单原子Cr、Fe和Ni催化乙炔环三聚反应机理研究

应用密度泛函理论(DFT)研究了 Cr、Fe和Ni 3种金属原子催化乙炔环三聚生成苯的反应机理.结果表明,Cr、Fe和Ni催化体系均表现出自旋翻转现象,Cr原子催化乙炔环三聚过程在自旋七重态和五重态势能面上进行,速率控制步骤为形成铬金属七元环;Fe和Ni催化体系的速率控制步骤为两分子乙炔耦合过程.Cr催化体系表现出远高...     

Cyclotrimerization of butyl and cyclohexyl isocyanate—catalysis and kinetics

The cyclotrimerization of model aliphatic and cycloaliphatic isocyanates (butyl and cyclohexyl isocyanate) was carried out using an ammonium carboxylate and a salicylaldehyde-potassium complex as catalysts. The kinetics of the cyclotrimerization of butyl isocyanate in both 2-ethoxyethyl acetate and dimethylformamide (DMF) using the 2-ethylhexanoate salt of trimethylaminopropanol-2 was found to be of first order with respect to the isocyanate and also of first order with respect to the catalyst. The reaction rate in DMF was considerably greater than in 2-ethoxyethyl acetate, as could be expected. Employing the salicylaldehyde-potassium catalyst, the cyclotrimerization of butyl isocyanate followed second-order kinetics with respect to the isocyanate and first order with regard to the catalyst. Due to the fact that the cyclotrimerization of cyclohexyl isocyanate was found to be slower than that of butyl isocyanate, the cyclotrimerization of this isocyanate was carried out only in DMF using the 2-ethylhexanoate salt of trimethylaminopropanol-2 as the catalyst. The kinetics of this reaction was found to follow second order with respect to the isocyanate and first order with regard to the catalyst. The products of the reactions were identified by IR, ¹H-NMR, and mass spectrometry.     

Cyclotrimerization of aryl isocyanates catalyzed by alkoxyallenes through zwitterionic mechanism

Alkoxyallenes ( 1 ) are found to catalyze cyclotrimerization of aryl isocyanates ( 2 ) in dimethylformamide (DMF) to afford 1,3,5-triaryl-s-triazine-2,4,6-trione ( 3 : cyclic trimer of 2 ), although the reaction of 1 with 2 in bulk gave the corresponding copolymer. In order to speculate about the mechanism of the cyclotrimerization, macrozwitterion 4 , was prepared by copolymerization of 1 and 2 in bulk, and the catalytic activity of 4 was further studied. Cyclotrimerization of 2 was promoted by 4 and quenching of 4 with methanol completely destroyed the catalytic activity. Consequently, the alkoxyallene-catalyzed cyclotrimerization of 2 is assumed to take place through a zwitterion generated from 1 and 2 .     

Microwave-mediated nickel-catalyzed cyclotrimerization reactions: total synthesis of illudinine

Rapid and efficient [2 + 2 + 2] cyclotrimerization reactions were discovered through the application of microwave irradiation in conjunction with a Ni(CO)(2)(PPh(3))(2) catalyst. This enables the facile construction of highly substituted indane, isoindoline, and tetraline core structures. The developed microwave-mediated Ni-catalyzed cyclotrimerization reaction was employed as the key step in a concise synthesis of the isoquinoline natural product illudinine. This represents the first example of a Ni-catalyzed cyclotrimerization reaction in total synthesis.     

超临界二氧化碳介质中溴化钯催化炔烃环三聚反应

研究了以超临界二氧化碳为反应介质溴化钯催化炔烃环三聚反应的新方法.研究结果表明:二氧化碳介质中使用溴化钯为催化剂可以顺利地催化炔烃发生环三聚反应,区域选择性生成含苯环芳香族化合物.     

Cyclotrimerization of an aliphatic aldehyde catalyzed by acidic ionic liquid

Without any additional organic solvent, the cyclotrimerization of aliphatic aldehyde could be catalyzed by acidic ionic liquid. Under optimum reaction conditions (298 K, 1 h, a molar ratio of 60:1 of isobutyraldehyde to ionic liquid), the conversion rate and selectivity for cyclotrimerization of isobutyraldehyde were 93.0 and 100%, respectively. The liquid product formed a separate phase that was decanted and the solid product could be separated by extraction. The ionic liquid could be easily reused after removal of water under vacuum.     

Activation of aromatic rings by early transition metal ions in the gas phase. Implications for the metal-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of alkynes and nitriles

The reactions of a series of monocyclic and bicyclic arenes with early transition metal ions (Sc⁺, Y⁺, Nb⁺ and Ta⁺) and their oxides and dioxides were studied in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Ring cleavage of the nitrogen-containing heterocycles results in loss of HCN as the dominant pathway. Thermochemical considerations, secondary reactions and correlations with solution cyclotrimerization reactions indicate that the MC₄H₄⁺ product is a metallacyclopentadiene. Based on correspondence between the reactivities of a series of early metals with their valence electron counts, the reactivities of quinoline and isoquinoline and the decomposition behavior of the products, a metallacycloheptatriene intermediate is proposed for the heteroaromatic ring cleavage reaction. These results are compared to metal complexes in solution which catalyze the [2 + 2 + 2] cyclotrimerization of alkynes and nitriles.     

Novel Role of Carbon Dioxide as a Selective Agent in Palladium-Catalyzed Cyclotrimerization of Alkynes

Carbon dioxide was found as a selective agent to promote the palladium-catalyzed cyclotrimerization of alkynes in water. Both aryl and alkylacetylenes afforded the corresponding cyclotrimerization products regioselectively in high yields using PdCl2, CuCl2, and CO2 as the catalytic system. However, tert-butylacetylene bearing a bulky group gave a dimerization product. Mechanism of this reaction was also discussed.     

Characterization of the Zwitterionic Intermediate in 1,1‐Carboboration of Alkynes

The reaction of a Lewis acidic borane with an alkyne is a key step in a diverse range of main group transformations. Alkyne 1,1‐carboboration, the Wrackmeyer reaction, is an archetypal transformation of this kind. 1,1‐Carboboration has been proposed to proceed through a zwitterionic intermediate. We report the isolation and spectroscopic, structural and computational characterization of the zwitterionic intermediates generated by reaction of B(C₆F₅)₃ with alkynes. The stepwise reactivity of the zwitterion provides new mechanistic insight for 1,1‐carboboration and wider B(C₆F₅)₃ catalysis. Making use of intramolecular stabilization by a ferrocene substituent, we have characterized the zwitterionic intermediate in the solid state and diverted reactivity towards alkyne cyclotrimerization.     

N-heterocyclic carbenes as highly efficient catalysts for the cyclotrimerization of isocyanates

[reaction: see text] A series of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) were evaluated as potential catalysts for the cyclotrimerization of isocyanates to afford isocyanurates. 1,3-Bis-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene (SIPr) was found to be a highly efficient catalyst for the cyclotrimerization of a variety of isocyanates.     

过渡金属催化的炔烃芳构化反应

综述了过渡金属催化的炔烃环三聚芳构化反应的历史沿革及最新研究进展，并 重点对含有不同电性取代基的炔烃环三聚反应、几种典型的催化体系和作用机理、 该领域的一些前沿热点作了评述．     

Characterization of the Zwitterionic Intermediate in 1,1-Carboboration of Alkynes

The reaction of a Lewis acidic borane with an alkyne is a key step in a diverse range of main group transformations. Alkyne 1,1-carboboration, the Wrackmeyer reaction, is an archetypal transformation of this kind. 1,1-Carboboration has been proposed to proceed through a zwitterionic intermediate. We report the isolation and spectroscopic, structural and computational characterization of the zwitterionic intermediates generated by reaction of B(C₆F₅)₃ with alkynes. The stepwise reactivity of the zwitterion provides new mechanistic insight for 1,1-carboboration and wider B(C₆F₅)₃ catalysis. Making use of intramolecular stabilization by a ferrocene substituent, we have characterized the zwitterionic intermediate in the solid state and diverted reactivity towards alkyne cyclotrimerization.