Acceleration effect of allylic hydroxy group on ring-closing enyne metathesis of terminal alkynes: scope and application to the synthesis of isofagomine

An interesting allylic substituent effect on ring-closing enyne metathesis has been found. An allylic hydroxy group on enyne substrates accelerates ring-closing enyne metathesis of terminal alkynes. The reaction proceeds smoothly without ethylene atmosphere and/or more reactive newer generation Ru-carbene catalysts, which are generally necessary to promote the reaction. This efficient reaction was applied to the synthesis of isofagomine.     

Mechanistic insights into ring-closing enyne metathesis with the second-generation Grubbs-Hoveyda catalyst: a DFT study

The full catalytic process (precatalyst activation, propagating cycle and active-species interconversion) of the ring-closing enyne metathesis (RCEYM) reaction of 1-allyloxy-2-propyne with the Grubbs-Hoveyda complex as catalyst was studied by B3LYP density functional theory. Both the ene-then-yne and yne-then-ene pathways are considered and, for the productive catalytic cycle, the feasibility of the endo-yne-then-ene route is also explored. Calculations predict that the ene-then-yne and yne-then-ene pathways proceed through equivalent steps, the only major difference being the order in which they take place. In this way, all alkene metathesis processes studied here involve four steps: olefin coordination, cycloaddition, cycloreversion and olefin decoordination. Among them, the two more energetically demanding ones are the olefin coordination and decoordination steps. The reaction of the alkyne fragment consists of two steps: alkyne coordination and alkyne skeletal reorganization, the latter of which has the highest Gibbs energy barrier. Comparison between the ene-then-yne and yne-then-ene pathways shows that there is no clear energetic preference for either of the two processes, and thus both should be operative when unsubstituted enynes are involved. In addition, although the endo orientation is computed to be slightly disfavored, it is not ruled out for 1-allyloxy-2-propyne, and thus calculations seem to indicate that the exo versus endo selectivity is strongly influenced by the presence of substituents in the reagent.     

Ring‐Closing Metathesis Reactions: Interpretation of Conversion–Time Data

Conversion–time data were recorded for various ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) reactions that lead to five‐ or six‐membered cyclic olefins by using different precatalysts of the Hoveyda type. Slowly activated precatalysts were found to produce more RCM product than rapidly activated complexes, but this comes at the price of slower product formation. A kinetic model for the analysis of the conversion–time data was derived, which is based on the conversion of the precatalyst (Pcat) into the active species (Acat), with the rate constant k_act, followed by two parallel reactions: 1) the catalytic reaction, which utilizes Acat to convert reactants into products, with the rate k_cat, and 2) the conversion of Acat into the inactive species (Dcat), with the rate k_dec. The calculations employ two experimental parameters: the concentration of the substrate (c(S)) at a given time and the rate of substrate conversion (?dc(S)/dt). This provides a direct measure of the concentration of Acat and enables the calculation of the pseudo‐first‐order rate constants k_act, k_cat, and k_dec and of k_S (for the RCM conversion of the respective substrate by Acat). Most of the RCM reactions studied with different precatalysts are characterized by fast k_cat rates and by the k_dec value being greater than the k_act value, which leads to quasistationarity for Acat. The active species formed during the activation step was shown to be the same, regardless of the nature of different Pcats. The decomposition of Acat occurs along two parallel pathways, a unimolecular (or pseudo‐first‐order) reaction and a bimolecular reaction involving two ruthenium complexes. Electron‐deficient precatalysts display higher rates of catalyst deactivation than their electron‐rich relatives. Slowly initiating Pcats act as a reservoir, by generating small stationary concentrations of Acat. Based on this, it can be understood why the use of different precatalysts results in different substrate conversions in olefin metathesis reactions.     

Total synthesis of cyclic diterpene tonantzitlolone based on a highly stereoselective substrate-controlled aldol reaction and ring-closing metathesis

The total synthesis of the cyclic diterpene ent-tonantzitlolone (ent-1) is presented. Key steps for assembling the macrocyclic core structure of 1 are a highly selective aldol reaction and an E selective ring-closing metathesis reaction. A detailed investigation of these two steps and the final transformations towards the completion of the synthesis is disclosed.     

Unprecedented ROMP activity of low-valent rhenium-nitrosyl complexes: Mechanistic evaluation of an electrophilic olefin metathesis system

The reaction of [Re(H)(NO)2(PR3)2] complexes (1 a: R = PCy3; 1 b: R = PiPr3) with [H(OEt2)2][BAr(F)4] ([BAr(F)4] = tetrakis{3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl}borate) in benzene at room temperature gave the corresponding cations [Re(NO)2(PR3)2][BAr(F)4] (2 a and 2 b). The addition of phenyldiazomethane to benzene solutions of 2 a and 2 b afforded the moderately stable cationic rhenium(I)-benzylidene-dinitrosyl-bis(trialkyl)phosphine complexes 3 a and 3 b as [BAr(F)4]- salts in good yields. The complexes 2 a and 2 b catalyze the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of highly strained nonfunctionalized cyclic olefins to give polymers with relatively high polydispersity indices, high molecular weights and over 80 % Z configuration of the double bonds in the chain backbone. However, these complexes do not show metathesis activity with acyclic olefins. The benzylidene derivatives 3 a and 3 b are almost inactive in ROMP catalysis with norbornene and in olefin metathesis. NMR experiments gave the first hints of the initial formation of carbene complexes from [Re(NO)2(PR3)2][BAr(F)4] (2 a and 2 b) and norbornene. In a detailed mechanistic study ESI-MS/MS measurements provided further evidence that the carbene formation is initiated by a unique reaction sequence where the cleavage of the strained olefinic bond starts with phosphine migration forming a cyclic ylide-carbene complex, capable of undergoing metathesis with alternating rhenacyclobutane formation and cycloreversion reactions ("ylide" route). However, even at an early stage the ROMP propagation route is expected to merge into an "iminate" route by attack by the ylide function on one of the N(NO) atoms followed by phosphine oxide elimination. The formation of phosphine oxide was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy. The proposed mechanism is supported further by detailed DFT calculations.     

Effects of allylic and homoallylic substituents on the ring closing metathesis reaction used to synthesise simplified eleuthesides

During the course of our synthetic studies towards simplified eleuthesides, we have found that p-methoxyphenyl (PMP) protected allylic alcohols are compatible with the RCM reaction and can give better yields than the corresponding free allylic alcohols.     

New synthesis of carbazole-1,4-quinone using a tandem ring-closing metathesis and dehydrogenation reaction under oxygen atmosphere, and its application to the synthesis of murrayaquinone A

A tandem ring-closing metathesis and dehydrogenation reaction under oxygen atmosphere was newly developed to the synthesis of carbazole-1,4-quinones. This new tandem reaction was applied to the synthesis of murrayaquinone A in four steps.     

A simple and efficient approach to 1,3-polyols: application to the synthesis of cryptocarya diacetate

A highly enantio- and stereoselective synthetic strategy for both syn- and anti-1,3-polyols has been developed. The sequence involves iterative Jacobsen's hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR), diastereoselective iodine-induced electrophilic cyclization, and ring-closing metathesis (RCM). This protocol has subsequently been utilized for the synthesis of cryptocarya diacetate, a natural product with broad range of biological activity.     

Acceleration effect of N‐allyl group on thermally induced ring‐opening polymerization of 1,3‐benzoxazine

Thermally induced ring‐opening polymerization of monofunctional N‐allyl‐1,3‐benzoxazine 1a was compared with that of N‐(n‐propyl)‐1,3‐benzoxazine 1b to clarify an unexpected effect of allyl group to promote the polymerization, that is, in spite of the comparable bulkiness of allyl group to n‐propyl group, the polymerization of 1a was much faster than that of 1b . Such a difference in polymerization rate was also observed similarly in the comparison of thermally induced polymerization of a bifunctional N‐allyl‐benzoxazine 2a with that of a bifunctional N‐(n‐propyl) analogue 2b . These observations implied a certain contribution of an electron‐rich C? C double bond of the N‐ally group to promotion of the ring‐opening reaction of 1,3‐benzoxazine into the corresponding zwitterionic species, which would involve a mechanism to stabilize the cationic part of the zwitterionic species based on “neighboring group participation” of the C? C double bond. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Brevetoxin A: Unified Strategy for the B,E, G,and J Subunits

Brevetoxin A is a decacyclic ladder toxin that possesses 5‐, 6‐, 7‐, 8‐, and 9‐membered oxacycles, as well as 22 tetrahedral stereocenters. Herein, we describe a unified approach to the B, E, G, and J rings based upon a ring‐closing metathesis strategy from the corresponding dienes. The enolate technologies developed in our laboratory allowed access to the precursor acyclic dienes for the B, E, and G medium‐ring ethers. The strategies developed for the syntheses of these four monocycles ultimately provided multigram quantities of each of the rings, supporting our efforts toward the completion of a convergent synthesis of brevetoxin A.     

Alpha,beta-unsaturated delta-lactones from copper-catalyzed asymmetric vinylogous Mukaiyama reactions of aldehydes: scope and mechanistic insights

A direct regio-, diastereo-, and enantiocontrolled access to alpha,beta-unsaturated delta-lactones is described, based on the reaction of a silyl dienolate and an aldehyde in the presence of 10 % of Carreira's catalyst. The scope and limitations of this reaction, as well as mechanistic insights concerning the reactivity of an allyl copper species, are discussed.     

On the mechanisms of degenerate ligand exchange in [M(CH(3))](+)/CH(4) Couples (M=Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt) as explored by mass spectrometric and computational studies: oxidative addition/reductive elimination versus sigma-complex-assisted metathesis

The degenerate ligand exchange in [M(CH(3))](+)/CH(4) couples occurs in the gas phase at room temperature for M=Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, and Pt, whereas the complexes containing Fe and Co are unreactive. Details of hydrogen-atom scrambling versus direct ligand switch have been uncovered by labeling experiments with CD(4) and (13)CH(4), respectively. The reactivity scale ranges from unreactive (M=Fe, Co) or inefficient (M=Ni, Pd) to moderately (M=Ru) and rather reactive (M=Rh, Pt). Quite extensive, but not complete, H/D exchange between the hydrogen atoms of the incoming and outgoing methyl groups is observed for M=Pt, whereas for M=Ni and Pd a predominantly direct ligand switch prevails. DFT calculations performed at the B3LYP level of theory account well for the thermal nonreactivity of the Fe and Co couples. For [Ni[CH(3))](+)/CH(4), a sigma-complex-assisted metathesis (sigma-CAM) is operative such that, in a two-state reactivity (TSR) scenario, two spin flips between the (3)A ground and (1)A excited states take place at the entrance and exit channels of the encounter complexes. For M=Ru and Rh, only oxidative addition/reductive elimination (OA/RE) is favored energetically, and the reaction is confined to the electronic ground states (3)A and (2)A. In contrast, for the [Pd(CH(3))](+)/CH(4) system, on the (1)A ground-state potential-energy surface both the OA/RE and sigma-CAM variants are energetically comparable, and the small reaction efficiency for the ligand switch is reflected in transition states located energetically close to the reactants. For the [M(CH(3))](+)/CH(4) complexes of the 5d elements, the sigma-CAM mechanism does not play a role. For M=Pt, the energetically most favored path proceeds in a spin-conserving manner on the (1)A potential-energy surface, which accounts for the extensive single and double hydrogen-atom exchange preceding ligand exchange. Although for M=Os and Ir the [M(CH(3))](+) complexes could not be generated experimentally, computational studies predict that both systems may undergo thermal reaction with CH(4), and an OA/RE mechanism will commence on the respective high-spin ground states; however, the bond-activation and ligand-exchange steps will occur on the excited low-spin surfaces in a TSR scenario.     

Acceleration effect of five‐membered cyclic dithiocarbonate on an epoxy–amine curing system

A bifunctional cyclic five‐membered dithiocarbonate (DTC), having a bisphenol A structure, was found to be an effective accelerator for a epoxy–amine curing system comprised of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and amine‐terminated polypropylene glycol. The acceleration effect was evaluated by monitoring the time‐dependence of the storage modulus of the reaction mixture with a dynamic mechanical analyzer. The reactions involved in the curing system were investigated in detail by performing a series of model reactions using the corresponding monofunctional monomers. This investigation revealed that (1) DTC reacted with amine rapidly, (2) the reaction afforded the corresponding adduct having a thiourethane and thiol moieties, and (3) the thiol reacted rapidly with epoxide. The thiourethane moiety incorporated into the resulting adduct effectively catalyzed the reaction of epoxide and amine, and this catalysis was the predominant mechanism for the acceleration effect arisen by the addition of DTC. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4606–4611, 2007