Rhodium-catalyzed 1,4-addition

A related but distinct rhodium-catalyzed methyl acetate carbonylation to acetic anhydride (134) was commercialized by Eastman in 1983. Anhydrous conditions necessary to the Eastman acetic anhydride process require important modifications (24) to the process, including introduction of hydrogen to maintain the active [Rhl2(CO)2] catalyst and addition of lithium cation to activate the alkyl methyl group of methyl acetate toward nucleophilic attack by iodide. 

Ethylene Carbonylation. The classical rhodium catalyzed carbonylation of ethylene to propionic acid (Eqn. 1) used ethyl iodide or HI as a co-catalyst (6). In the presence of excess ethylene and CO the process could proceed further to propionic anhydride (Eqn. 2). While additional products, such as ethyl propionate (EtC02Et), diethyl ketone (DEK), and ethanol were possible (See Eqns. 3-5), the only byproduct obtained when using a rhodium-alkyl iodide catalyst was small amounts (ca. 1-1.5%) of ethyl propionate. (See Eqns. 3-5.)... 

As would be expected for a highly electrophilic species, rhodium-catalyzed carbenoid additions are accelerated by aryl substituents, as well as by other cation-stabilizing groups on the alkene reactant.205 When applied to 1,1-diarylethenes, ERG substituents favor the position trans to the ester group.206 This can be understood in terms of maximizing the interaction between this ring and the reacting double bond. 

Fig. 10.10. Steric interactions in rhodium-catalyzed addition of methyl 2-diazobut-3-enoate to styrene (a) and cis and trans butene (b). Reproduced from J. Am. Chem. Soc., 125, 15902 (2003), by permission of the American Chemical Society.

In addition, Wu and Li recently have developed an efficient rhodium-catalyzed cascade hydrostannation/conjugate addition of terminal alkynes and unsaturated carbonyl compounds in water stereoselectively (Scheme 4.5).88... 

Mannig and Noth reported the first example of rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration to C=C bonds in 1985.4 Catecholborane reacts at room temperature with 5-hexene-2-one at the carbonyl double bond when the reaction was run in the presence of 5mol.% Wilkinson s catalyst [Rh(PPh3)3Cl], addition of the B—H bond across the C=C double bond was observed affording the anti-Markovnikoff ketone as the major product (Scheme 2). Other rhodium complexes showed good catalytic properties ([Rh(COD)Cl2]2, [ Rh(PPh3)2(C O )C 1], where... 

An extensive array of chiral phosphine ligands has been tested for the asymmetric rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration of aryl-substituted alkenes. It is well known that cationic Rh complexes bearing chelating phosphine ligands (e.g., dppf) result in Markovnikoff addition of HBcat to vinylarenes to afford branched boryl compounds. These can then be oxidized through to the corresponding chiral alcohol (11) (Equation (5)) ... 

Hydroamination of olefins under most catalytic conditions proceed with Markovnikov addition of the N-H bond across the olefin. Shown below is a rhodium-catalyzed intramolecular, anti-Markovnikov, hydroamination developed for the synthesis of 3-arylpiperidines 167 <06JA6042>. Further evaluation of this reaction as a synthesis of multisubstituted piperidines revealed that substrates with substituents a or y to the amino group did not produce the expected piperidine, however, substrates with a substituent (1 to the amino group produce piperidines in high yield. 

Directed rhodium-catalyzed Michael-type additions have recently ketimines with functionalized olefins (Equation (100)).94... 

In addition to palladium catalysts, Co(OAc)2 shows a catalytic activity for the arylation of heterocycles, including thiazole, oxazole, imidazole, benzothiazole, benzoxazole, and benzimidazole.78 As shown in Scheme 6, the catalytic system Co(OAc)2/9/Cs2C03 gives G5 phenylated thiazole, while the bimetallic system Co(OAc)2/CuI/9/Cs2C03 furnishes the G2 phenylated thiazole. The rhodium-catalyzed reaction of heterocycles such as benzimidazoles, benzoxazole, dihydroquinazoline, and oxazoline provides the arylation product with the aid of [RhCl(coe)]2/PCy3 catalyst.79 The intermediacy of an isolable A-heterocyle carbene complex is proposed. 

In addition to aryl halides and triflates, organometallic reagents can be utilized for the catalytic arylation reaction. The rhodium-catalyzed arylation of arylpyridines proceeds with the use of tetraarylstannanes (Equation (67)).83 The ruthenium-catalyzed reaction of aromatic ketones with arylboronates affords the ortho-arylated aromatic ketones (Equation (68)).84... 

The first example of asymmetric rhodium-catalyzed 1,4-addition of organoboron reagents to enones was described in 1998 by Hayashi and Miyaura. Significant progress has been made in the past few years. This asymmetric addition reaction can be carried out in aqueous solvent for a broad range of substrates, such as a,/ -unsaturated ketones, esters, amides, phosphonates, nitroalkenes. The enantioselectivity is always very high (in most cases over 90% ee). This asymmetric transformation provides the best method for the enantioselective introduction of aryl and alkenyl groups to the / -position of these electron-deficient olefins. 

Hayashi et al. proposed a catalytic cycle for the rhodium-catalyzed 1,4-addition of phenylboronic acid to 2-cyclo-hexenone (Scheme 28), which was confirmed by NMR spectroscopic studies.96 The reaction presumably involved three intermediates, phenylrhodium a, oxa-7r-allylrhodium b, and hydroxorhodium c complexes. Complex a reacted with 2-cyclohexenone to give b by insertion of the carbon-carbon double bond of enone into the phenyl-rhodium bond followed by isomerization into the thermodynamically more stable complex. Complex b was converted to c upon addition of water, liberating the phenylation product. Transmetallation of the phenyl group from phenylboronic acid to rhodium took place in the presence of triphenylphosphine to regenerate a. 

A broad substrate scope for the rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition has been observed.98 Both arylboronic acids with either electron-donating or electron-withdrawing aryl substituents and alkenylboronic acids can be introduced into acyclic or cyclic enones with high enantioselectivities (Scheme 30). 

Nitroalkenes are good candidates for the rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition of organoboronic acids. Hayashi et al. reported that the reaction of 1-nitrocyclohexene with phenylboronic acid in the presence of rhodium/ -BINAP catalyst gave 99% ee of 2-phenyl-1-nitrocyclohexane (Scheme 38).117... 

The application of organostannanes in rhodium-catalyzed 1,4-addition reactions was first studied by Oi and co-workers.137,137a The treatment of enones or enolates with a slight excess of aryltrimethylstannane and catalytic amounts of [Rh(COD)(MeCN)2]BF4 generates the conjugate addition products in good yields. The use of protic additives enhanced the yield of the reaction (Scheme 48).138... 

Recently, Krische and co-workers developed an effective protocol for the catalytic desymmetrization and parallel kinetic resolution of enone-diones via tandem conjugate addition-aldol cyclization (Scheme 66).150 This transformation, involving enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed conjugate addition methodology, enabled the formation of two C-G bonds and four contiguous stereogenic centers from simple precursors with high diastereo- and enantiocontrol. 

Rhodium-catalyzed reactions of diynes and an isonitrile give rise to iminocyclopentadienes (Equation (68)).421 Portionwise addition of the isonitrile (5 x0.2equiv.) was found to increase the yield. The reaction may proceed through formation of metallacyclopentadienes followed by insertion of an isonitrile molecule. 

It took another decade however before the idea of developing a rhodium-catalyzed olefin hydroboration process came to fruition. This occurred in 1985 when Mannig and Noth reported the first examples of such a process.8 They discovered that Wilkinson s catalyst 2 was effective for the addition of catecholborane 1 to a range of alkenes and alkynes, as exemplified by cyclopentene 4 (Scheme 2). 

Rhodium species in oxidation states I and III are involved in the process. Rhodium-catalyzed hydrogenations generally involve oxidative addition reactions, followed by the reverse process of reductive elimination in the final step. Another common elimination process is the so-called (l-elimination, which accounts for the frequent side reaction of isomerization of alkenes, according to Eq. (1) ... 

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