Rh‐ and Pt‐catalyzed cycloisomerization of enynes derived from terpenes

The Rh‐catalyzed cycloisomerization of new terpenoid derivatives featuring an O‐tethered enyne unexpectedly leads to polycyclic derivatives containing an inner cyclopropane ring or a diene moiety, depending on the structure of the enyne, as observed in the PtCl₂‐catalyzed processes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Efficient palladium–ferrocenylphosphine catalytic systems for allylic amination of monoterpene derivatives

Ferrocenylphosphines added to [Pd(µ‐Cl)(η³‐C₃H₅)]₂ dimeric precursor produce efficient catalysts to effect the allylic amination of terpenic allylacetates. Particularly convenient are tetrakis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene and 1,1′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene, which allow the amination of allylacetates with good to excellent selectivity, and have turnover numbers as high as 80 000, for instance, for the formation of allylaniline. Herein, we report on reactions that selectively transform geranylacetate, nerylacetate, linalylacetate and perillylacetate into the corresponding allylic amines. These preparative methods give facile access to various products of great potential industrial interest. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Base-promoted ruthenium carbonyl cluster complexes: From fundamental reactions to catalysis

An attempt to establish a link between the rich chemistry of ruthenium carbonyl clusters doped by nucleophilic anions, and the known effect of promoters in some ruthenium-based catalytic processes.     

A one-pot method to prepare the carbene complex [TpRhCl2(CHNiPr2)] from [TpRh(CO)2], CHCl3, and NHiPr2

The complex [Tp^Me₂,ClRh(CO)₂] reacts with chloroform to give quantitatively the rhodium(III) complex [Tp^Me₂,ClRhCl(CHCl₂)(CO)] resulting from the oxidative addition of a C-Cl bond. Further reaction with diisopropylamine gives the aminocarbene complex [Tp^Me₂,ClRhCl₂(CHNiPr₂)], whose X-ray crystal structure has been solved. Addition of an excess of diisopropylamine to [Tp^Me₂,ClRh(CO)₂] in chloroform provides directly [Tp^Me₂,ClRhCl₂(CHNiPr₂)].