Heterocyclic carbenes: synthesis and coordination chemistry

The chemistry of heterocyclic carbenes has experienced a rapid development over the last years. In addition to the imidazolin-2-ylidenes, a large number of cyclic diaminocarbenes with different ring sizes have been described. Aside from diaminocarbenes, P-heterocyclic carbenes, and derivatives with only one, or even no heteroatom within the carbene ring are known. New methods for the synthesis of complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene ligands such as the oxidative addition or the metal atom template controlled cyclization of beta-functionalized isocyanides have been developed recently. This review summarizes the new developments regarding the synthesis of N-heterocyclic carbenes and their metal complexes.     

Synthetic and Structural Studies of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of Nickel

Transition metal complexes of stable N-heterocyclic carbenes have recently gained increasing attention as pre-catalysts for a number of important reactions primarily based on the analogy between N-heterocyclic carbenes and strong ó-donating tertiary phosphines,[1] Although a large number of transition-metal carbene complexes have been reported, very few incorporate chelating carbenes were reported.[2,3] Therefore, we have set out to prepare and study transition-metal compounds with chelating di-N-heterocyclic carbenes, and we now report new dicationic tetra(carbine)nickel(Ⅱ) complexes in this class (Scheme 1). Their structures have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies (Figure 1).     

水溶性氮杂环卡宾金属配合物的研究进展

氮杂环卡宾(NHCs)金属配合物作为一类重要的催化剂一直是有机合成领域研究的热点。近年来,通过引入水溶性配体而得到的水溶性氮杂环卡宾过渡金属配合物受到广大科研工作者的青睐。本文主要总结了水溶性NHCs的分类、合成及其在C-C偶联反应、复分解反应以及催化加氢反应中的应用,并对水溶性NHCs金属配合物的发展趋势进行了展望。     

Stable Cyclic Carbenes and Related Species beyond Diaminocarbenes

The success of homogeneous catalysis can be attributed largely to the development of a diverse range of ligand frameworks that have been used to tune the behavior of various systems. Spectacular results in this area have been achieved using cyclic diaminocarbenes (NHCs) as a result of their strong σ‐donor properties. Although it is possible to cursorily tune the structure of NHCs, any diversity is still far from matching their phosphorus‐based counterparts, which is one of the great strengths of the latter. A variety of stable acyclic carbenes are known, but they are either reluctant to bind metals or they give rise to fragile metal complexes. During the last five years, new types of stable cyclic carbenes, as well as related carbon‐based ligands (which are not NHCs), and which feature even stronger σ‐donor properties have been developed. Their synthesis and characterization as well as the stability, electronic properties, coordination behavior, and catalytic activity of the ensuing complexes are discussed, and comparisons with their NHC cousins are made.     

Advances in the metallotropic [1,3]-shift of alkynyl carbenoids

Metal complexes of alkynyl carbenes undergo a [1,3]-bond shift known as a metallotropic shift. Since the discovery of the metallotropic [1,3]-shift of Rh-carbenoid, many more alkynyl carbene complexes with Ti, Cr, Mn, Mo, Ru, W, Re, Pt, and Au have been discovered to show metallotropic shift behavior. This article briefly summarizes the [1,3]-bond shift of alkynyl carbenes and their metal complexes.     

Carbohydrate-containing N-heterocyclic carbene complexes

Novel carbohydrate bearing imidazolium salts have been synthesized and used for the in situ generation of the corresponding N-heterocyclic carbenes. These compounds were successfully used as catalysts of the conjugate umpolung of cinnamaldehyde to form γ-butyrolactones. In addition, silver and palladium complexes of these N-heterocyclic carbenes were synthesized and structurally characterized.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric study of mercury complexes of N-heterocyclic carbenes derived from 1,2,4-triazolium salt precursors

By mixing 1,2,4-triazolium salts (precursors of N-heterocyclic carbenes 1–6) with mercury acetate, a number of complexes have been obtained under electrospray ionization condition. Carbenes 1 and 2 contain one carbene center; therefore, they are able to bond only one mercury cation. Carbenes 3–5 contain two carbene centers; therefore, they can bond two mercury cations. Mercury complexes of 1–5 always contain an acetate anion attached to a mercury cation. Carbene 6 also contains two carbene centers; however, its structure allows formation of a complex containing mercury bonded simultaneously to both centers, therefore, the complex that does not contain an acetate anion. The MS/MS spectra taken for complexes of carbenes 1–5 have shown formation of a cation corresponding to N1 substituent (adamantyl or benzyl), and those of complexes of carbenes 3–5 (doubly charged ions) have also shown the respective complementary partner ions. Mercury complex of 2 has yielded some other interesting fragmentation pathways, e.g. a loss of the HHgOOCCH₃ molecule. The fragmentation pathway of the mercury complexes of 6 was found to be complicated.     

Gold(I)-catalyzed intramolecular cyclopropanation of dienynes

Gold(I) complexes are the most active catalysts for the biscyclopropanation of dienynes to form tetracyclic compounds. PtII and ZnII are also able to promote the biscyclopropanation, although less efficiently. The configurations obtained in all cases with the use of gold(I) catalysts can be explained by the pathway proceeding through anti cyclopropyl gold carbenes. Similar intermediates are most probably involved in reactions catalyzed by RuII and PtII. Two different cyclopropanation pathways have been found; they depend on the structures of the cyclopropyl gold carbenes (anti or syn) and the relative arrangements of the metal carbenes and the alkenes.     

Chiral iridium(I) bis(NHC) complexes as catalysts for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation

The common use of NHC complexes in transition‐metal mediated C–C coupling and metathesis reactions in recent decades has established N‐heterocyclic carbenes as a new class of ligand for catalysis. The field of asymmetric catalysis with complexes bearing NHC‐containing chiral ligands is dominated by mixed carbene/oxazoline or carbene/phosphane chelating ligands. In contrast, applications of complexes with chiral, chelating bis(NHC) ligands are rare. In the present work new chiral iridium(I) bis(NHC) complexes and their application in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones are described. A series of chiral bis(azolium) salts have been prepared following a synthetic pathway, starting from L ‐valinol and the modular buildup allows the structural variation of the ligand precursors. The iridium complexes were formed via a one‐pot transmetallation procedure. The prepared complexes were applied as catalysts in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of various prochiral ketones, affording the corresponding chiral alcohols in high yields and moderate to good enantioselectivities of up to 68%. The enantioselectivities of the catalysts were strongly affected by the various, terminal N‐substituents of the chelating bis(NHC) ligands. The results presented in this work indicate the potential of bis‐carbenes as stereodirecting ligands for asymmetric catalysis and are offering a base for further developments. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Heterocyclic carbenes of diverse flexibility: A theoretical insight

A systematic density functional investigation has been carried out on the structure, stability and reactivity of heterocyclic carbenes of diverse flexibility, i.e., carbenes with different modes of binding specially normal and remote mode of binding. Ligating properties of these carbenes have been assessed by virtue of their HOMO energies and verified further by inspection of the symmetric CO frequencies of their respective palladium carbonyl complexes. All the remote carbenes were found to have higher σ-donating abilities compared to their normal analogs. N-heterocyclic carbenes 1 and 5 are found to be electrophilic in nature while the remote carbene 3 and P-heterocyclic carbene 6 are found to be nucleophilic. Quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) reveals significant covalent character in the C_carbene-Pd bonds.     

Moving toward Ylide‐Stabilized Carbenes

The effect of ylide substitution at the α position to the carbene carbon (C_c) atom on the stability and σ‐donating ability of a number of cyclic carbenes has been studied theoretically. The stabilities of all of the carbenes were investigated from an evaluation of their singlet–triplet energy gaps and stabilization energies. All carbenes were found to have a stable singlet state. The energy of the σ‐symmetric lone‐pair orbital at the C_c atom increases as a result of the introduction of ylide centers near to the C_c atom. This indicates an enhanced σ‐donating ability of the ylide‐containing carbenes. The calculated carbonyl‐stretching frequencies of the corresponding rhodium complexes, proton affinities, and nucleophilicity index values correlate well with the σ basicity of the carbenes.     

The N-heterocyclic carbene chemistry of transition-metal carbonyl clusters

In the last decade, chemists have dedicated many efforts to investigate the coordination chemistry of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). Although most of that research activity has been devoted to mononuclear complexes, transition-metal carbonyl clusters have not escaped from these investigations. This critical review, which is focussed on the reactivity of NHCs (or their precursors) with transition-metal carbonyl clusters (mostly are of ruthenium and osmium) and on the transformations underwent by the NHC-containing species initially formed in those reactions, shows that the polynuclear character of these metallic compounds or, more precisely, the close proximity of one or more metal atoms to that which is or can be attached to the NHC ligand, is responsible for reactivity patterns that have no parallel in the NHC chemistry of mononuclear complexes (74 references).     

含吡啶鎓阳离子的氮杂环卡宾Pd(Ⅱ)配合物的合成、结构及催化性能

合成了四个含吡啶鎓阳离子的氮杂环卡宾钯(II)三碘配合物. 通过核磁共振谱和元素分析对它们进行了表征. 同时利用X射线单晶衍射确定了其中两个配合物的晶体结构. 研究表明该系列配合物对Suzuki-Miyaura偶联具有催化活性.     

Free Aluminylenes: An Emerging Class of Compounds

Aluminylenes (R−Al) are aluminium analogs of carbenes. In contrast to isolable carbenes, aluminylenes are extremely rare species. In the past years, pioneered by Schnöckel, Roesky and Power, a few free aluminylenes and their complexes have been reported. Such compounds have the aluminium atom in the oxidation state +I, which contrasts with classical organoaluminium derivatives that contain the element in the +III oxidation state. Aluminylenes, either in their free state or in the coordination sphere of a Lewis base, are capable of coordinating to transition metals and activating inert chemical bonds. Free aluminylenes are emerging as potent synthetic platforms for unusual aluminium species.     

Diaminocarbene- and Fischer-carbene complexes of palladium and nickel by oxidative insertion: preparation, structure, and catalytic activity

Oxidative insertion of [Pd(PPh3)4] or [Ni(cod)2]/PPh3 into the C-Cl bond of various 2-chloroimidazolinium- and other -amidinium salts affords metal-diaminocarbene complexes in good to excellent yields. This procedure is complementary to existing methodology in which the central metal does not change its oxidation state, and therefore allows to incorporate carbene fragments that are difficult to access otherwise. The preparation of a variety of achiral as well as enantiomerically pure, chiral metal-NHC complexes (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) and metal complexes with acyclic diaminocarbene ligands illustrates this aspect. Furthermore it is shown that oxidative insertion also paves a way to prototype Fischer carbenes of Pd(II). Since the required starting materials are readily available from urea- or thiourea derivatives, this novel approach allows for substantial structural variations of the ligand backbone. The catalytic performance of the resulting library of nickel- and palladium-carbene complexes has been evaluated by applications to prototype Suzuki-, Heck-, and Kumada-Corriu cross-coupling reactions as well as Buchwald-Hartwig aminations. It was found that even Fischer carbenes show appreciable catalytic activity. Moreover, representative examples of all types of neutral and cationic metal-carbene complexes formed in this study have been characterized by X-ray crystallography.     

Photochemical generation and reactivity of carbenes within an organic cavitand and capsule: photochemistry of adamantanediazirines

Chemical behavior of carbenes (adamantylidenes) generated by photolysis of adamantanediazirines has been investigated while they were incarcerated within an organic container in water and on silica surfaces. Confined carbenes behave differently from the free ones, and their behavior is dictated by the nature and the structure of the host-guest complexes. The substituent present on the adamantyl skeleton controls the stoichiometry (1:1 or 2:2) and the orientation of guest molecules within the host.     

Imidazolin‐2‐ylidenaminophosphines as Highly Electron‐Rich Ligands for Transition‐Metal Catalysts

A variety of chemical transformations benefit from the use of strong electron‐donating ancillary ligands, such as alkylphosphines or N‐heterocyclic carbenes when electron‐rich metal centers are required. Herein, we describe a facile and highly modular access to monodentate and bidentate imidazolin‐2‐ylidenamino‐substituted phosphines. Evaluation of the phosphine’s electronic properties substantiate that the formal replacement of alkyl or aryl groups by imidazolin‐2‐ylidenamino groups dramatically enhance their donor ability beyond that of alkylphosphines and even N‐heterocyclic carbenes. The new phosphines have been coordinated onto palladium(II) centers, and the beneficial effect of the novel substitution patterns has been explored by using the corresponding complexes in the palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction of non‐activated aryl chloride substrates.     

Alkylation of cyclic amines with alcohols catalyzed by Ru(II) complexes bearing N-Heterocyclic carbenes

This paper includes the synthesis of 2-(1,3-dioxane-2-yl)ethyl substituted benzimidazole substituted N-heterocyclic carbenes precursors and their ruthenium complexes. Synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analysis and NMR spectroscopy. All complexes have been tested in the alkylation of pyrrolidine and morpholine with alcohols, showing an excellent activity in this reaction.     

N-杂环卡宾及其金属络合物的性质和合成方法

由于N-杂环卡宾结构的多样性，以及它们的金属络合物良好的稳定性和催化活性，近年来受到了人们的广泛关注。本文对N-杂环卡宾及其金属络合物的性质和合成方法进行了综述。参考文献30篇。     

Intramolecular cyclization reactions of unsaturated amino Fischer chromium carbenes forming indoles and quinolines

A thermally induced intramolecular annulation reaction of N-(2-alkenylphenyl)amino substituted Fischer chromium carbenes has been extensively examined. The carbene complexes were prepared in moderate to good yields by reaction of 2-aminostyrenes with intermediately formed acyloxy substituted carbenes. Upon heating, the thermally labile carbenes decomposed producing indoles and quinolines as the major products. The product distribution was found to be highly dependent on the substitution pattern and electronic properties of the starting material, and on the solvent used.