Ligand-tuned regioselectivity of a cobalt-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction. A theoretical study

Quantum chemical calculations at the BP86/def2-SVP levels of theory have been carried out for the reaction pathways of the Co(L)] (+)-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction of isoprene with phenylacetylene, with L = dppe, iminA, iminB. The calculations suggest that the reactions take place in a stepwise fashion, starting with the formation of the complex Co(L)(isoprene)(phenylacetylene)] (+) as precursor for the consecutive C-C bond formation. The actual Diels-Alder ring-closing reaction proceeds as an intramolecular addition of the ligands isoprene and phenylacetylene, yielding a metallacyclic intermediate after generation of the first carbon-carbon bond, which determines the regioselectivity of the reaction. There are four different conformations of the starting complexes Co(L)(isoprene)(phenylacetylene)] (+) which initiate four different pathways yielding the 1,3-cyclohexadiene product. The energetically most stable conformations do not lead to the reaction pathways that have the lowest activation energies. All conformations and the associated pathways must be considered in order to obtain the kinetically most favorable reaction course. The calculated values for the regioselectivities of the Co(L)] (+)-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction agree exceptionally well with the experimental values. The calculations concur with the experimental finding that the para product is kinetically favored for L = dppe while the formation of the meta product is kinetically favored when L = iminA or iminB. The different regioselectivies for L = dppe and L = iminA or iminB come from (a) the steric interactions of the bidentate ligands with the isoprene and phenylacetylene moieties in Co(L)(isoprene)(phenylacetylene)] (+), which determine the distance between the carbon atoms forming the C-C bond, and (b) the relative energies of the different starting complexes. The first C-C bond formed in the rate-determing step of the Co(dppe)] (+)-catalyzed reaction yielding the para product is the C4-C1' bond, and for the meta product it is the C1-C1' bond. The opposite order is found for the Co(iminA)] (+)- and Co(iminB)] (+)-catalyzed reactions, where the C1-C2' bond formation is the initial step toward the para product, while the C4-C2' bond is first formed in the reaction yielding the meta product. The calculations suggest that a less polar solvent should reduce the preference for formation of the meta product in the Co(iminA)] (+)- and Co(iminB)] (+)-catalyzed reactions but would enhance the formation of the para product in the Co(dppe)] (+)-catalyzed reaction. Experimental tests using toluene as solvent instead of dichloromethane confirm the theoretical predictions.