Alkene substrates/selectivity

Influence of THP/Ru ratio and solvent systems. Many empirical studies were carried out on variation of conversions with the THP Ru ratio, defined as R, which was varied from 0.5 to 6.0. Invariably, in the H20/buffer standard conditions (and other solvent systems - see below), conversions for any selected reaction time decreased when R > 3, but this was not usually the optimum ratio. For the ketone 10b, the maximum conversion was at R = 3, but for ketone 10c and the alkene substrates such as lb and 3a, R was closer to 1 for 6c, the aldehyde substrate, optimum conversion was at R 2. The unknown nature of the catalytic species present in solution makes any discussion of these data meaningless. 

Another example of selective C=C bond hydrogenation has arisen from mechanistic studies on an iron m-hydride dihydrogen complex, [Fe(PP3)(FI)(H2)](BF4) [PP3 = P(CH2CH2PPh2)3], a catalyst inactive with alkene substrates. Scheme 6 shows that no decoordination of dihydrogen is required in any step of the cycle and that the vacant site is created by unfastening of one of the P-donor atoms (species (16)).50 Extensive studies on catalytic alkene hydrogenation by analogous tripodal (polyphosphine) Rh, Os, and Ir complexes have been carried by Bianchini and co-workers.51,52... 

Optimal yields were obtained by slow addition of the alkene substrates to a solution of the ruthenium vinylalkylidene and this allowed just two equivalents of the acyclic alkene to be used without significant formation of polymeric products. Unlike the acyclic cross-metathesis reactions, which generally favour the formation of tram products, the above ring-opening metathesis reactions yielded products in which the cis stereoisomer is predominant. Particularly noteworthy was the absence of significant amounts of products of type 31, formed from metathesis of one cyclic and two acyclic alkenes. In fact, considering the number of possible ring-opened products that could have been formed, these reactions showed remarkable selectivity (GC yields > 80%). 

The aforementioned observations have significant mechanistic implications. As illustrated in Eqs. 6.2—6.4, in the chemistry of zirconocene—alkene complexes derived from longer chain alkylmagnesium halides, several additional selectivity issues present themselves. (1) The derived transition metal—alkene complex can exist in two diastereomeric forms, exemplified in Eqs. 6.2 and 6.3 by (R)-8 anti and syn reaction through these stereoisomeric complexes can lead to the formation of different product diastereomers (compare Eqs. 6.2 and 6.3, or Eqs. 6.3 and 6.4). The data in Table 6.2 indicate that the mode of addition shown in Eq. 6.2 is preferred. (2) As illustrated in Eqs. 6.3 and 6.4, the carbomagnesation process can afford either the n-alkyl or the branched product. Alkene substrate insertion from the more substituted front of the zirconocene—alkene system affords the branched isomer (Eq. 6.3), whereas reaction from the less substituted end of the (ebthi)Zr—alkene system leads to the formation of the straight-chain product (Eq. 6.4). The results shown in Table 6.2 indicate that, depending on the reaction conditions, products derived from the two isomeric metallacyclopentane formations can be formed competitively. 

Table 2.2 Room temperature/ambient pressure regioselective hydroformylation of functionalized terminal alkenes - substrate scope, a selection from 31 examples.

From the discussion above, the following conclusions can be drawn. Apart from some selected examples, the issue ofchemoselectivity and catalytic activity in iron-catalyzed allylic hydroxylation has not so far been solved. In particular, synthetically useful methods with a broad scope concerning alkene substrates are still lacking. Furthermore, in many cases it seems to be difficult to avoid overoxidation of the allylic alcohol to the corresponding enone. In addition, most published procedures utilize the alkene in a large excess (often as a solvent), thus limiting the use of functionalized alkenes which are not commercially available. 

Karakhanov E, Buchneva T, Maximov A et al (2002) Substrate selectivity in byphasic Wacker-oxidation of alkenes in the presence of water-soluble calixarenes. J Mol Catal A Chem 184(1-2) 11-17... 

Until recently, intermolecular enyne metathesis received scant attention. Competing CM homodimerisation of the alkene, alkyne metathesis and polymerisation were issues of concern which hampered the development of the enyne CM reaction. The first report of a selective ruthenium-catalysed enyne CM reaction came from our laboratories [106]. Reaction of various terminal alkynes 61 with terminal olefins 62 gave 1,3-substituted diene products 63 in good-to-excellent yields (Scheme 18). It is interesting that in these and all enyne CM reactions subsequently reported, terminal alkynes are more reactive than internal analogues, and 1,2-substituted diene products are never formed thus, in terms of reactivity and selectivity enyne CM is the antithesis of enyne RCM. The mechanism of enyne CM is not well understood. It would appear that initial attack is at the alkyne however, one report has demonstrated initial attack at the alkene (substrate-dependent) is also possible, see Ref. [107]. 

Matsumoto and Tamura (at Kuraray Co.) have demonstrated that the combination of simple bis(diphenylphosp-hino)alkane ligands and PPhs has a very positive effect on catalyst stabihty and the reduction of unwanted side reactions. This is most evident in the hydroformylation of a reactive alkene substrate such as allyl alcohol. The use of HRh(CO)(PPh3)2 in the presence of excess PPhs leads to relatively rapid catalyst deactivation to unidentified species. The addition of just over 1 equivalent of dppb, for example, leads to a stable, active hydroformylation catalyst. Use of dppb either by itself, or in quantities higher than 2 equivalents, leads to catalyst deactivation and/or poor activities and selectivities. ARCO Chemical Co. licensed the Kuraray technology to build the first conunercial plant (1990) for the hydroformylation of allyl alcohol to produce 1,4-butanediol (Scheme 11). 

An important aspect of the metal catalyzed hydroboration reaction is its ability to selectively reduce certain functionalities within a molecule. For instance, a key step in the synthesis of a tripeptide derivative containing the Phe-Arg hydroxyethy-lene dipeptide iosostere is the selective rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration of a lactone. The use of disiamylborane, 9-H-BBN, dicyclohexylborane, and (.9)-alpmeborane, however, gave only low to variable yields of the alcohol due to competitive reduction of the y-lactone to the hemiacetal (equation 8). In another example, hydroboration of the diene illustrated in equation (9) with HBcat and RhCl(PPh3)3 gave exclusive formation of the terminal alcohol derived from reaction of the less substituted alkene. Interestingly, uncatalyzed reactions failed to hydroborate this substrate selectively. ... 

Aldehydes form prior to alcohols. Both branched and linear isomers form. Depending on the alkene substrate, reaction conditions, and catalyst selected, conditions selective for specific compound synthesis can be found . ... 

In an application of (Z)-selective alkene formation to enolizable aldehydes, it was noted that the combination of LiCl and DBU was effective for deprotonation by lithium complexation of the Still phosphonate. In this example, the cyclopropyl aldehyde (176) reacted chemoselectively in the presence of the ketone (equation 43). In addition, the ( )-alkene could be synthesized by lithium coordination with a standard HWE methyl phosphonate. As this example illustrates, the trifluoroethyl phosphonate can fill an important void by providing trisubstituted alkenes with sensitive substrates in go< selectivity. From the examples of Marshall and Oppolzer it appears that the application of the reaction to higher order trisubstituted alkenes is selective for the (Z)-isomer. The magnitude of the selectivity is substrate specific and dependent on the rapid rate of eo firo-a-oxyphosphonate decomposition. 

Recently, the stereochemical definitions of the addition of carbenes to C-C double bonds have been summarized. The term stereoselectivity refers to the degree of selectivity for the formation of cyclopropane products having endo vs. exo or, alternatively, syn vs. anti orientation of the substituents in the carbene species relative to substituents in the alkene substrate. The term stereospecificity refers to the stereochemistry of vicinal cyclopropane substituents originating as double-bond substituents in the starting alkene, i.e. a cyclopropane-forming reaction is stereospecific if the cisjtrans relationship of the double-bond substituents is retained in the cyclopropane product. Diastereofacial selectivity refers to the face of the alkene to which addition occurs relative to other substituents in the alkene substrate. Finally, enantioselectivity refers to the formation of a specific enantiomer of the cyclopropane product. 

The use of a class of pentafluorophenyl Pt(ll) complexes as catalysts allows the efficient epoxidation of simple terminal alkenes with environmentally benign hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant. Key features of this system are very high substrate selectivity, regioselectivity, and enantioselectivity, at least for this class of substrates. These properties are related to the soft Lewis acid character of the metal center that makes it relatively insensitive to water but, at the same time, capable of increasing the electrophilicity of the substrate by coordination. The reversal of the traditional electrophile/nucleophile roles in epoxidation helps explain the unprecedented reactivity observed. 

Remarkable enantiocontrol was obtained using N heterocyclic substrates such as protected indole 34 and pyrazole 38, showing the potential of this method in the synthesis of biologically active chiral amines. Another striking element of this catalyst is its reactivity toward alkene substrates. While rhodium tetracarboxylate catalysts tend to promote both C H insertion and aziridination, the Rh2(S nap)4 (32) is particularly selective for C H insertion, cis Olefins were well tolerated, providing the aminated product in good yield and enantioselectivity (39, 41). However, the use of trans isomers resulted in reduced yield and selectivity (e.g., 40). 

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