Alkenes cyclopropanations, diazo methane

Table 3. Silylcyclopropanes 7 by Catalytic Cyclopropanation of Alkenes with Diazo(trimethyl-silyl)methane (1)...

Diazo(trimethylsilyl)methane (1) reacts readily with electron-deficient alkenes bearing two or more acceptor groups to furnish cyclopropanes 2. ... 

Photochemical decomposition of diazo(trimethylsilyl)methane (1) in the presence of alkenes has not been thoroughly investigated (see Houben-Weyl Vol. E19b, p 1415). The available experimental data [trimethylsilylcyclopropane (17% yield) and la,2a,3j8-2,3-dimethyl-l-trimethylsilylcyclopropane (23% yield)] indicate that cyclopropanation occurs only in low yield with ethene and ( )-but-2-ene. In both cases the formal carbene dimer is the main product. In reactions with other alkenes, such as 2,3-dimethylbut-2-ene, tetrafluoroethene or hexafluoro-propene, no cyclopropanes could be detected.The transition-metal-catalyzed decomposition of diazo(trimethylsilyl)methane (1) has been applied to the synthesis of many different silicon-substituted cyclopropanes (see Table 3 and Houben-Weyl Vol.E19b, p 1415) 3.20a,b,2i.25 ( iQp. per(I) chloride has been most commonly used for carbene transfer to ethyl-substituted alkenes, cycloalkenes, styrene, and related arylalkenes. For the cyclopropanation of acyl-substituted alkenes, palladium(II) chloride is the catalyst of choice, while palladium(II) acetate was less efficient, and copper(I) chloride, copper(II) sulfate and rhodium(II) acetate dimer were totally unproductive. The cyclopropanation of ( )-but-2-ene represents a unique... 

The chiral ruthenium(II) carbene complex 8, prepared from diazo(trimethylsilyl)methane, (p-cymene)2ruthenium(II) chloride, and 2,6-bis(4-isopropyloxazolinyl)pyridine, has been introduced as catalyst for the enantioselective cyclopropanation of alkenes with ethyl diazoacetate. The carbene complex 8 also serves as a transfer reagent for trimethylsilylcarbene and cyclopro-panates styrene in 34% yield. This reaction demonstrates the similarities between catalytic and stoichiometric cyclopropanations and between in situ generated and isolated transition metal carbenes. 

Bis(diisopropylamino)phosphanyl(trimethylsilyl)diazomethane 6, easily available by treatment of chlorobis(diisopropylamino)phosphane with lithiated diazo(trimethylsilyl)methane, provides upon flash thermolysis at 250"C the so-called stable carbene 7.38,39,40 behaves partly as a nucleophilic carbene and reacts only with electron-deficient alkenes such as methyl propenoate or diethyl fumarate under cyclopropanation." In the former case only the Z-isomer 8 is formed. Cyclopropane 9 is thermally unstable and is, therefore, oxidized in situ at the phosphorus atom with elemental sulfur to provide cyclopropane 10, Cyclopropanes 8 and 9 are also generated from the diazo compound 6 and the appropriate alkene by photolysis." ... 

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