Addition, carbene radical-catalyzed

By contrast, much of the work performed using ruthenium-based catalysts has employed well-defined complexes. These have mostly been studied in the ATRP of MMA, and include complexes (158)-(165).400-405 Recent studies with (158) have shown the importance of amine additives which afford faster, more controlled polymerization.406 A fast polymerization has also been reported with a dimethylaminoindenyl analog of (161).407 The Grubbs-type metathesis initiator (165) polymerizes MMA without the need for an organic initiator, and may therefore be used to prepare block copolymers of MMA and 1,5-cyclooctadiene.405 Hydrogenation of this product yields PE-b-PMMA. N-heterocyclic carbene analogs of (164) have also been used to catalyze the free radical polymerization of both MMA and styrene.408... 

In 1981 it was shown that rhodium(II) carboxylates smoothly catalyze the addition of ethyl diazoacetate to a variety of alkanes11. While some differentiation between possible sites of insertion was observed, selectivity is not as high for this carbenoid process as it is for the free radical process above. Rhodium-catalyzed intermolecular C-H insertion is thought to proceed via electrophilic addition of an intermediate rhodium carbene into the alkane C—IT bond. 

Many of the limitations of C—C bond formation by C —H insertion outlined for intermolecular reactions (Section 1.2.1.) can be overcome by making the reaction intramolecular. Thus, hydrogen atom abstraction followed by intramolecular radical-radical coupling or radical addition to an alkene are increasingly popular processes. Two-electron carbene insertions, either thermal or transition metal catalyzed, have also been used extensively. In either case, ring construction involves net C—C bond formation at a previously unactivated C-H site. 

Fig. 26. Addition of chloroform to olefins by a radical reaction catalyzed by a Ru carbene complex.

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