Si?H and C?H Activation by Transition Metal Complexes: A Step Towards Isolable Alkane Complexes?

The recognition of the fundamental contributions by G. A. Olah on the elucidation of the structure of nonclassical carbocations, in the form of the award of the Nobel prize for chemistry, has recently emphasized the importance of electron-deficient bonds in the understanding of chemical bonding in organic chemistry. In the field of coordination chemistry, the formulation of electron-deficient bonds has been used for some time to describe nonclassical interactions between atoms. Traditional ligands in coordination chemistry such as amines and phosphanes bond to metal centers through their lone pair of electrons. Synergistic bonding effects dominate in the coordination of π-bonded ligands such as alkenes. In the mid-1980s the discovery of dihydrogen complexes having side-on coordination of H₂ gave fresh impetus to transition metal chemistry as well as to the understanding of the interaction of σ-coordinating ligands with transition metals. In the meantime, transiton metal complexes can be obtained with a variety of σ-coordinated X-H fragments, and their mode of bonding can be understood by a common and quite general model. The chemistry of σ-bound silane ligands is particularly varied and well-investigated. These silane ligands enable the investigation of a large range of σ-coordinated metal complex fragments up to complete oxidative addition with cleavage of the Si? H bond and formation of silyl(hydrido) complexes, which has thus also widened our general understanding of the bonding of other σ-bound ligands. Whilst there is a large range of isolable and stable H₂ and SiR₄ complexes available, there are no such alkane analogues known at present. Only when the C? H bond is part of a ligand that is already directly bonded to the transition metal center will the resulting chelate effect stabilize this agostic C-H-M interaction. The complexation of SiH₄, the simplest heavier homologue of CH₄, was achieved recently. This is a further step towards the understanding of the factors which govern σ-complexation of ligands at transition metal centers.     

Low‐Temperature Alkane C?H Bond Activation by Zeolites: An In Situ Solid‐State NMR H/D Exchange Study for a Carbenium Concerto

Isotopic H/D exchange has been monitored by in situ MAS NMR spectroscopy of 2‐[D₁₄]methylpentane with H‐USY to probe the controversy over the alkane conversion mechanism. The probe molecule has distinct exchangeable sites with different accessibility to the zeolite surface. In the early stages of the process, the regioselectivity of exchange demonstrates that the slow step of the mechanism is controlled by a carbenium ion intermediate. At a later stage of exchange, intramolecular hydride migrations, typical of carbenium chemistry, replace D by H also on other carbon atoms, resulting in a loss of regioselectivity. Therefore, the first and the subsequent steps of the H/D exchange proceed at this temperature through a carbenium intermediate species.     

Intramolecular gamma-hydroxylations of nonactivated C-H bonds with copper complexes and molecular oxygen

Copper(I) complexes incorporating the isomeric bidentate ligands IMPY (iminomethyl-2-pyridines) or AMPY (aminomethylene-2-pyridines) are quite unusual in their ability to bind and activate molecular oxygen. Using these complexes, hydroxylations of nonactivated CH, CH2, or CH3 groups in the gamma-position in relation to the imino-nitrogen atom, and with a specific orientation of one H atom with respect to the binuclear Cu-O species, can be achieved in synthetically useful yields. Through mechanistic studies employing conformationally well-defined molecules (for example, cyclic isoprenoids), coupled with solid-state X-ray structure analyses and force-field calculations, we postulate a seven-membered transition state for this reaction in which six atoms lie approximately in a plane. This plane is defined by the positions of the lone pairs on the nitrogen atoms, as well as the copper and the oxygen atoms. For a successful hydroxylation, one hydrogen atom should be located close to this plane. Prediction of the stereochemical course of these reactions is possible based on a simple geometrical criterion. The convenient introduction of IMPY and AMPY groups as auxiliaries into oxo and primary amino compounds and the simple hydrolysis after the hydroxylation procedure has allowed the synthesis of 3-hydroxy-1-oxo and 3-hydroxy-1-amino compounds. If desired, the 3-hydroxy-1-IMPY and -1-AMPY compounds can be reduced with NaBH4 to obtain 3-hydroxy-1-aminomethylpyridines. For a successful hydroxylation procedure, the method employed for the synthesis of the CuI complexes is very important. Starting either from CuI salts or from CuII salts with a subsequent reduction with benzoin/triethylamine may turn out to be the better way, depending on the ligand and the molecular structure.     

Cobalt-mediated [2+2+2] cycloaddition versus C-H and N-H activation of pyridones and pyrazinones with alkynes: an experimental study

The reactivity of a range of pyridone and pyrazinone derivatives towards alkynes in the presence of cyclopentadienylcobaltbis(ethene) has been investigated. Depending on the nature of the substrates, [2+2+2]- or [2+2] cycloaddition, C-H, or N-H activation may occur. In the case of pyridones, the first three predominated with N-protected derivatives, whereas substrates containing N-H bonds followed an N-H activation pathway. The [2+2+2] cycloaddition of an N-butynylisoquinolone was applied successfully to the total synthesis of anhydrolycorinone. Pyrazinone substrates showed similar patterns of reactivity.     

Copper‐Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative C?H and C?C Functionalization of 1‐[2‐(Arylamino)aryl]ethanones Leading to Acridone Derivatives

Efficient copper‐catalyzed aerobic oxidative C? H and C? C functionalization of 1‐[2‐(arylamino)aryl]ethanones leading to acridones has been developed. The procedure involves cleavage of aromatic C? H and acetyl C? C bonds with intramolecular formation of a diarylketone bond. The protocol uses inexpensive Cu(O₂CCF₃)₂ as catalyst, pyridine as additive, and economical and environmentally friendly oxygen as the oxidant, and the corresponding acridones with various functional groups were obtained in moderate to good yields.     

Generating CuII–Oxyl/CuIII–Oxo Species from CuI–α‐Ketocarboxylate Complexes and O2: In Silico Studies on Ligand Effects and C?H‐Activation Reactivity

Theoretically speaking : The mechanistic details associated with the generation and reaction of [CuO]⁺ species from Cu^I–α‐ketocarboxylate complexes, especially with respect to modifications of the ligand supporting the copper center, were investigated (see scheme). Theoretical models were used to characterize the electronic structures of different [CuO]⁺ species and their reactivity in C? H activation and O‐atom transfer reactions.

     

Methylene transfer from SnMe groups mediated by a rhodium(I) pincer complex: Sn-C, C-C, and C-H bond activation

The PCP-Rh(I) complex 1a based on the [1,3-phenylenebis(methylene)]bis(diisopropylphosphine) ligand reacts with [diazo(phenyl)methyl]trimethylstannane (2) at room temperature to give novel pincer-type phenyl(dimethylstannyl)methylene]hydrazinato complex 3a. The reaction sequence involves a unique combination of Sn-C bond cleavage, C-C bond formation, C-H activation and intramolecular deprotonation of a rhodium hydride intermediate, which results in methylene transfer from an SnMe group to the pincer system and PCP-chelate expansion. A methylene-transfer reaction was also demonstrated with tetramethyltin as the methylene source in the presence of KOC(CH(3))(3) at room temperature. The resulting unstable "chelate-expanded" Rh(I) complex [(C(10)H(5)(CH(2)PiPr(2))(2))(CH(2))Rh(L)] (L=N(2), THF; 4a) was isolated as its carbonyl derivative 5a. Heating 4a in benzene yielded an equimolar amount of toluene and 1a, which demonstrates the ability of the Rh(I) pincer complex to extract a methylene group from an unactivated alkyl tin substrate and transfer it, via C-C followed by C-H activation, to an arene. Use of fluorobenzene resulted in formation of fluorotoluene. Catalytic methylene-group transfer mediated by 1a was not possible, because of formation of o-xylylene complex 8 under the reaction conditions. Steric parameters play a decisive role in the reactivity with tin compounds; while iPrP derivative 1 a underwent facile reactions, tBuP complex 1b was inert.