Palladium-catalyzed hydrophosphinylation of alkenes and alkynes

Various palladium catalysts promote the addition of hypophosphorous derivatives ROP(O)H(2) to alkenes and alkynes in good yields and under mild conditions. Particularly, Cl(2)Pd(PPh(3))(2)/2 MeLi, and Pd(2)dba(3)/xantphos allow for phosphorus-carbon bond formation instead of transfer hydrogenation. Commercial aqueous solutions of hypophosphorous acid can be employed successfully at ambient temperature. With styrene and terminal alkynes, the regioselectivity (linear versus branched products) can be controlled to some extent with the catalytic system employed. The methodology considerably extends upon previous routes for the preparation of H-phosphinic acids and other organophosphorus compounds.     

A novel stereospecific reduction of alkynes to alkenes

Zinc-copper couple in boiling methanol reduces alkynes to olefins in nearly quantitative yields. Terminal acetylenes are converted to terminal ethylenes, whereas disubstituted acetylenes are transformed to (Z)-olefins.     

Silver-catalyzed regioselective carbomagnesiation of alkynes with alkyl halides and Grignard reagents

A silver-catalyzed carbomagnesiation of alkynes with alkyl halides and Grignard reagents afforded alkenyl Grignard reagents regioselectively, where the alkyl group of the alkyl halide, but not that of the Grignard reagent, was introduced into the alkyne. Application to δ-haloalkylacetylenes yielded cyclopentanes or a tetrahydrofuran containing an exo-methylene substituent via 5-exo-dig cyclization.     

Silver-catalyzed [2 + 2] cycloadditions of siloxy alkynes

We have described the first [2 + 2] cycloadditions of siloxy alkynes with a range of unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The reactions are efficiently promoted by substoichiometric amount of silver trifluoromethanesulfonimide and display excellent regio- and diastereoselectivity combined with a broad substrate scope. Our studies have established unambiguously the stepwise mechanism of this process and provided evidence for a novel role of silver in the catalytic cycle of the reaction, which involves silver-based complexation and activation of siloxy alkyne toward the subsequent 1,4-addition.     

Amine-directed intramolecular hydroacylation of alkenes and alkynes

Medium-ring heterocycles are prepared via an amine-directed, rhodium(I)-catalyzed intramolecular hydroacylation. The presence of an allyl substituent on the amine accelerates the reaction and increases product yields.     

Recent advances in diphosphination of alkynes and alkenes

1,2-Bis(diphenylphosphino)ethenes and -ethanes (DPPEs) are among representative supporting ligands in transition metal catalysts, which can promote otherwise challenging organic transformations with high efficiency and selectivity. Such bidentately coordinating ligands are conventionally prepared by nucleophilic substitution reactions of halogenated carbon electrophiles with nucleophilic metal phosphides. However, they suffer from poor functional group compatibility and/or tedious preparation of highly functionalized starting substrates. In this context, additions of phosphines to readily available and simple alkynes and alkenes have recently received significant attention. This digest paper focuses on recent developments of diphosphination of alkynes and alkenes for the synthesis of DPPE-type ligands. The reported approaches are categorized into several types of reactions, and their scope, limitation, and mechanism are briefly summarized.     

Silver-catalyzed formal inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction of 1,2-diazines and siloxy alkynes

A highly effective silver-catalyzed formal inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction of 1,2-diazines and siloxy alkynes has been developed. The reactions provide ready access to a wide range of siloxy naphthalenes and anthracenes, which are formed in good to high yields, under mild reaction conditions, using low catalyst loadings.     

FeBr_3-catalyzed dibromination of alkenes and alkynes

The dibromination of alkenes and alkynes with bromosuccinimide and sodium bromide catalyzed by FeBr₃ under mild conditions has been developed.The trans-dibromo compounds were exclusively obtained with excellent yields.     

Disulfidation of alkynes and alkenes with gallium trichloride

[reaction: see text] Treatment of diphenyl disulfide and terminal alkynes with gallium trichloride afforded (E)-1,2-diphenylthio-1-alkenes selectively (E/Z > 20/1). Alkenes also underwent this reaction to form trans adducts.     

Fluoride-mediated phosphination of alkenes and alkynes by silylphosphines

Regioselective phosphination of carbon-carbon unsaturated bonds by a fluoride-mediated reaction of silylphosphines is described. Alkenes and alkynes having a directing group, such as an aromatic or a carbonyl group, reacted to form a carbon-phosphorus bond under mild conditions. When an anhydrous fluoride source was applied in the presence of an electrophile, the corresponding three-component coupling product was obtained.     

Catalytic enantioselective halolactonization of enynes and alkenes

New organocatalysts have been developed for the enantioselective halolactonization of (Z)-1,3-enynes and 1,1-disubstituted alkenes. In the case of 1,3-enynes, the carboxylate nucleophile and halogen electrophile were added to the conjugated π-system from the same face. Up to 99% ee was achieved for the 1,4-syn-bromolactonization of conjugated (Z)-1,3-enynes. Based on the results from the enyne halolactonization, a second generation of catalysts was designed for simple olefins. Up to 91% ee was observed for chlorolactonization of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes. The catalysts developed for the enantioselective halolactonization of both enynes and alkenes are composed of a cinchona alkaloid skeleton tethered to a urea group.     

Highly enantioselective hydrosilylation of aromatic alkenes

Currently, the most effective and economic way to convert an alkene into an optically active alcohol is the two-step sequence: hydrosilylation/oxidation. Much work has been devoted to elucidating effective catalysts for this process, but hitherto only one effective and highly stereoselective process has been available. Herein we present a novel catalytic system for the asymmetric hydrosilylation of aromatic alkenes, giving the products in high yields and with the highest enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee) ever observed for this reaction. The reaction works efficiently for a variety of substituted aromatic alkenes, giving access after Tamao oxidation to almost optically pure benzylic alcohols in high yields.     

Transition-metal catalyzed enantioselective hydrofunctionalization of alkynes

A significant number of reactions regarding hydrofunctionalization of alkynes have appeared in the literature over the years. This digest focus on the transition-metal catalyzed enantioselective alkyne hydrofunctionalization reactions. Based on the reaction mechanism, these reactions described herein are classified into three types. Strategies, substrate scope, along with mechanisms are highlighting.     

Organoselenium-catalyzed enantioselective syn-dichlorination of unbiased alkenes

The enantioselective dichlorination of alkenes is a continuing challenge in organic synthesis owing to the limitations of selective and independent antarafacial delivery of both electrophilic chlorenium and nucleophilic chloride to an olefin. Development of a general method for the enantioselective dichlorination of isolated alkenes would allow access to a wide variety of polyhalogenated natural products. Accordingly, the enantioselective suprafacial dichlorination of alkenes catalyzed by electrophilic organoselenium reagents has been developed to address these limitations. The evaluation of twenty-three diselenides as precatalysts for enantioselective dichlorination is described, with a maximum e.r. of 76:24 Additionally, mechanistic studies suggest an unexpected Dynamic Kinetic Asymmetric Transformation (DyKAT) process may be operative.     

Rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective diboration of simple alkenes

Enantioselective catalytic reactions that operate directly on inexpensive unactivated alkenes are extraordinarily useful for the preparation of chiral organic building blocks and new materials. While a number of such processes have been developed, our ability to meet the intensifying demand for inexpensive stereochemically complex materials will require a significant expansion of practical catalytic asymmetric reaction methodology. In this regard, the rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective diboration reaction has been developed in order to address a number of extant problems in catalytic alkene transformation simultaneously. This process provides an enantiomerically enriched reactive dimetalated intermediate which can be converted to a variety of difunctional reaction products.     

Stereoselective halogenations of alkenes and alkynes in ionic liquids

[reaction: see text]. Room-temperature ionic liquids, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, are used as "green" recyclable alternative to chlorinated solvents for the stereoselective halogenation of alkenes and alkynes.     

Polar addition of perfluoro-tert-hexyl iodide to alkenes and alkynes

The effective charges on the atoms in molecules of perfluoroalkyl halides of general formula (CF₃)_nCF_3–nX (X=Cl, Br, I) have been calculated by the AM1 semiempirical method. In polar solvents perfluoro-tert-hexyl iodide is reduced under the action of alkenes and aromatic hydrocarbons to form 2-hydroperfluoro-2-methyl-pentane and perfluoro-2-methyl-2-pentene. In ethyl acetate the regio- and stereo-specific addition of perfluoro-tert-hexyl iodide to alkenes, butadiene, and alkynes takes place, which is associated with the realization of a polar ion-radical mechanism for the reaction.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 2057–2061, September, 1989.