Alkenes carbenoids

Those reactions that have found general use for the preparation of aziridines can be grouped into two broad classes addition and cyclization processes, and each of these categories can be further divided. Addition processes can be classified as being C2+N1 reactions (addition of nitrenes, or nitrene equivalents [ nitrenoids ], to alkenes Scheme 4.1) or (J N1+C1 reactions (addition of carbenes or carbenoids to imines Scheme 4.2). 

C1N1 + C-t reactions addition ofcarbenes, or carbenoids, to alkenes Scheme 4.2... 

The synthesis of aziridines through reactions between nitrenes or nitrenoids and alkenes involves the simultaneous (though often asynchronous vide supra) formation of two new C-N bonds. The most obvious other alternative synthetic analysis would be simultaneous formation of one C-N bond and one C-C bond (Scheme 4.26). Thus, reactions between carbenes or carbene equivalents and imines comprise an increasingly useful method for aziridination. In addition to carbenes and carbenoids, ylides have also been used to effect aziridinations of imines in all classes of this reaction type the mechanism frequently involves a stepwise, addition-elimination process, rather than a synchronous bond-forming event. 

For carbenes or carbenoids of the type R—C—R there is another aspect of stereochemistry. When these species are added to all but symmetrical alkenes, two isomers are possible, even if the four groups originally on the double-bond carbons maintain their configurations ... 

Transition metal-catalyzed carbenoid transfer reactions, such as alkene cyclopro-panation, C-H insertion, X-H insertion (X = heteroatom), ylide formation, and cycloaddition, are powerful methods for the construction of C-C and C-heteroatom bonds [1-6]. In contrast to a free carbene, metallocarbene-mediated reactions often proceed stereo- and regioselectively under mild conditions with tolerance to a wide range of functionalities. The reactivity and selectivity of metallocarbenes can be... 

The reactive intermediates under some conditions may be the carbenoid a-haloalkyllithium compounds or carbene-lithium halide complexes.158 In the case of the trichloromethyllithium to dichlorocarbene conversion, the equilibrium lies heavily to the side of trichloromethyllithium at — 100°C.159 The addition reaction with alkenes seems to involve dichlorocarbene, however, since the pattern of reactivity toward different alkenes is identical to that observed for the free carbene in the gas phase.160... 

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. 

Diazomethane is also decomposed by N O)40 -43 and Pd(0) complexes43 . Electron-poor alkenes such as methyl acrylate are cyclopropanated efficiently with Ni(0) catalysts, whereas with Pd(0) yields were much lower (Scheme 1)43). Cyclopropanes derived from styrene, cyclohexene or 1-hexene were formed only in trace yields. In the uncatalyzed reaction between diazomethane and methyl acrylate, methyl 2-pyrazoline-3-carboxylate and methyl crotonate are formed competitively, but the yield of the latter can be largely reduced by adding an appropriate amount of catalyst. It has been verified that cyclopropane formation does not result from metal-catalyzed ring contraction of the 2-pyrazoline, Instead, a nickel(0)-carbene complex is assumed to be involved in the direct cyclopropanation of the olefin. The preference of such an intermediate for an electron-poor alkene is in agreement with the view that nickel carbenoids are nucleophilic 44). 

Diastereoface-differentiating reactions of a carbenoid with an alkene bearing an easily removable, chiral substituent have been used only ocassionally for the enantioselective production of a cyclopropane 216). A recent example is given by the cyclopropanation of the (—)-ephedrine-derived olefin 223 with CH2N2/Pd(OAc)2 after removal of the protecting group, (1/ , 2R )-2-phenylcyclopropane carbaldehyde was isolated with at least 90% e.e. 37). 

Fournier and Charette proposed a new gem-dizinc carbenoid, IZnCHIZnI 279, for alkene cyclopropanation.389 They reported that EtZnI reacted with CHC13 to form unstable 279, which was capable of reacting with the Unprotected allylic alcohols 280a-c. The final step of the reaction sequence was quenching the Zn-containing intermediate 281a-c with an electrophile (Scheme 147). 

The preparation of an unusual organozinc carbenoid 285 from amide 284 has been recently reported.390 The carbenoid 285 was used in amidocyclopropanation reactions of diverse alkenes (Scheme 148).390 Unfortunately, experiments employing other amides yielded the corresponding products in low yields. 

DFT studies of the intramolecular ene-like (or the so-called 1,3-dipolar ene) reaction between nitrile oxides and alkenes show that this reaction is a three-step process involving a stepwise carbenoid addition of nitrile oxide to form a bicyclic nitroso compound, followed by a retro-ene reaction of the nitrosocyclopropane intermediate. The competitive reactions, either the intramolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition between nitrile oxides and alkenes or the intermolecular dimerization of nitrile oxides to form furoxans, can overwhelm the intramolecular 1,3-dipolar ene reaction if the tether joining the nitrile oxide and alkene is elongated, or if substituents such as trimethylsilyl are absent (425). 

Bis(pinacolato)diboron reacts with 1-halo-l-lithioalkenes, that is, alkylidene carbenoids, affording 1,1-diboryl-1-alkenes in good yields (Scheme 9).76 The reaction proceeds via formation of a borate intermediate, which is followed by 1,2-migration of the boryl group with elimination of the bromo group. 

The reaction of silylborane with 1-halo-l-lithio-l-alkenes yields 1-boryl-l-silyl-l-alkenes via borate formation followed by 1,2-migration of silyl group (Equation (90)).76,240 The mechanism seems to be closely related to that proposed for the silaboration of isocyanide (Figure 2). Vinyl-substituted carbenoids, l-chloro-l-lithio-2-alkenes, react with silylpinacolborane to give l-boryl-l-silyl-2-alkanes in good yield (Equation (91)).241 This methodology is applied to the synthesis of l-boryl-l-silyl-2-cyclobutene.2 2 Similar reactions are carried out with other carbenoid... 

The first application of a heterocyclic carbenoid achiral ligand for hydrogenation of alkenes was reported in 2001 by Nolan and coworkers. Both ruthenium [36] and iridium [37] complexes proved to be active catalysts. Turnover frequency (TOF) values of up to 24000 b 1 (at 373 K) were measured for a ruthenium catalyst in the hydrogenation of 1-hexene. 

In addition to P,N ligands, the carbenoid-oxazoline catalysts 47 (Fig. 30.10) were used to hydrogenate test substrates 36-39, as well as substrates 48 and 49, which were hydrogenated in 93% ee and 84% ee, respectively [21]. These catalysts were also used to hydrogenate 1,1-disubstituted alkenes (see Section 30.2.1). 

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