Selective catalytic sp3 C-O bond cleavage with C-N bond formation in 3-alkoxy-1-propanols

The ruthenium catalyzed selective sp(3) C-O cleavage with amide formation was reported in reactions of 3-alkoxy-1-propanol derivatives and amines. The cleavage only occurs at the C3-O position even with 3-benzyloxy-1-propanol. Based on the experimental results, O-bound and C-bound Ru enolate complexes were proposed as key intermediates for the unique selective sp(3) C-O bond cleavage in 3-alkoxy-1-propanols.     

One-pot three-component reaction providing 1,5-benzodiazepine derivatives

The novel one-pot three-component reaction of aromatic aldehydes, 1,2-phenylenediamine, and β-keto esters is described. This reaction involves the γ-selective C-C bond formation of β-keto esters and produces 1,5-benzodiazepine derivatives.     

C(arenium)-C(alkyl) bond making and breaking: key process in the platinum-mediated C(aryl)-C(alkyl) bond formation. Analogies to organic electrophilic aromatic substitution

The reaction of cationic platinum aqua complexes 2 [Pt(C(6)H(2)[CH(2)NMe(2)](2)-E-4)(OH(2))](X') (X' = SO(3)CF(3), BF(4)) with alkyl halides RX gave various air-stable arenium complexes 3-5 containing a new C-C bond (R = Me, 3; Et, 4; Bn, 5). Electron-releasing oxo-substituents on the aromatic ligand (E = e.g., OH, b; OMe, c) enhance the reactivity of the aqua complex 2 and were essential for arenium formation from alkyl halides different from MeX. This process is initiated by oxidative addition of alkyl halides to the platinum(II) center of 2, which affords (alkyl)(aryl) platinum(IV) complexes (e.g., 9, alkyl = benzyl) as intermediates. Spectroscopic analyses provided direct evidence for a subsequent reversible 1,2-sigmatropic shift of the alkyl group along the Pt-C(aryl) bond, which is identical to repetitive C(arenium)-C(alkyl) bond making and breaking and concerted metal reduction and oxidation. Temperature-dependent NMR spectroscopy revealed DeltaH degrees = -1.3 (+/- 0.1) kJ mol(-1), DeltaS degrees = +3.8 (+/- 0.2) J mol(-1) K(-1), and DeltaG degrees (298) = -2.4 (+/- 0.1) kJ mol(-1) for the formation of the arenium complex 5b from 9 involving the migration of a benzyl group. The arenium complexes were transformed to cyclohexadiene-type addition products 7 or to demetalated alkyl-substituted arenes, 8, thus completing the platinum-mediated formation of a sp(2)-sp(3) C-C bond which is analogous to the aromatic substitution of a [PtX](+) unit by an alkyl cation R(+). The formation of related trimethylsilyl arenium complexes 6 suggests arenium complexes as key intermediates, not only in (metal-mediated) sp(2)-sp(3) C-C bond making and breaking but also in silyl-directed cyclometalation.     

Bifunctional transition metal-based molecular catalysts for asymmetric syntheses

The discovery and development of conceptually new chiral bifunctional transition metal-based catalysts for asymmetric reactions is described. The chiral bifunctional Ru catalyst was originally developed for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones and imines and is now successfully applicable to enantioselective C-C bond formation reaction with a wide scope and high practicability. The deprotonation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with the chiral amido Ru complexes leading to the amine Ru complexes bearing C- or O-bonded enolates, followed by further reactions with electrophlies gives C-C bond formation products. The present bifunctional Ru catalyst offers a great opportunity to open up new fundamentals for stereoselective molecular transformation including enantioselective C-H and C-C as well as C-O, C-N bond formation.     

Formation of a ruthenium(IV)-oxo complex by electron-transfer oxidation of a coordinatively saturated ruthenium(II) complex and detection of oxygen-rebound intermediates in C-H bond oxygenation

A coordinatively saturated ruthenium(II) complex having tetradentate tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPA) and bidentate 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy), [Ru(TPA)(bpy)](2+) (1), was oxidized by a Ce(IV) ion in H(2)O to afford a Ru(IV)-oxo complex, [Ru(O)(H(+)TPA)(bpy)](3+) (2). The crystal structure of the Ru(IV)-oxo complex 2 was determined by X-ray crystallography. In 2, the TPA ligand partially dissociates to be in a facial tridentate fashion and the uncoordinated pyridine moiety is protonated. The spin state of 2, which showed paramagnetically shifted NMR signals in the range of 60 to -20 ppm, was determined to be an intermediate spin (S = 1) by the Evans' method with (1)H NMR spectroscopy in acetone-d(6). The reaction of 2 with various oraganic substrates in acetonitrile at room temperature afforded oxidized and oxygenated products and a solvent-bound complex, [Ru(H(+)TPA)(bpy)(CH(3)CN)], which is intact in the presence of alcohols. The oxygenation reaction of saturated C-H bonds with 2 proceeds by two-step processes: the hydrogen abstraction with 2, followed by the dissociation of the alcohol products from the oxygen-rebound complexes, Ru(III)-alkoxo complexes, which were successfully detected by ESI-MS spectrometry. The kinetic isotope effects in the first step for the reaction of dihydroanthrathene (DHA) and cumene with 2 were determined to be 49 and 12, respectively. The second-order rate constants of C-H oxygenation in the first step exhibited a linear correlation with bond dissociation energies of the C-H bond cleavage.     

Electron microscopic imaging of a single Group 8 metal atom catalyzing C-C bond reorganization of fullerenes

Heating a bulk sample of [60]fullerene complexes, (η(5)-C(5)H(5))MC(60)R(5) (M = Fe, Ru, R = Me, Ph), produces small hydrocarbons because of coupling of R and C(5)H(5) via C-C and C-H bond activation. Upon observation by transmission electron microscopy, these complexes, encapsulated in single-walled carbon nanotubes, underwent C-C bond reorganization reactions to form new C-C bond networks, including a structure reminiscent of [70]fullerene. Quantitative comparison of the electron dose required to effect the C-C bond reorganization of fullerenes and organofullerenes in the presence of a single atom of Ru, Fe, or Ln and in the the absence of metal atoms indicated high catalytic activity of Ru and Fe atoms, as opposed to no catalytic activity of Ln. Organic molecules such as hydrocarbons and amides as well as pristine [60]fullerene maintain their structural integrity upon irradiation by ca. 100 times higher electron dose compared to the Ru and Fe organometallics. The results not only represent a rare example of direct observation of a single-metal catalysis but also have implications for the use of single metal atom catalysis in Group 8 metal heterogeneous catalysis.     

Synthesis, structure, and electrochemical properties of a family of 2-(arylazo)phenolate complexes of ruthenium with unusual C-C coupling and N=N cleavage

Reaction of 2-(4'-R-phenylazo)-4-methylphenols (R = OCH3, CH3, H, Cl, and NO2) with [Ru(dmso)(4)Cl2]affords a family of five ruthenium(III) complexes, containing a 2-(arylazo)phenolate ligand forming a six-membered chelate ring and a tetradentate ligand formed from two 2-(arylazo)phenols via an unusual C-C coupling linking the two ortho carbons of the phenyl rings in the arylazo fragment. A similar reaction with 2-(2'-methylphenylazo)-4-methylphenol with [Ru(dmso)(4)Cl2] has afforded a similar complex, in which one 2-(2'-methylphenylazo)-4-methylphenolate ligand is coordinated forming a six-membered chelate ring, and the other two ligands have undergone the C-C coupling reaction, and the coupled species is coordinated as a tetradentate ligand forming a five-membered N,O-chelate ring, a nine-membered N,N-chelate ring, and another five-membered chelate ring. Reaction of 2-(2',6'-dimethylphenylazo)-4-methylphenol with [Ru(dmso)(4)Cl2] has afforded a complex in which two 2-(2',6'-dimethylphenylazo)-4-methylphenols are coordinated as bidentate N,O-donors forming five- and six-membered chelate rings, while the third one has undergone cleavage across the N=N bond, and the phenolate fragment, thus generated, remains coordinated to the metal center in the iminosemiquinonate form. Structures of four selected complexes have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The first six complexes are one-electron paramagnetic and show rhombic ESR spectra. The last complex is diamagnetic and shows characteristic 1H NMR signals. All the complexes show intense charge-transfer transitions in the visible region and a Ru(III)-Ru(IV) oxidation on the positive side of SCE and a Ru(III)-Ru(II) reduction on the negative side.     

Cleavage of carbon-carbon bonds of diphenylacetylene and its derivatives via photolysis of Pt complexes: tuning the C-C bond formation energy toward selective C-C bond activation

Carbon-carbon bond activation of diphenylacetylene and several substituted derivatives has been achieved via photolysis and studied. Pt0-acetylene complexes with eta2-coordination of the alkyne, along with the corresponding PtII C-C activated photolysis products, have been synthesized and characterized, including X-ray crystal structural analysis. While the C-C cleavage reaction occurs readily under photochemical conditions, thermal activation of the C-C bonds or formation of PtII complexes was not observed. However, the reverse reaction, C-C reductive coupling (PtII --> Pt0), did occur under thermal conditions, allowing the determination of the energy barriers for C-C bond formation from the different PtII complexes. For the reaction (dtbpe)Pt(-Ph)(-CCPh) (2) --> (dtbpe)Pt(eta2-PhCCPh) (1), DeltaG was 32.03(3) kcal/mol. In comparison, the energy barrier for the C-C bond formation in an electron-deficient system, that is, (dtbpe)Pt(C6F5)(CCC6F5) (6) --> (dtbpe)Pt(eta2-bis(pentafluorophenyl)acetylene) (5), was found to be 47.30 kcal/mol. The energy barrier for C-C bond formation was able to be tuned by electronically modifying the substrate with electron-withdrawing or electron-donating groups. Upon cleavage of the C-C bond in (dtbpe)Pt(eta2-(p-fluorophenyl-p-tolylacetylene) (9), both (dtbpe)Pt(p-fluorophenyl)(p-tolylacetylide) (10) and (dtbpe)Pt(p-tolyl)(p-fluorophenylacetylide) (11) were obtained. Kinetic studies of the reverse reaction confirmed that 10 was more stable toward the reductive coupling [the term "reductive coupling" is defined as the formation of (dtbpe)Pt(eta2-acetylene) complex from the PtII complex] than 11 by 1.22 kcal/mol, under the assumption that the transition-state energies are the same for the two pathways. The product ratio for 10 and 11 was 55:45, showing that the electron-deficient C-C bond is only slightly preferentially cleaved.     

Beyond the chiral pool: a general approach to β-amino-α-keto amides

A simple route was developed for the synthesis of optically enriched β-amino-α-keto amides. The highly diastereoselective addition of alkyl dithiolanecarboxylates to optically enriched sulfinimines affords the corresponding β-amino-α-keto esters in which the ketone carbonyl group is protected as a dithiolane. Amidation of the ester functionality with a primary amine proceeds readily at room temperature. Treatment with HCl cleaves the N-S bond of the sulfinyl group to provide a free amine functionality, which can then be incorporated into a peptide. Removal of the dithiolane protecting group under oxidative conditions proceeds without epimerization as exemplified by a model dipeptide.     

C7 and C9 carbon-rich bridges in diruthenium systems: synthesis, spectroscopic, and theoretical investigations of different oxidation States

Two methodologies of C-C bond formation to achieve organometallic complexes with 7 or 9 conjugated carbon atoms are described. A C7 annelated trans-[Cl(dppe)2Ru=C=C=C-CH=C(CH2)-C[triple bond]C-Ru(dppe)2Cl][X] (X = PF6, OTf) complex is obtained from the diyne trans-[Cl(dppe)2Ru-(C[triple bond]C)2-R] (R = H, SiMe3) in the presence of [FeCp2][PF6] or HOTf, and C7 or C9 complexes trans-[Cl(dppe)2Ru-(C[triple bond]C)n-C(CH3)=C(R1)-C(R2)=C=C=Ru(dppe)2Cl][X] (n = 1, 2; R1 = Me, Ph, R2 = H, Me; X = BF4, OTf) are formed in the presence of a polyyne trans-[Cl(dppe)2Ru-(C[triple bond]C)n-R] (n = 2, 3; R = H, SiMe3) with a ruthenium allenylidene trans-[Cl(dppe)2Ru=C=C=C(CH2R1)R2][X]. These reactions proceed under mild conditions and involve cumulenic intermediates [M+]=(C=)nCHR (n = 3, 5), including a hexapentaenylidene. A combination of chemical, electrochemical, spectroscopic (UV-vis, IR, NIR, EPR), and theoretical (DFT) techniques is used to show the influence of the nature and conformation of the bridge on the properties of the complexes and to give a picture of the electron delocalization in the reduced and oxidized states. These studies demonstrate that the C7 bridging ligand spanning the metal centers by almost 12 angstroms is implicated in both redox processes and serves as a molecular wire to convey the unpaired electron with no tendency for spin localization on one of the halves of the molecules. The reactivity of the C7 complexes toward protonation and deprotonation led to original bis(acetylides), vinylidene-allenylidene, or carbyne-vinylidene species such as trans-[Cl(dppe)2Ru[triple bond]C-CH=C(CH3)-CH=C(CH3)-HC=C=Ru(dppe)2Cl][BF4]3.     

Allenes as carbon nucleophiles in intramolecular attack on (pi-1,3-diene)palladium complexes: evidence for trans carbopalladation of the 1,3-diene

Reaction of allene-substituted cyclohexa- and cyclohepta-1,3-dienes with [PdCl(2)(PhCN)(2)] gave eta(3)-(1,2,3)-cyclohexenyl- and eta(3)-(1,2,3)-cycloheptenylpalladium complexes, respectively, in which C-C bond formation between the allene and the 1,3-diene has occurred. Analysis of the (pi-allyl)palladium complexes by NMR spectroscopy, using reporter ligands, shows that the C-C bond formation has occurred by a trans carbopalladation involving nucleophilic attack by the middle carbon atom of the allene on a (pi-diene)palladium(II) complex. The stereochemistry of the (pi-allyl)palladium complexes was confirmed by benzoquinone-induced stereoselective transformations to allylic acetates.     

Stanna-Brook rearrangement of carboxylic acid derivatives. Synthetic utility and mechanistic studies

[reaction: see text] The reaction of R(3)SnLi with carboxylic acid derivatives proceeds through a novel, very fast stanna-Brook rearrangement that generates alpha-alkoxyorganolithium compounds as intermediates. The outcome of these reactions depends on the nature of the carboxyl derivatives. Reaction of R(3)SnLi with ester derivatives gives rise to coupled products through a novel C-C bond formation reaction. Experimental evidence of the detailed reaction mechanism is provided.     

Why are olefins oxidized by RuO4 under cleavage of the carbon-carbon bond whereas oxidation by OsO4 yields cis-diols?

Quantum chemical calculations using gradient-corrected (B3LYP) density functional theory have been carried out to investigate the mechanism of the oxidative cleavage of alkenes by ruthenium tetraoxide. The initial reaction of the tetraoxide with the olefin occurs via a [3+2] cycloaddition as in the case of osmium tetraoxide. The results clearly show that the bond cleavage does not take place at the primary adduct, but much later in the reaction path. After the formation of the ruthenium(VI)dioxo-2,5-dioxolane, the reaction proceeds with the addition of a second olefin to yield ruthenium(IV)-bis(2,5-dioxolane), which in turn becomes oxidized first to rutheniumoxo(VI)-bis(2,5-dioxolane) 6(Ru) and then to ruthenium(VIII)-dioxo-bis(2,5-dioxolane) 7(Ru). Only in complexes containing the metal center in the formal oxidation state +VIII are low activation barriers for C-C bond cleavage and exothermic formation of carbonyl compounds as products calculated. The lowest activation barrier, DeltaH(++) = 2.5 kcal/mol, is calculated for the C-C bond breaking reaction of 7(Ru) which is predicted as the pivotal intermediate of the oxidation reaction. The calculations of the oxidation reaction with OsO(4) show that those reactions where the oxidation state of the metal increases have larger activation barriers for M = Ru than for M = Os, while reactions which reduce the oxidation state have a lower activation barrier for ruthenium compounds. Also, reactions which increase the oxidation state of the metal are in the case of M = Os more exothermic than for M = Ru. In this work, all important points of the potential energy surface (PES) are reported, and the complete catalytic cycle for the oxidative cleavage of olefins by ruthenium tetraoxide is presented.     

Enantioselective Addition of Diethylzinc to Aldehydes Catalyzed by N-Sulfonylated Amino Alcohols

Asymmetric C-C bond forming reactions are of prime importance in modem synthetic organic chemistry. The use of chiral amino alcohol ligands is widespread in this area.[1] Herein, we describe the synthesis of N-sulfonylated amino alcohols 1～4 and enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes was carried out employing titanium(Ⅳ) complexes 1～4.     

Extending the nitrogen-heterosuperbenzene family: the spectroscopic, redox, and photophysical properties of "half-cyclized" N-1/2HSB and Its Ru(II) complex

Oxidative cyclodehydrogenation is an important process in the formation of the new graphene, N-(1)/(2)HSB 2. This heteropolyaromatic results from the FeCl(3)-catalyzed oxidative cyclodehydrogenation of 1,2-dipyrimidyl-3,4,5,6-tetra-(4-tert-butylphenyl)benzene. Three new C-C bonds are formed that lock the two pyrimidines in a molecular platform comprising eight fused aromatic rings flanked by two remaining "uncyclized" phenyl rings. Mechanistically intriguing is the fact that N-HSB 1, the product of six C-C bond fusions, is co-synthesized with its "half-cyclized" daughter in this reaction. 1 and 2 have the same bidentate N-atom arrangement. This facilitates formation of the heteroleptic Ru(II) complexes, [Ru(bpy)(2)(2)](PF(6))(2) 4 and [Ru(bpy)(2)(1)](PF(6))(2) 3, which differ in the size and planarity of their aromatic ligands. The new ligand 2 and its complex 4 are characterized by (1)H NMR, IR, ESI-MS, and accurate mass methods. 2 exhibits photophysical properties that are consistent with a reduction of the pi/pi framework, a concomitant increase in the energy of the LUMO, and a blue-shift of the solvent-dependent fluorescence (lambda(em) = 474 nm, phi(F) = 0.55, toluene) as compared to its parent. Complex 4 absorbs throughout the visible region and borders on near-IR emitter character, exhibiting a slightly blue-shifted (3)MLCT emission (868 nm, CH(3)CN) as compared to that of [Ru(bpy)(2)(1)](PF(6))(2) 3 (880 nm, CH(3)CN). Electrochemical analyses permit further elucidation of the intermolecular interactions of 3 and 4. These and the concentration and temperature-dependent NMR spectra of 4 confirm it to be nonaggregating, a direct result of the two uncyclized and rotatable phenyl rings in 2.     

A combined DFT and NMR investigation of the zinc organometallic intermediate proposed in the syn-selective tandem chain extension-aldol reaction of β-keto esters

The tandem chain extension-aldol (TCA) reaction of β-keto esters provides an α-substituted γ-keto ester with an average syn:anti selectivity of 10:1. It is proposed that the reaction proceeds via a carbon-zinc bound organometallic intermediate potentially bearing mechanistic similarity to the Reformatsky reaction. Evidence, derived from control Reformatsky reactions and a study of the structure of the TCA intermediate utilizing DFT methods and NMR spectroscopy, suggests the γ-keto group of the TCA intermediate plays a significant role in diastereoselectivity observed in this reaction. Such coordination effects have design implications for future zinc mediated reactions.     

Reactions of Ruthenium–Allenylidene Complexes Tethering a Cyclopropyl Group

Two cyclopropyl allenylidene complexes [Ru]=CCC(R)(C₃H₅) ([Ru]=[RuCp(PPh₃)₂], Cp=Cyclopentadienyl; R=thiophene ( 2a ) and R=Ph ( 2b )) are prepared from the reactions of [Ru]Cl with the corresponding 1‐cyclopropyl‐2‐propyn‐1‐ol in the presence of KPF₆. Thermal treatment, halide‐anion addition, and palladium‐catalyzed reactions of 2a and 2b all lead to a ring expansion of the cyclopropyl group, giving the vinylidene complexes 4a and 4b , respectively, each with a five‐membered ring. This ring expansion proceeds by C C bond formation between Cβ of the cumulative double bond and a methylene group of the cyclopropyl ring. In the reaction of 2a with pyrrole, consecutive formation of two C C bonds, one between C‐2 of pyrrole and Cγ of 2a and the other between C‐3 of pyrrole and Cα, results in the formation of 6a . The reaction proceeds by addition of pyrrole and 1,3‐proton shifts. The hydrogenation of 2a by NaBH₄ is carried out in different solvents. The cumulative double bonds are reduced regioselectively to give a mixture of 7a and 8a . Interestingly, use of different solvents leads to different ratios of 7a and 8a . Presence of a protic solvent like methanol in dichloromethane or chloroform solution increases the yield of 8a , thus revealing that both the rates of hydroboration and deboronation increase. The structures of two new complexes 4a and 6a have been firmly established by X‐ray diffraction analysis.     

Direct observation of the oxidative addition of the aryl carbon-oxygen bond to a ruthenium complex and consideration of the relative reactivity between aryl carbon-oxygen and aryl carbon-hydrogen bonds

When RuH2(CO)(PPh3)3 was reacted with 2,2-dimethyl-1-(2-p-tolylphenyl)propan-1-one (2), the ruthenium-aryloxy complex 3 was obtained in 76% yield. The structure of this complex was determined from 1H and 31P NMR and X-ray data. Complex 3 showed the catalytic activity for the coupling of 2 with the phenylboronate 4. The 1H and 31P NMR studies of the reaction of Ru(CO)(PPh3)3 with o-aryloxy pivalophenone revealed that the C-H bond cleavage is a kinetically favorable process but the C-O bond cleavage is a thermodynamic one. The reaction of 2'-methoxyacetophenone with vinylsilane and organoboronate resulted in chemoselective C-C bond formation.     

Palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenative β'-functionalization of β-keto esters with indoles at room temperature

The dehydrogenative β'-functionalization of α-substituted β-keto esters with indoles proceeds with high regioselectivities (C3-selective for the indole partner and β'-selective for the β-keto ester) and good yields under mild palladium catalysis at room temperature with a variety of oxidants. Two possible mechanisms involving either late or early involvement of indole are presented.     

HC[triple bond]P and H3C-C[triple bond]P as proton acceptors in protonated complexes containing two phosphorus bases: structures, binding energies, and spin-spin coupling constants

Ab initio calculations at the MP2/aug'-cc-pVTZ level have been carried out to investigate the structures and binding energies of cationic complexes involving protonated sp, sp2, and sp3 phosphorus bases as proton donor ions and the sp-hybridized phosphorus bases H-C[triple bond]P and H3C-C[triple bond]P as proton acceptors. These proton-bound complexes exhibit a variety of structural motifs, but all are stabilized by interactions that occur through the pi cloud of the acceptor base. The binding energies of these complexes range from 6 to 15 kcal/mol. Corresponding complexes with H3C-C[triple bond]P as the proton acceptor are more stable than those with H-C[triple bond]P as the acceptor, a reflection of the greater basicity of H3C-C[triple bond]P. In most complexes with sp2- or sp3-hybridized P-H donor ions, the P-H bond lengthens and the P-H stretching frequency is red-shifted relative to the corresponding monomers. Complex formation also leads to a lengthening of the C[triple bond]P bond and a red shift of the C[triple bond]P stretching vibration. The two-bond coupling constants 2pihJ(P-P) and 2pihJ(P-C) are significantly smaller than 2hJ(P-P) and 2hJ(P-C) for complexes in which hydrogen bonding occurs through lone pairs of electrons on P or C. This reflects the absence of significant s electron density in the hydrogen-bonding regions of these pi complexes.