Unusual ambiphilic carbenoid equivalent in amide cyclopropanation

[reaction: see text] The titanium-methylene complexes derived from the TiCl(4)-Mg-CH(2)Cl(2) system serve as a novel class of ambiphilic carbenoid equivalents, which not only efficiently effect cyclopropanations of a variety amides but also exhibit high chemoselectivity.     

Telluronium ylides in cyclopropanation and catalytic olefination

Telluronium ylides are versatile reagents for cyclopropanation reaction and Wittig‐type olefination. This review outlines the recent development in stereoselectivity of ylide cyclopropanation and catalytic olefination in our group. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 13:463–466, 2002; Published online in Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.10076     

Catalytic olefination reaction of carbonyl compounds. A study on stereoselectivity of alkene formation

The mechanism of formation of alkene stereoisomers in the catalytic olefination reaction of carbonyl compounds was studied. 4-Chlorobenzaldehyde hydrazone 1 stereoselectively reacts with a number of F-, Cl-, Br-, and I-containing polyhaloalkanes in the presence of catalytic amounts of CuCl to give -substituted styrenes 2 with the more thermodynamically stable alkene isomer being the major product. A model for the formation of the stereoisomers of alkenes 2 in the olefination reaction is proposed. Stereoselectivity of the reaction is determined by elimination of copper(ii) halides from the lowest-lying conformers of organocopper intermediates II. According to quantum-chemical calculations, the elimination should involve the staggered conformations with antiperiplanar arrangement of C—Hal and C—Cu bonds and proceed by the E2 anti-elimination mechanism. The results of quantum-chemical calculations are in good agreement with the experimental E/Z alkene isomer ratios.     

Rhodium N-confused porphyrin-catalyzed alkene cyclopropanation

Rhodium N-confused porphyrins constitute unprecedented, highly efficient tools for the cyclopropanation of styrene, affording the expected cyclopropanes in excellent yields with trans : cis ratios reaching 98 : 2.     

Synthesis and olefination of carbonyl compounds using solid-supported reagents

The development and application of three new solid-supported reagents for use in the synthesis or olefination of carbonyl compounds are described. The reagents include the Weinreb amide, Mukaiyama's S-2-pyridyl thioate and a Peterson methylenation reagent. As solid-supports p-benzyl alcohol resin, Wang resin and Merrifield resin (1-2% crosslinked polystyrene) have been used.     

Novel efficient synthesis of dibromoalkenes. A first example of catalytic olefination of aliphatic carbonyl compounds

A new simple and efficient one pot transformation of various aliphatic carbonyl compounds to the corresponding dibromoalkenes is described. A wide range of hydrazones of aldehydes and ketones, prepared in situ, were easily converted into dibromoalkenes by treatment with carbon tetrabromide in the presence of CuCl. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions to give the target products in good to high yields.     

New highly nucleophilic and practically accessible chlorocarbenoids for carbonyl olefination

[reaction: see text] Direct oxidative addition of CHCl3 to the Mg-TiCl4 bimetallic species resulted in the generation of a highly nucleophilic and practically convenient chloromethylenetitanium complex, which efficiently effected condensation even with enolizable or inert carbonyl compounds, such as sterically congested ketones, to provide vinyl chloride compounds.     

Studies on ylides: exclusive carbonyl olefination with semistabilized arsonium ylides

The reactions of some semistabilized arsonium ylides with 9-anthrones and 9-anthraldehyde give 9-arylidene-10-hydroanthracenes, 9-arylidene-2-chloro-10-hydroanthracenes and 1-aryl-2-(9-anthryl)ethylenes, respectively. IR and NMR spectral data of the products are reported.     

Preparation of silyl polyenol ethers by carbonyl olefination of silyl esters

Silyl enol ethers were produced by the carbonyl olefination of silyl esters with titanium carbene complexes generated by the desulfurizative titanation of thioacetals. The regioselective preparation of silyl dienol and trienol ethers has been achieved by using unsaturated silyl esters and thioacetals.     

Catalytic olefination of carbonyl compounds. Effect of the structure of the carbonyl compound on the reaction

The mechanism of the novel reaction of catalytic olefination of carbonyl compounds was studied. The reaction involves the transformation of hydrazones of aromatic aldehydes and ketones into the corresponding dichloroalkenes and symmetrical azines by the treatment with carbon tetrachloride in the presence of CuCl as a catalyst. The stability of intermediate diazoalkanes is the main factor determining the direction of the reaction. In the case of sufficiently stable diazoalkanes, other products can be formed under the reaction conditions along with the products of catalytic olefination.     

Dendritic ruthenium porphyrins: a new class of highly selective catalysts for alkene epoxidation and cyclopropanation

Attachment of Fréchet-type poly(benzyl ether) dendrons [G-n] to carbonylruthenium(II) meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (5) using covalent etheric bonds forms a series of dendritic ruthenium(II) porphyrins 5-[G-n](m) (m=4, n=1, 2; m=8, n=0-2). The attachment was realized by treating the carbonylruthenium(II) complex of 5,10,15,20- tetrakis(4'-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin or 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(3',5'-dihydroxyphenyl)porphyrin with [G-n]OSO(2)Me in refluxing dry acetone in the presence of potassium carbonate and [18]crown-6. Complexes 5-[G-n](m) were characterized by UV/Vis, IR, and NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. All of the dendritic ruthenium porphyrins are highly selective catalysts for epoxidation of alkenes with 2,6-dichloropyridine N-oxide (Cl(2)pyNO). The chemo- or diastereoselectivity increases with the generation number of the dendron and the number of dendrons attached to 5, and complex 5-[G-2](8) exhibits remarkable selectivity or turnover number in catalyzing the Cl(2)pyNO epoxidation of a variety of alkene substrates including styrene, trans-/cis-stilbene, 2,2-dimethylchromene, cyclooctene, and unsaturated steroids such as cholesteryl esters and estratetraene derivative. The cyclopropanation of styrene and its para-substituted derivatives with ethyl diazoacetate catalyzed by 5-[G-2](8) is highly trans selective.     

Conversions between metal-ligand multiple bond (MLMB) types: carbonyl olefination and other applications

In this Perspective, methods for the direct conversion of one type of metal-ligand multiple bond (MLMB) to another are discussed. Of particular interest, because of their potential utility in organic synthesis, are examples of direct conversion of N- and O-based MLMB to alkylidenes and alkylidynes. Recent efforts in this area from our laboratory with some background are detailed. The research from our group involves metallacycles prepared directly from an imido ligand where a metal-carbon bond can have alkylidene-like or alkyl-like properties and reactivity depending on the ancillary ligands.     

Novel chiral diimines and diamines derived from sugars in copper-catalysed asymmetric cyclopropanation

New chiral diimino and diamino ligands derived from α-d-mannose and α-d-glucose are described. The ligands are obtained by introducing the appropriate nitrogen functions at C(2) and C(3) of the sugar rings. The ability of the new chelates to promote the asymmetric copper(I)-catalysed cyclopropanation of styrene has been investigated. The nature of both the sugars and the chelates is crucial in determining the enantioselectivity of the reaction.     

Fragmentation of carbonyl oxides by N-oxides: an improved approach to alkene ozonolysis

[Structure: see text] Ozonolysis of alkenes in the presence of amine N-oxides results in the direct formation of aldehydes. This reaction, which appears to involve an unprecedented trapping and fragmentation of the short-lived carbonyl oxide intermediates, avoids the hazards associated with generation and isolation of ozonides or other peroxide products.     

Catalytic olefination of carbonyl compounds. A new versatile method for the synthesis of alkenes

The review is devoted to a new catalytic olefination reaction (COR) discovered by the authors. This is the reaction between N-unsubstituted hydrazones of carbonyl compounds with dihalides CHal₂XY in the presence of copper(i) chloride to give substituted alkenes. Catalytic olefination is versatile. Variation of the carbonyl and olefinating components opens up the way for the synthesis of various classes of unsaturated compounds including those containing functional groups. The reaction mechanism is discussed and a catalytic cycle describing the process is proposed. A model for estimating and predicting the reactivity of halogen-containing compounds in the COR is developed. The relationship between the structure of the carbonyl substrates and their behavior in the title reaction is elucidated.     

Preparation of enol ethers by carbonyl olefination utilizing an alkoxymethyl chloride-titanocene(II) system

Aldehydes, ketones, esters and lactones are transformed into enol ethers or 1,2-dialkoxy-1-alkenes by treatment with organotitanium species prepared from alkoxymethyl chlorides and a titanocene(II) complex.     

Differentiation of electrophilic and ambiphilic carbenes

Comparative selectivities toward alkenes of CH₃CCl, CCl₂, and CH₃OCCl establish the former two carbenes as electrophiles; the latter is an ambiphile.     

Bidentate carbenoid ester coordination in ruthenium(II) Schiff-base complexes leading to excellent levels of diastereo- and enantioselectivity in catalytic alkene cyclopropanation

Exceptionally high stereoselectivity (ee < or = 98%, dr < or = 99:1) in the cyclopropanation of alkenes with ethyl diazoacetate using a non-planar ruthenium(II) Schiff-base precatalyst is a result of eta 2C,O binding of the carbenoid ester intermediate, according to DFT calculations.