Trifluoromethanesulfonic acid mediated Friedel-Crafts reaction of (E)-3-aryl-2-(diethoxyphosphoryl)acrylic acids with electron-rich hydroxyarenes. A convenient approach to α-methylene-δ-valerolactones

The synthesis of trans-3-diethoxyphosphoryl-4-aryl-3,4-dihydrocoumarins from electron-rich hydroxyarenes and (E)-3-aryl-2-(diethoxyphosphoryl)acrylic acids has been achieved by using CF₃SO₃H as a catalyst. The products could be easily transformed to the corresponding α-methylene-δ-valerolactones by means of the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction.     

Highly enantioselective hetero-Diels-Alder reaction between trans-1-methoxy-2-methyl-3-trimethylsiloxybuta-1,3-diene and aldehydes catalyzed by (R)-BINOL-Ti(IV) complex

An efficient enantioselective approach to 2,5-disubstituted dihydropyrones was developed. Some easily accessible inexpensive diol ligand metal complexes were employed, and [(R)-BINOL]₂-Ti(OiPr)₄ complex was found to be the most effective catalyst (up to 99% yield and 99% ee in the presence of 5 mol% catalyst) for the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction between trans-1-methoxy-2-methyl-3-trimethylsiloxybuta-1,3-diene (1) and aldehydes. The potential and generality of this catalyst were evaluated by a variety of aldehydes including aromatic, heteroaromatic, α,β-unsaturated and aliphatic aldehydes. Based on the isolated intermediate from the reaction of benzaldehyde being confirmed by ¹H, ¹³C NMR and HRMS data, the mechanism was proposed as a Mukaiyama aldol pathway.     

Thermal decomposition of trans-chloro(2-allylphenyl)bis(triethylphospine)nickel(II)

Thermolysis of trans-chloro(2-allylphenyl)bis(triethylphosphine)nickel(II), I, in tetrachloroethylene has afforded indene as the major hydrocarbon product along with lesser amounts of allylbenzene and trans-β-methylstyrene. Organonickel products were trans-chloro(trichlorovinyl)bis(triethylphosphine)nickel(II), II, chloro[2-(trans-propenyl)phenyl]bis(triethylphosphine)nickel(II), III, and trans-dichlorobis(triethylphosphine)nickel(II). Compound III was the major product from thermolysis of I in benzene. Chloro[2-(cis-propenyl)phenyl]bis(triethylphosphine)nickel(II), IV, and III could be synthesized independently by treatment of chloro-2-(cis-propenyl)benzene and chloro-2-(trans-propenyl)benzene, respectively, with nickel acetylacetonate and triethylaluminium in the presence of triethylphosphine. Thermolysis of I in benzene containing allylbenzene led to the formation of trans-β-methylstyrene. The thermolysis of I in benzene in the presence of cis-1,4-hexadiene caused the skeletal rearrangement of the diene to trans-2-methyl-1,3-pentadiene. A catalyst derived from ethylenebis(triphenylphosphine)nickel(0) and hydrogen chloride isomerized allylbenzene to trans-β-methylstyrene.     

Cobalt(II) schiff base functionalized mesoporous silica as an efficient and recyclable chemoselective acetalization catalyst

Cobalt(II) Schiff base functionalized mesoporous silica was synthesized from covalent attachment via the introduction of Co(OAc)₂ to salicylaldimine functionalized mesoporous silica. The catalyst proved to be chemoselective one for the acetalization of aldehydes to the corresponding acetals in alcohol. The immobilized catalyst can be easily recovered and reused for at least ten reaction cycles without significant loss of its catalytic activity.     

Synthesis and characterization of some trans-hydridomethylbis(phosphine)-platinum(II) and -palladium(II) complexes

Several trans-hydridomethylbis(phosphine)-platinum(II) and -palladium(II) complexes have been made by the reaction: trans-M(H)Cl(PR₃)₂ + CH₃MgBr → trans-M(CH₃)(PR₃)₂ + MgClBr and their structures determined by ¹H NMR and IR spectroscopy. The complexes in which M  Pt and R  Cy (cyclohexyl) or i-Pr (isopropyl) are very stable in the solid state and in solution, while the compounds in which M  Pt, R  Et (ethyl) and M  Pd, R  i-Pr slowly decompose either in the solid state or in solution. The compound in which M  Pd and R  Cy was not isolated but was identified in solution.     

Xantphos as cis- and trans-chelating ligand in square-planar platinum(II) complexes. Hydroformylation of styrene with platinum-xantphos-tin(II)chloride system

Platinum(II) complexes of a diphosphine ligand xantphos (4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-9,9-dimethyl-xanthene) have been synthesised and characterised by NMR, conductivity and catalytic investigations. In addition to the parent complex cis-PtCl₂(xantphos), trans-platinum(II) complexes of square-planar geometry containing xantphos as a trans-chelating ligand can be obtained due to the large bite angle of the ligand. The platinum-xantphos-tin(II)chloride system acts as active hydroformylation catalyst in the hydroformylation of styrene resulting in high chemo- and regio-selectivities of up to 99.8% and 88%, respectively.     

Synthesis of propylene carbonate from carbon dioxide using trans‐dichlorotetrapyridineru‐ thenium(II) as catalyst

trans‐Dichlorotetrapyridineruthenium(II) [trans‐RuCl₂(py)₄] was synthesized and the structure was determined by single crystal X‐ray crystallography. Highly efficient formation of propylene carbonate (PC) from carbon dioxide and propylene oxide was achieved by using a catalyst system composed of trans‐RuCl₂(py)₄ and hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide under mild conditions (4h, 80 °C, 3.0 MPa). PC was obtained in nearly 100% selectivity without the formation of a polymer. The catalyst could be recycled constantly many times without any significant loss of its catalytic activity. On the basis of the results, a mechanism for the reaction was proposed. Copyright © 2010 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photophysical Properties and Kinetic Studies of 2-Vinylpyridine-Based Cycloplatinated(II) Complexes Containing Various Phosphine Ligands

A series of cycloplatinated(II) complexes with general formula of [PtMe(Vpy)(PR₃)], Vpy = 2-vinylpyridine and PR₃ = PPh₃ (1a); PPh₂Me (1b); PPhMe₂ (1c), were synthesized and characterized by means of spectroscopic methods. These cycloplatinated(II) complexes were luminescent at room temperature in the yellow–orange region’s structured bands. The PPhMe₂ derivative was the strongest emissive among the complexes, and the complex with PPh₃ was the weakest one. Similar to many luminescent cycloplatinated(II) complexes, the emission was mainly localized on the Vpy cyclometalated ligand as the main chromophoric moiety. The present cycloplatinated(II) complexes were oxidatively reacted with MeI to yield the corresponding cycloplatinated(IV) complexes. The kinetic studies of the reaction point out to an S_N2 mechanism. The complex with PPhMe₂ ligand exhibited the fastest oxidative addition reaction due to the most electron-rich Pt(II) center in its structure, whereas the PPh₃ derivative showed the slowest one. Interestingly, for the PPhMe₂ analog, the trans isomer was stable and could be isolated as both kinetic and thermodynamic product, while the other two underwent trans to cis isomerization.     

Intramolecular asymmetric C–H insertion of N-arylalkyl,N-bis(trimethylsilyl)methyldiazoamides mediated by chiral rhodium(II) catalysts. Synthesis of (R)-β-benzyl-γ-aminobutyric acid

The enantio- and site-selectivity of the intramolecular C–H insertion reactions of acyclic N-arylalkyl, N-bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl α-diazoacetamides, and α-carboalkoxy-α-diazoacetamides 1a–g, catalyzed by chiral Rh(II) carboxamidates and Rh(II) carboxylates were studied. In general, the reaction showed good to excellent chemoselectivity. Regioselectivity for most of the reactions was high, but was also found to be influenced by the structure of the diazo substrate and the chiral Rh(II) catalyst employed. The highest enantioselectivity for the reactions catalyzed by chiral Rh(II) carboxamidates was 69% and Rh₂(4R-MEOX)₄ was found to be the most effective. For the chiral Rh(II) carboxylate catalyzed reactions, the highest ee obtained was 75% and Rh₂(S-PTTL)₄ is the optimal catalyst. The method was applied toward the synthesis of a GABA analogue, (R)-β-benzyl-γ-aminobutyric acid.     

Tris(acetonitrile)tricarbonylchromium(0) catalyzed 1,4-addition of hydrogen to 1,3-dienes

The Cr(CO)₃(CH₃CN)₃ complex is found to catalyze the 1,4-addition of hydrogen to 1,3-dienes such as 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene, trans-1,3-pentadiene, and trans, trans-2,4-hexadiene at low temperature (40°) and low H₂ pressure (20 psi). For trans, trans-2,4-hexadiene the only product obtained when D₂ is used is 2,5-dideuterio-cis-3-hexene. The catalytic 1,4-hydrogenation can be carried out in neat dienes, and turnover numbers for the catalyst of greater than 3000 have been observed.     

trans-chelation of the dithioehter, 1,12-bis(phenylthio)-dodecane to planar palladium(II)

The dithioether, 1,12-bis(phenylthio)dodecane (dpd) reacts with tetrachloropalladate(II) and tetrachloroplatinate(II) in ethanol/dichloromethane to form trans-[M(dpd)Cl₂] (M  Pd, Pt); trans-[Pd(dpd)Br₂] has also been isolated. These are the first reported complexes which contain a trans-chelating bidentate ligand involving sulphur donors and is thus further evidence that bulky terminal substituents are not a prerequisite for trans chelation.     

Synthesis of (E)-2-(1-ferrocenylmethylidene)malonic acid derivatives by a cobalt-catalyzed domino reaction of ethyl diazoacetate, carbon monoxide and ferrocenylimines

The domino reaction of ethyl diazoacetate, carbon monoxide and ferrocenylimines was investigated in the presence of Co₂(CO)₈ as catalyst. In most cases the main products are 2-(1-ferrocenylmethylidene) malonates formed by an N(1)-C(4) cleavage of the primarily derived β-lactams. The latter compounds could only be isolated when the reaction was carried out at relatively low CO pressure, using an excess of ethyl diazoacetate. trans-N-(tert-Butyl)-3-ethoxycarbonyl-4-ferrocenyl-β-lactam proved to be the most stable one among these compounds and could be isolated in 55% yield. N-alkyl β-lactams were shown to undergo acidic cleavage leading to the E isomers of 2-(1-ferrocenylmethylidene) malonates as the main products. The structures of the two new compounds, (E)-2-ethoxycarbonyl-3-ferrocenyl-N-((R)-1-phenylethyl)-2-propenamide and trans-N-(tert-butyl)-3-ethoxycarbonyl-4-ferrocenyl-β-lactam were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The relative thermodynamical stability of the products as well as the energetics of the acid-mediated cleavage of the β-lactam ring was elucidated with DFT calculations.     

A general and convenient method of synthesizing dihydridoplatinum(II) complexes with bulky phosphine ligands

Platinum(II) dihydrides containing bulky phosphine ligands, trans-PtH₂L₂ (L = PCy₃, P-i-Pr₃, P-n-Bu-t-Bu₂, PMe-t-Bu₂), have been prepared conveniently and in excellent yield from the reaction of the corresponding peroxycarbonato complexes with NaBH₄. A similar reduction of the dioxygen platinum(II) complexes also affords the dihydrides but less readily. All these dihydrides react with highly activated acetylenes to form the trans-hydridovinyl complexes.     

The isomerization of n-butenes catalyzed by RhCl(PPh3)3. II. The isomerization of 1-butene

1-butene is catalytically isomerized by RhCl(PPh₃)₃ in dichloromethane solution. The slow reaction starts with an induction period and reaches the equilibrium distribution of the three n-butenes. The pseudo first order reaction rate, as taken from the second half of the reaction, depends on the square root of the catalyst concentration and the inverse of the concentration of free triphenylphosphine. At relatively low butene concentrations the reaction rates fall off. This is interpreted as meaning that a PPh₃—butene ligand exchange equilibrium is essential for the activation of the catalyst. ³¹P n.m.r. spectroscopy suggested that a trans-RhCl(PPh₃)₂(C₄H₈) complex existed in solution. Because of the high cis-2-butene/trans-2-butene ratio formed at the beginning of the reaction the activation of the olefinic double bond is thought to occur via a π-allyl mechanism.     

Thermally-reversible photoisomerization of trans-dinitrobis(tri-N-propylphosphine)palladium(II)

UV irradiation of trans-dinitrobis(tri-n-propylphosphine)palladium(II) in MeOH yields a photostationary trans-cis mixture which reverts quantitatively in the dark to the trans-form. The cis-isomer, which can be isolated in crystalline form by irradiation of trans-species in n-hexane, has been characterized by UV, IR ¹H and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. Irradiation of a 1/1 mixture of trans-[(PBu₃ⁿ)₂Pd(NO₂)₂] and trans-[(PPr₃ⁿ)₂Pd(NO₂)₂] gives almost entirely a 1/1 mixture of the corresponding cis-isomer, indicating an intramolecular process.     

A novel catalyst zinc(II) perfluorooctanoate [Zn(PFO)2]-catalyzed three-component one-pot reaction: Synthesis of quinazolinone derivatives in aqueous micellar media

A new type of Lewis acid-surfactant-combined catalyst (LASC), zinc(II) perfluorooctanoate [Zn(PFO)₂], was prepared and applied as a favorable surfactivity catalyst in three-component one-pot cyclocondensation reaction of isatoic anhydride with amines and aldehydes to afford the corresponding quinazolinone derivatives in good yields. Reactions occurred under aqueous micellar media in high atom economy. It was found that this catalyst could be easily quantitatively recovered after the reaction completed and could be reused for at least three cycles without any loss of activity. Furthermore, a mechanism to rationalize the reaction was proposed.     

Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction on copper-trans-A(2)B corroles with excellent functional group tolerance

The palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction has been investigated on meso-substituted trans-A₂B-corrole using tailored Pd-catalyst systems.We present the first examples of Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions on meso-substituted trans-A₂B-corrole derivatives with neutral, sterically hindered, inactivated and heteroaromatic boronic acids and esters, alkenylboronic acids, as well as quickly deboronating aryl boronic acids and benzo-condensated five membered heterocyclic boronic acids. In addition, we established a high-yield procedure for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of corroles with neutral boronic acids.Due to the lability of the free-base corrole macrocycles, functionalization of the corrole periphery was performed with the corresponding Cu-metallated species. meso-Substituted trans-A₂B-corrole can hence be regarded as highly versatile platform towards more sophisticated corrole systems.X-ray structure analysis of a functionalized meso-substituted trans-A₂B copper corrole exhibited the typical features of such a Cu-complex: short N-Cu distances and a saddled corrole configuration.Moreover, we observed a sensitivity of the formal oxidation state of the coordinated copper ions towards Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction conditions, where the central copper(III) ion approaches the characteristic features of a copper(II) species. This redox behaviour was examined by UV/vis absorption spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments and time-dependent density functional theoretical calculations.     

Chiral bis(2-oxazolinyl)xanthene (xabox)/transition-metal complexes catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions and Diels-Alder reactions

A series of chiral 4,5-bis(2-oxazolinyl)-(2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethyl)-9H-xanthenes (xabox) and their transition-metal complexes were synthesized. The X-ray analysis of xabox-RhCl₃ complex shows a unique facial type structure. Xabox-Bn-Mn(II) and xabox-Bn-Mg(II) complexes were found to be efficient catalysts in nitrone 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (1,3-D.C.) reaction resulting in good to excellent enantioselectivities ranging from 96:4 to >99:1of endo/exo ratio and 91-96% ee for the endo adduct. The correlation between enantiomeric excess of the ligand and the product in the nitrone 1,3-D.C. reaction shows a clear linear relationship, which suggests xabox-metal catalyst worked as a single molecular catalyst. In addition, xabox-i-Pr-Mn(II) complex was also found to be an active catalyst for Diels-Alder (D-A) reaction of acryloyloxazolidinone and cyclopentadiene affording the corresponding cycloadduct in quantitative yield along with 82% ee and 98:2 endo/exo ratio.     

Synthesis of optically active cobalt(salen) type complexes and their asymmetric reactivity toward propylene oxide

An optically active Co(I)(salen) type complex, lithium N,N′-bis(salicylaldehyde)-1(R), 2(R)-1,2-trans-cyclohexanediiminatocobalt(I), was prepared by reducing the Co^II complex, N,N′-bis(salicylaldehyde)-1(R),2(R)-1,2-trans-cyclohexanediiminatocobalt(II), with LiAlH₄. The structure of the Co^I complex was determined on the basis of the structure of the corresponding Co^II complex and was confirmed by usual physicochemical methods. Furthermore, characteristics of the absorption and circular dichroism(CD) spectra of the Co^I complex were compared with those of the reported structure of Na⁺[Co(I)(salen)]^?. Highly asymmetric selectivity was found in a resolution reaction of DL-propylene oxide by use of the above optically active lithium cobalt(I) complex as a catalyst.     

PEG-400-H2O as a green and recyclable medium for asymmetric hydrogenations of aromatic ketones catalyzed by RuCl2(TPPTS)2-(S,S)-DPENDS

PEG-400-H₂O was found to be a green and recyclable reaction medium for asymmetric hydrogenations of aromatic ketones catalyzed by a ruthenium achiral monophosphine complex RuCl₂(TPPTS)₂ [TPPTS: P(m-C₆H₄SO₃Na)₃] modified by (S,S)-DPENDS [disodium salt of sulfonated (S,S)-1,2-diphenyl-1,2-ethylene-diamine]. The acetophenone product was obtained with 86.3% ee under the optimized conditions. The resulting products can be easily separated from the catalyst by extraction with n-hexane. The catalyst immobilized in PEG-400-H₂O not only exhibits excellent activity and enantioselectivity, but also can be recycled and reused several times without a loss of activity or enantioselectivity.