The interaction of rhodium carbenoids with carbonyl compounds as a method for the synthesis of tetrahydrofurans

The transition metal catalyzed reaction of α-diazo carbonyl compounds has found numerous applications in organic synthesis, and its use in either heterocyclic or carbocyclic ring formation is well precedented. In contrast to other catalysts that are suitable for carbenoid reactions of diazo compounds, those constructed with the dirhodium(II) framework are most amenable to ligand modification that, in turn, can influence reaction selectivity. The reaction of rhodium carbenoids with carbonyl groups represents a very efficient method for generating carbonyl ylide dipoles. Rhodium-mediated carbenoid–carbonyl cyclization reactions have been extensively utilized as a powerful method for the construction of a variety of novel polycyclic ring systems. This article will emphasize some of the more recent synthetic applications of the tandem rhodium carbenoid cyclization/cycloaddition cascade for natural product synthesis. Discussion centers on the chemical behavior of the rhodium metal carbenoid complex that is often affected by the nature of the ligand groups attached to the metal center.     

Catalytic Decomposition of Diazo Compounds as a Method for Generating Carbonyl‐Ylide Dipoles

The transition metal catalyzed reaction of α‐diazo carbonyl compounds has found numerous applications in organic synthesis, and its use in either heterocyclic or carbocyclic ring formation is well‐precedented. In contrast to other catalysts that are suitable for carbenoid reactions of diazo compounds, those constructed with the dirhodium(II) framework are most amenable to ligand modification that, in turn, can influence reaction selectivity. The reaction of rhodium carbenoids with carbonyl groups represents a very efficient method for generating carbonyl ylide dipoles. Rhodium‐mediated carbenoid–carbonyl cyclization reactions have been extensively utilized as a powerful method for the construction of a variety of novel polycyclic ring systems. This article will emphasize some of the more recent synthetic applications of the tandem cyclization/cycloaddition cascade for natural product synthesis. Discussion centers on the chemical behavior of the rhodium metal–carbenoid complex that is often affected by the nature of the ligand groups attached to the metal center.     

1,2-Thio group migration in Rh(II) carbene reactions

[reaction: see text] A series of beta-thio group substituted alpha-diazo carbonyl compounds have been prepared by nucleophilic substitution reactions of thiophenol, thionaphthol, or benzyl mercaptan with beta-acetoxy-alpha-diazo carbonyl compounds. The diazo decomposition of these diazo carbonyl compounds with various transition metal catalysts, including Rh(II) carboxylates and Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes, has been investigated. It was found that the diazo decomposition of these compounds gave 1,2-thio group migration products. No 1,2-hydride or 1,2-aryl migration products were observed in all cases.     

Synthesis of oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds based on the intramolecular O-H insertion and Wolff rearrangement of α-diazocarbonyl compounds

The addition products of Ti(IV)-enolate derived from β-keto α-diazo carbonyl compound to ketones or α,β-unsaturated compounds were subjected to Rh₂(OAc)₄-catalyzed and photo-induced diazo decomposition. The Rh₂(OAc)₄-catalyzed reaction afforded intramolecular O-H insertion products, while the photo-induced reaction gave Wolff rearrangement/intramolecular nucleophilic addition products. The transformations represent new approaches to tetrahydrofuran and γ-butyrolactone derivatives.     

Ruthenium(II) porphyrin catalyzed tandem carbonyl ylide formation and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of alpha-diazo ketones

[reaction: see text] The ruthenium porphyrin-catalyzed reactions of diazo ketones with pi-unsaturated compounds via carbonyl ylide formation/cycloaddition cascade exhibit product yields and selectivities comparable to the analogous reactions with dirhodium carboxylates as catalysts. By grafting a ruthenium porphyrin on poly(ethylene glycol) (Zhang, J.-L.; Che, C.-M. Org. Lett. 2002, 4, 1911), a recyclable catalytic system is developed with over 5700 product turnovers attained for the reaction of 1-diazo-2,5-hexanedione with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate.     

A Conjugate Addition Approach to Diazo-Containing Scaffolds with β Quaternary Centers

Structurally complex diazo-containing scaffolds are formed by conjugate addition to vinyl diazonium salts. The electrophile, a little studied α-diazonium-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound, is formed at low temperature under mild conditions by treating β-hydroxy-α-diazo carbonyls with Sc(OTf)₃. Conjugate addition occurs selectively at the 3-position of indole to give α-diazo-β-indole carbonyls, and enoxy silanes react to give 2-diazo-1,4-dicarbonyl products. These reactions result in the formation of tertiary and quaternary centers, and give products that would be otherwise difficult to form. Importantly, the diazo functional group is retained within the molecule for future manipulation. Treating an α-diazo ester indole addition product with Rh₂(OAc)₄ caused a rearrangement to occur to give a 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2-enoate. In the case of diazo ketone compounds, this shift occurred spontaneously on prolonged exposure to the Lewis acidic reaction conditions.     

Unusual Reaction of Diazo Compounds with Enamines

Transition metal catalyzed decomposition of diazo compounds and consequent transformations constitute various synthetic useful reactions in the past decades. The catalytic addition of diazo compounds to olefins generally provides cyclopropanes in high yield. However the reaction of electron-rich enamines with diazo compounds gave variable results. Wenkert et al. reported the reaction of enamines with ethyl diazoacetae (EDA) in the presence of cuprous chloride or silver oxide unexpectedly gave…     

Transition‐Metal‐Free Intramolecular Carbene Aromatic Substitution/Büchner Reaction: Synthesis of Fluorenes and [6,5,7]Benzo‐fused Rings

Intramolecular aromatic substitution and Büchner reaction have been established as powerful methods for the construction of polycyclic compounds. These reactions are traditionally catalyzed by Rh^II catalysts with α‐diazocarbonyl compounds as the substrates. Herein a transition‐metal‐free intramolecular aromatic substitution/Büchner reaction is presented. These reactions use readily available N‐tosylhydrazones as the diazo compound precursors and show wide substrate scope.     

Ligand effects in the Rh(II) catalyzed reaction of α-diazo ketoamides

The rhodium(II) catalyzed decomposition of several α-diazo ketoamides resulted in either formation of a push-pull carbonyl ylide intermediate followed by intramolecular [3+2]-cycloaddition across the tethered π-bond or C-H insertion of the initially formed rhodium carbenoid into the C₅-position of the lactam ring followed by a carboethoxy-decarboxylation reaction. The chemoselectivity exhibited by the rhodium carbenoid intermediate was found to be markedly dependent on the metal ligands employed.     

Polyether macrocycles from intramolecular cyclopropanation and ylide formation. Effect of catalyst and coordination

The use of catalytic metal carbene methodology with diazoacetates for the construction in high yield of polyether macrocycles having ring sizes greater than 25 has been achieved by preventing access to gamma-C-H positions for intramolecular insertion. Cyclopropanation is the exclusive outcome of reactions performed with dirhodium(II) catalysts, and product yields of greater than 70% are obtained without resorting to high dilution with solvents. With copper(I) catalysts having multiple sites for polyether coordination, intramolecular oxonium ylide formation occurs at the terminal oxygen, followed by [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of the pendant allyl group, in competition with cyclopropanation. Sodium ion coordination with the reactant diazo compound inhibits oxonium ylide formation in copper-catalyzed reactions. The composite results are consistent with copper serving as a template for the substrate as well as the site in the ether complex for diazo decomposition and subsequent metal carbene reactions.     

Selectivity in reactions of allyl diazoacetates as a function of catalyst and ring size from gamma-lactones to macrocyclic lactones

Catalytic reactions of diazoacetates tethered through zero, one, two, and three ethylene glycol units to an allyl group have been investigated for chemoselectivity, diastereoselectivity, and enantioselectivity. Results from cyclopropanation, carbon-hydrogen insertion, and oxonium ylide generation are compared from reactions of achiral and chiral catalysts of copper(I) and dirhodium(II) carboxylates and carboxamidates. Relative to results from intermolecular reactions of ethyl diazoacetate with allyl ethyl ether, intermolecular reactions show a diversity of selectivities including preference for the opposite configurational arrangement from the one preferred in corresponding intermolecular cyclopropanation reactions. Enantioselectivities for cyclopropanation are dependent on the catalyst ligands in a manner that reflects divergent trajectories of the carbon-carbon double bond to the reacting carbene center. Enantioselectivity increases as a function of ring size with chiral copper catalysts, but the reverse occurs with chiral dirhodium(II) carboxamidates. Mechanistic implications, including those related to the conformation of the reacting metal carbene, offer a new dimension to understanding of enantioselectivity in catalytic asymmetric cyclopropanation reactions.     

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of trisubstituted aziridines

A method is described which provides for the direct asymmetric catalytic synthesis of trisubstituted aziridines from imines and diazo compounds. While unactivated imines were not reactive to α-diazo carbonyl compounds in which the diazo carbon was disubstituted, N-Boc imines react with both α-diazo esters and α-diazo-N-acyloxazolidinones to give trisubstituted aziridines with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities.     

Rhodium(II) mediated cyclizations of diazo alkynyl ketones

The rhodium(II)-catalyzed reaction of -diazo ketones bearing tethered alkyne units represents a new and useful method for the construction of a variety of substituted cyclopentenones. The process proceeds by addition of the rhodium-stabilized carbenoid onto the acetylenic π-bond to give a vinyl carbenoid intermediate. The resulting rhodium complex undergoes a wide assortment of reactions including cyclopropanation, 1,2-hydrogen migration, CH-insertion, addition to tethered alkynes and ylide formation. The exact pathway followed is dependent on the specific metal/ligand employed and is also influenced by the nature of the solvent. Sulfonium ylide formation occurred both intra and intermolecularly when the reaction was carried out in the presence of a sulfide. In the case where an ether oxygen was present on the backbone of the vinyl carbenoid, cyclization afforded an oxonium ylide which underwent a [1,2] or [2,3]-sigmatropic shift to give a rearranged product. These cyclic metallocarbenoids were also found to interact with a neighboring carbonyl π-bond to produce carbonyl ylide dipoles that could be trapped with added dipolarophiles. The domino transformation was also performed intramolecularly by attaching an alkene directly to the carbonyl group. When 2-alkynyl-2-diazo-3-oxobutanoates were treated with a Rh(II)-catalyst, furo[3,4-c]furans were formed in excellent yield. The 1,5-electrocyclization process involved in furan formation has also been utilized to produce indeno[1,2-c]furans. Rotamer population was found to play a significant role in the cyclization of -diazo amide systems containing tethered alkynes. In this account, an overview of our work in this area is presented.     

Design of a Heterogeneous Catalyst Based on Cellulose Nanocrystals for Cyclopropanation: Synthesis and Solid‐State NMR Characterization

Heterogeneous dirhodium(II) catalysts based on environmentally benign and biocompatible cellulose nanocrystals (CNC‐Rh₂) as support material were obtained by ligand exchange between carboxyl groups on the CNC surface and Rh₂(OOCCF₃)₄, as was confirmed by solid‐state ¹⁹F and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. On average, two CF₃COO^? groups are replaced during ligand exchange, which is consistent with quantitative analysis by a combination of ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. CNC‐Rh₂ catalysts performed well in a model cyclopropanation reaction, in spite of the low dirhodium(II) content on the CNC surface (0.23 mmol g^?1). The immobilization through covalent bonding combined with the separate locations of binding positions and active sites of CNC‐Rh₂ guarantees a high stability against leaching and allows the recovery and reuse of the catalyst during the cyclopropanation reaction.     

α-重氮羰基化合物分解反应的机理以及合成应用

本项工作应用物理有机化学的经典方法-Hammett线性自由能相关,对在有机合成中已得到广泛应用的Rh(Ⅱ)-卡宾分子内C-H插入反应的机理进行了深入的探讨。在α-重氮羰基化合物的合成应用方面,发现了Cu(acac)2可以有效地催化α-重氮羰基化合物分解并发生选择的分子内N-H键插入反应。此外,应用α-重氮羰基化合物在Ag(Ⅰ)催化剂的作用下的Wolff重排反应可以有效地合成光学纯的α-内酰胺。     

Chiral synthons from α-pinene: enantioselective syntheses of bicyclo[3.3.0] and [3.2.1]octanones

Enantioselective syntheses of bicyclo[3.3.0]octan-3-one, bicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-one and bicyclo[3.2.1]octan-2-one derivatives were accomplished by employing a chiron based approach, using intramolecular rhodium carbenoid C–H insertion, acid catalysed cyclisation of α-diazo ketone and intramolecular type II carbonyl ene reactions as key steps.     

Efficient one-pot synthesis of biologically interesting diverse furo[2,3-b]pyran-6-ones by rhodium(II)-catalyzed cascade reactions of diazo compound with ethynyl compounds

Rhodium(II)-catalyzed reactions of diazo compound and a variety of ethynyl compounds were carried out. These reactions provide a rapid route for preparing a variety of furo[2,3-b]pyran-6-one derivatives in one-pot via cascade reactions of metal carbenoid reaction/ketene formation/[2+2]cycloaddition/ring expansion.     

Synthetic Applications of Carbonyl Ylides Generated via the Tandem Cyclization Cycloaddition Reaction of Rhodium Carbenoids

The author's chemical studies dealing with the generation of carbonyl ylides via the rhodium(II) induced cyclization of α-diazo alkanediones are summarized, Dipole formation occurs by reaction of a transient rhodium carbenoid intermediate with a neighboring carbonyl group. These cyclizations are performed under extremely mild conditions, typically at room temperature in a neutral organic solvent. Since these cycloadditions involve carbonyl ylides, the resulting products are oxabicycles of varying ring size. When the dipolarophile is intramolecularly tethered to the dipole, the subsequent cycloaddition affords complex oxapolycyclic systems with three (or more) component rings.     

DBU-catalyzed condensation of acyldiazomethanes to aldehydes in water and a new approach to ethyl β-hydroxy α-arylacrylates

DBU-catalyzed condensation of ethyl diazoacetate (EDA) with aldehydes in pure water afforded corresponding β-hydroxy α-diazo carbonyl compounds. The β-hydroxy group of the products was further converted into β-siloxy group. The Rh(II)-catalyzed reaction of the β-aryl β-siloxy α-diazo carbonyl compounds gave 1,2-aryl shift products predominantly. The three-step transformation constitutes an efficient synthesis of ethyl β-hydroxy α-arylacrylates.     

Dirhodium(II)-Catalyzed C(sp2)−H Azidation of Benzaldehydes

Multiple steps are needed to achieve the C−H functional of aromatic aldehyde, since the C−H functional reaction usually occurs preferentially at the aldehydic C−H bond over the aryl C−H bond. We report an efficient azidation method mediated by dirhodium(II) catalysts to achieve the direct aryl azidation of aromatic aldehydes avoiding the simultaneous use of protected aldehydes and prefunctionalized arenes. The regioselectivity of this method is similar to those of typical aromatic electrophilic substitution reactions. The resulting azidobenzaldehyde products are versatile building blocks or precursors for the synthesis of many biologically active compounds. The mechanism studies indicate that the one-electron oxidative intermediate Rh₂^(II,III)N₃ is responsible for the azide transfer.