Head-to-tail dimerization of acrylates catalyzed by iridium complexes

Head-to-tail dimerizations of acrylates and vinyl ketone were successfully performed by the use of iridium complexes in good yields. An iridium hydride complex generated in situ from [IrCl(cod)]2 and alcohols in the presence of Na2CO3 and (MeO)3P was found to be an active species promoting the head-to-tail dimerization of acrylates. Thus, butyl acrylate afforded the corresponding head-to-tail dimer in 86% yield.     

Direct observation of aldehyde insertion into rhodium-aryl and -alkoxide complexes

Several organorhodium(I) complexes of the general formula (PPh(3))(2)(CO)RhR (R = p-tolyl, o-tolyl, Me) were isolated and were shown to insert aryl aldehydes into the aryl-rhodium(I) bond. Under nonaqueous conditions, these reactions provided ketones in good yield. The stability of the arylrhodium(I) complexes allowed these reactions to be run also in mixtures of THF and water. In this solvent system, diarylmethanols were generated exclusively. Mechanistic studies support the formation of ketone and diarylmethanol by insertion of aldehyde into the rhodium-aryl bond and subsequent beta-hydride elimination or hydrolysis to form diaryl ketone or diarylmethanol products. Kinetic isotope effects and the formation of diarylmethanols in THF/water mixtures are inconsistent with oxidative addition of the acyl carbon-hydrogen bond and reductive elimination to form ketone. Moreover, the intermediate rhodium diarylmethoxide formed from insertion of aldehyde was observed directly during the reaction. Its structure was confirmed by independent synthesis. This complex undergoes beta-hydrogen elimination to form a ketone. This alkoxide also reacts with a second aldehyde to form esters by insertion and subsequent beta-hydrogen elimination. Thus, reactions of arylrhodium complexes with an excess of aldehyde formed esters by a double insertion and beta-hydrogen elimination sequence.     

Palladium(II)-catalyzed oxidation of aldehydes and ketones. 1. Carbonylation of ketones with carbon monoxide catalyzed by palladium(II) chloride in methanol.

Unsubstituted or alkyl-substituted cyclic ketones react with PdCl2 in methanol under a CO atmosphere to give mainly acyclic diesters along with some acyclic chloro-substituted monoesters. The monosubstituted cyclic ketones, 2-hydroxy- and 2-methoxycyclohexanone, do not give ring cleavage but rather produce 2-(carbomethoxy)cyclohex-2-en-1-one. 13CO labeling experiments indicate one CO is inserted in forming the diester product so the second ester group must arise from the original ketone group. Two mechanisms are possible for the diester reaction. One involves initial Pd(II)-CO2CH3 insertion across the double bond of the enol form of the ketone while the second involves initial addition of Pd(II)-OCH3 followed by CO insertion into the new Pd(II)-carbon bond formed. Pd(II) elimination and acid-catalyzed ring cleavage produce the second methyl ester group in both routes. The chloro-substituted monoester is formed by initial Pd(II)-Cl insertion across the double bond followed by the acid-catalyzed ring cleavage. The 2-(carbomethoxy)cyclohex-2-en-1-one must result from elimination of water or methanol from the alpha-ketoester product formed by the initial methoxycarbonylation of the enol form of the ketone. As expected, the acyclic ketone, 2-decanone, formed methyl acetate and a mixture of methyl nonanoate and 1-chlorooctane as products.     

Rhodium-catalyzed 1,4-addition of terminal alkynes to vinyl ketones

The metal complex Rh(acac)(CO)₂ in the presence of an eqimolar amount of tris(o-methoxyphenyl)phosphine provides a useful catalyst system for the 1,4-addition of alkynes to unsubstituted vinyl ketones. Best yields are obtained when the transformation is performed in benzene at reflux with an excess of vinyl ketone. Both aryl and alkyl substituted alkynes participate in the reaction. Primary alcohols and alkyl chlorides are well tolerated under these reaction conditions. The reaction also proceeds in aqueous solvent mixtures, unlike most organometallic addition reactions.     

Rotational spectroscopy and molecular structure of the 1,1-difluoroethylene-acetylene complex

Fourier transform microwave, rotational spectra in the 6-21 GHz region are obtained for the complex formed between 1,1-difluoroethylene and acetylene, including the normal isotopomer and each singly substituted (13)C species along with complexes derived from commercially available isotopic varieties of acetylene (HCCD, DCCD, and H(13)C(13)CH). Although two possible planar structures are consistent with the rotational constants derived from analysis of the spectra, ab initio calculations, as well as chemical intuition, support only one of the two as the structure of the complex. Nuclear quadrupole coupling constants for D-containing species show no evidence of electric field gradient perturbation and are consistent with the structures obtained from inertial data. The primary interaction between the two molecules is a 2.646(11) A hydrogen bond with acetylene as the donor and a 1,1-difluoroethylene fluorine as the acceptor that forms a 122.41(79) degrees C-Fcdots, three dots, centeredH angle. A secondary interaction between the acetylenic bond and the difluoroethylene hydrogen atom cis to the acceptor fluorine atom causes the hydrogen bond to deviate 53.25(24) degrees from linearity. Structural comparisons with the related complex, 1,1-difluoroethylene-hydrogen chloride [Z. Kisiel et al., J. Chem. Soc., Faraday Trans. 88, 3385 (1992)], suggest that the hydrogen bond in the acetylene complex is weaker, whereas comparisons with vinyl fluoride-acetylene [G. C. Cole and A. C. Legon, Chem. Phys. Lett. 369, 31 (2003)] indicate that the fluorine atoms in 1,1-difluoroethylene are less basic than the one in vinyl fluoride.     

Efficient C-F and C-C activation by a novel N-heterocyclic carbene-nickel(0) complex

The NHC-stabilized complex [Ni2(iPr2Im)4(cod)] (1) was isolated in good yield from the reaction of [Ni(cod)2] with 1,3-diisopropylimidazole-2-ylidene (iPr2Im). Compound 1 is a source of the [Ni(iPr2Im)2] complex fragment in stoichiometric and catalytic transformations. The reactions of 1 with ethylene and CO under atmospheric pressure or with equimolar amounts of diphenylacetylene lead to the compounds [Ni(iPr2Im)2(eta2-C2H4)] (2), [Ni(iPr2Im)2(eta2-C2Ph2)] (3), and [Ni(iPr2Im)2(CO)2] (4) in good yields. In all cases the [Ni(iPr2Im)2] complex fragment is readily transferred without decomposition or fragmentation. In the infrared spectrum of carbonyl complex 4, the CO stretching frequencies are observed at 1847 and 1921 cm(-1), and are significantly shifted to lower wavenumbers compared with other nickel(0) carbonyl complexes of the type [NiL2(CO)2]. Complex 1 activates the C--F bond of hexafluorobenzene very efficiently to give [Ni(iPr2Im)2(F)(C6F5)] (5). Furthermore, [Ni2(iPr2Im)4(cod)] (1) is also an excellent catalyst for the catalytic insertion of diphenylacetylene into the 2,2' bond of biphenylene. The reaction of 1 with equimolar amounts of biphenylene at low temperature leads to [Ni(iPr2Im)2(2,2'-biphenyl)] (6), which is formed by insertion into the strained 2,2' bond. The reaction of diphenylacetylene and biphenylene at 80 degrees C in the presence of 2 mol % of 1 as catalyst yields diphenylphenanthrene quantitatively and is complete within 30 minutes.     

Double bond shifts induced by reaction of hex-5-en-2-one with triosmium clusters

Carbon---hydrogen bond cleavage at the terminal 6-position occurs when hex-5-en-2-one (CH₂=CHCH₂CH₂COMe) oxidatively adds to [Os₃(CO)₁₀(MeCN)₂] to give [Os₃H(μ-CH=CHCH₂CH₂COMe)(CO)₁₀], which is completely analogous to the simple vinyl complex [Os₃H(μ-CH=CH₂)(CO)₁₀]. A minor product from the reaction is [Os₃(CH₃CH=CHCH₂COMe)(CO)₁₀], an isomer in which double-bond migration has occurred to give the βγ-unsaturated ketone; stabilisation occurs through chelation and ketone coordination. [Os₃H₂(CO)₁₀] reacts with CH₂=CHCH₂CH₂COMe in refluxing cyclohexane to give a third isomer, [Os₃H(CH₃CH₂C=CHCOMe)(CO)₁₀], in which further double bond migration has occurred to give the β-unsaturated ketone. Metallation at the β-site gives an Os---C bond as part of a 5-membered chelate ring. Thermolysis of each of the three isomeric decarbonyl species in refluxing cyclohexane or heptane leads to the elimination of an Os(CO)₄ group to give the dinuclear compound [Os₂H(EtC=CHCOMe)(CO)₆] in varying yield. Pathways from γδ to the βγ and finally the β unsaturated ketones may be mapped out.     

New reactions of alkynes with ketones in superbasic media

The present work reviews new reactions of alkynes with ketones in the superbasic media MOH—DMSO (M = Na, K, Cs) and KOBu^t—DMSO: the stereoselective nucleophilic addition of deprotonated ketones to the triple bond to form the E-isomers of β,γ-enones; vinylation of tertiary acetylenic alcohols that formed in situ from acetylene and ketones; the direct synthesis of vinyl ethers of tertiary acetylenic alcohols from acetylene and ketones; the stereoselective synthesis of dispirocyclic ketals containing the Z-ethylene fragment from arylalkynes and two molecules of a cyclic ketone; the stereoselective cascade synthesis of hexahydroazulenones from two arylalkyne molecules and 2-alkylcyclohexanones; the stereoselective cascade assembly of 7-methylidene-6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octanes from two acetylene molecules and two ketone molecules; the stereoselective cascade synthesis of 7-methylidene-6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octanes from acetylenes and 1,5-diketones; and the three-component cascade reaction of acetylene, ketones, and oximes to afford 4-methylidene-3-oxa-1-azabicyclo-[3.1.0]hexanes.     

5-Vinylpyrimidines. Synthesis via organopalladium intermediates

Reactions of 1,3-dimethyl-5-iodouracil or 2,4-dimethoxy-5-iodopyrimidine with vinyl acetate in the presence of a catalytic amount of diacetato-bis (triphenylphosphine) palladium (II) resulted in good yields of the corresponding 5-vinylpyrimidines. The reactions are viewed as resulting from regioselective addition of an initially formed 5-pyrimidinyl palladium species to the double bond of vinyl acetate followed by elimination of a palladium acetate with regeneration of the double bond and formation of the 5-vinylpyrimidine product.     

Some organometallic chemistry of ruthenium(II)

Stoichiometric and catalytic reaction of Ru(II) phosphine complexes with alkynes, olefins, and enynes are described. The hydride complex RuCl(CO)H(PPh₃)₃ (1) reacts with the double bond of a cis-enyne whereas it reacts with triple bonds of trans-enynes. Metathesis of vinyl silanes with olefins are catalyzed by 1 where β-Si elimination is the key step. Dimerizations of ^tBu- and Me₃Si-substituted acetylanes into the corresponding butatrienes are catalyzed by Ru(II) active species as studied by isolation of the intermediates. A model reaction for the crucial step of the catalytic cycle, formation of a Ru vinylidene complex from acetylene, has been fully simulated by ab initio-MO calculations.     

Kinetics of the addition of electrophilic vinyl reagents on protonated tertiary amines supported by a polymeric chain

Starting from the mechanism of the addition of vinyl methyl ketone to protonated tertiary polyamine, we examined the kinetics of addition of acrylic acid, acrylamide and methyl acrylate to P4VP in the presence of HBr. The reactivities depend on the electrophilic character of the double bond; the kinetics of addition of vinyl methyl ketone to poly(2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine), poly(2-vinylpyridine), poly(2-vinylquinoline) and poly(dimethylaminostyrene) in the presence of HBr depend essentially on the steric hindrance of the tertiary amine.     

X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of oxygen‐containing polymer [poly(vinyl methyl ether), poly(vinyl methyl ketone), and poly(methyl methacrylate)] surfaces metalized by vacuum‐deposited nickel

Surfaces of poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME), poly(vinyl methyl ketone) (PVMK), and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were covered with different thicknesses of nickel with a metal‐vapor‐condensation method, and the metal–polymer interfaces were analyzed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In the very first steps of the metalization, it was found that a systematic degradation of the polymer surface occurs through CO or CO₂ losses, depending on the polymer functionalities. Then, at the interface with the polymer, the condensed metal reacts by oxidization with the oxygen atoms that are still available after the surface degradation. Nickel oxide is then formed at the interface, whatever the nature of the initial polymer functional group. These new oxide species are not chemically bonded to the polymer structure, and their formation is not affected by the type of bond existing between oxygen and carbon atoms in the original polymer. Finally, the accumulation of metal on the substrate induces an amorphization of the polymer carbon structure because thermal energy is transferred from the metal coating to the polymer. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 82–94, 2002     

Intramolecular cyanoboration of alkynes via activation of boron-cyanide bonds by transition metal catalysts

Cyano(dialkylamino)boryl ethers of homopropargylic alcohols undergo intramolecular addition of a B-CN bond across their carbon-carbon triple bonds (cyanoboration) in the presence of palladium and nickel catalysts, furnishing five-membered cyclic boryl ethers regioselectively in good yields via 5-exo cyclization. The products were transformed into highly substituted α,β-unsaturated nitriles via Suzuki-Miyaura coupling to aryl iodides, rhodium-catalyzed conjugative addition to methyl vinyl ketone, and rhodium-catalyzed protodeborylation.     

Rearrangement of allyl homoallyl ethers to gamma,delta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds catalyzed by iridium complexes

Iridium complexes were found to promote the conversion of allyl homoallyl ethers to gamma,delta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. For example, treatment of 1-allyl-1-allyloxycyclohexane in the presence of catalytic amounts of [Ir(cod)Cl](2), PCy(3), and Cs(2)CO(3) in toluene at 100 degrees C afforded 4-cyclohexyliden-2, 3-dimethylbutanal in 74% yield. The reaction presumably proceeds through double bond migration to allyl vinyl ethers, which then undergo the Claisen rearrangement.     

Catalyzed intramolecular olefin insertion into a carbon-carbon single bond

Intramolecular insertion of a C-C double bond into a C-C single bond was achieved by treatment of cyclobutanone bearing an o-styryl group at the 3-position with a catalytic amount of a cationic rhodium(I)-dppp complex. Initially, rhodium is inserted between the carbonyl carbon and the alpha-carbon of the cyclobutanone. Intramolecular coordination of the vinyl group results in its migratory insertion into the C-Rh linkage. Reductive elimination affords benzobicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-one. Notably, a ring-opened alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone was obtained when dppe was used instead of dppp. In this reaction, rhodium cleaved the bond between the alpha sp3 carbon and the beta sp3 carbon of the cyclobutanone. The coordinating vinyl group directs this new regioselectivity of cleavage observed with the dppe ligand.     

Sigma-organyl complexes of ruthenium and osmium supported by a mixed-donor ligand

A series of vinyl, aryl, acetylide and silyl complexes [Ru(R)(kappa2-MI)(CO)(PPh3)2] (R = CH=CH2, CH=CHPh, CH=CHC6H4CH3-4, CH=CH(t)Bu, CH=2OH, C(C triple bond CPh)=CHPh, C6H5, C triple bond CPh, SiMe2OEt; MI = 1-methylimidazole-2-thiolate) were prepared from either [Ru(R)Cl(CO)(PPh3)2] or [Ru(R)Cl(CO)(BTD)(PPh3)2](BTD = 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole) by reaction with the nitrogen-sulfur mixed-donor ligand, 1-methyl-2-mercaptoimidazole (HMI), in the presence of base. In the same manner, [Os(CH=CHPh)(kappa2-MI)(CO)(PPh3)2] was prepared from [Os(CH=CHPh)(CO)Cl(BTD)(PPh3)2]. The in situ hydroruthenation of 1-ethynylcyclohexan-1-ol by [RuH(CO)Cl(BTD)(PPh3)2] and subsequent addition of the HMI ligand and excess sodium methoxide yielded the dehydrated 1,3-dienyl complex [Ru(CH=CHC6H9)(kappa2-MI)(CO)(PPh3)2]. Dehydration of the complex [Ru(CH=CHCPh2OH)(kappa2-MI)(CO)(PPh3)2] with HBF4 yielded the vinyl carbene [Ru(=CHCH=CPh2)(kappa2-MI)(CO)(PPh3)2]BF4. The hydride complexes [MH(kappa2-MI)(CO)(PPh3)2](M = Ru, Os) were obtained from the reaction of HMI and KOH with [RuHCl(CO)(PPh3)3] and [OsHCl(CO)(BTD)(PPh3)2], respectively. Reaction of [Ru(CH=CHC6H4CH3-4)(kappa2-MI)(CO)(PPh3)2] with excess HC triple bond CPh leads to isolation of the acetylide complex [Ru(C triple bond CPh)(kappa2-MI)(CO)(PPh3)2], which is also accessible by direct reaction of [Ru(C triple bond CPh)Cl(CO)(BTD)(PPh3)2] with 1-methyl-2-mercaptoimidazole and NaOMe. The thiocarbonyl complex [Ru(CPh = CHPh)Cl(CS)(PPh3)2] reacted with HMI and NaOMe without migration to yield [Ru(CPh= CHPh)(kappa2-MI)(CS)(PPh3)2], while treatment of [Ru(CH=CHPh)Cl(CO)2(PPh3)2] with HMI yielded the monodentate acyl product [Ru{eta(1)-C(=O)CH=CHPh}(kappa2-MI)(CO)(PPh3)2]. The single-crystal X-ray structures of five complexes bearing vinyl, aryl, acetylide and dienyl functionality are reported.     

Highly stereocontrolled synthesis of [3.3.3] propellane sesquiterpenes. ( ± )-Modhephene and (±)-epimodhephene

Stereospecific total synthesis of (±)-modhephene (2) and (±)-epimodhephene (3) are reported. Conjugate addition of 1-trimethylsilyl-1-butyn-4-yl cuprate (BF₃-etherate catalysis) to bicyclic ketone 6, fluoride ion-promoted deblocking of the terminal acetylene, and ene reaction, gave tricyclic enone 11. Sequential Wittig methylenation, regiocontrolled epoxidation, and Lewis acid catalyzed isomerization afforded ketone 14 whose double bond relocation and Wolff-Kishner reduction led exclusively to 2. In a still shorter route to 3, 3-butenyl cuprate addition to 6 was utilized to gain access to 7. Thermolysis of this intermediate, methylenation, and double bond isomerization were found to deliver pure 3 successfully.     

C-H bond activation by hyperconjugation with Al-C bonds and by chelating coordination of the hydride ion

On treating di(tert-butyl)butadiyne with dimethylaluminum hydride under different reaction conditions two unprecedented organoelement compounds, containing cationic carbon atoms stable in solution at room temperature, were obtained. A vinyl cation (2) in which the cationic carbon atom is part of a C=C double bond was produced from 3 equiv of the hydride, whereas a large excess of the hydride yielded an aliphatic carbocation (3) by complete hydroalumination of all C-C multiple bonds. Each compound is zwitterionic with the hydride counterion effectively coordinated in a chelating manner by two strongly Lewis acidic aluminum atoms. In agreement with quantum-chemical calculations the C-H bond activation and the stabilization of the cationic species are further supported by a strong hyperconjugation with Al-C single bonds. This considerably diminishes the effective positive charge at the respective cationic carbon atoms.     

Conjugate additions of cyclic oxygen-bound nickel enolates to alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones

The reaction of nickel enolates displaying a metallacyclic structure with the alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) or methyl propenyl ketone (MPK) takes place in two stages, affording initially bicyclic adducts, which subsequently isomerize to the corresponding open-chain products. The former are generated with high stereoselectivity and can be considered as the products of the [2+4] cycloaddition of the enolate to the enone. The ring opening process involves a prototropic rearrangement that can be catalyzed by water. In the case of the reaction of the parent nickel enolate complex 1 (which displays an unsubstituted Ni-O=C(R)CH2 arrangement) with MVK, a double-addition process has been observed, consisting of two successive cycloaddition/isomerization reactions. The carbonylation of the different cyclic and noncyclic products affords the corresponding lactones that retain the stereochemistry of the organometallic precursors. This methodology allowed trapping the primary product of the reaction of 1 with MPK as the corresponding organic lactone, demonstrating that the cycloaddition process takes place with exo selectivity. DFT modeling of the latter reaction provides further support for a quasi-concerted cycloaddition mechanism, displaying a nonsymmetric transition state in which the C-C and the C-O bond are formed in an asynchronous manner.     

Rhenium-catalyzed formation of indene frameworks via C-H bond activation: [3+2] annulation of aromatic aldimines and acetylenes

A rhenium complex, [ReBr(CO)3(thf)]2, catalyzes the reaction of an aromatic aldimine with an acetylene to give an indene derivative in a quantitative yield. The reaction proceeds via C-H bond activation, insertion of the acetylene, intramolecular nucleophilic cyclization, and reductive elimination. In contrast to ruthenium and rhodium catalysts, which are usually employed in this type of reaction, the rhenium catalyst promotes the intramolecular nucleophilic cyclization of the alkenylmetal species generated by insertion of the acetylene.