Alkenes molybdenum catalysts

Molybdenum catalysts that contain enantiomerically pure diolates are prime targets for asymmetric RCM (ARCM). Enantiomerically pure molybdenum catalysts have been prepared that contain a tartrate-based diolate [86], a binaph-tholate [87], or a diolate derived from a traris-1,2-disubstituted cyclopentane [89, 90], as mentioned in an earlier section. A catalyst that contains the diolate derived from a traris-1,2-disubstituted cyclopentane has been employed in an attempt to form cyclic alkenes asymmetrically via kinetic resolution (inter alia) of substrates A and B (Eqs. 45,46) where OR is acetate or a siloxide [89,90]. Reactions taken to -50% consumption yielded unreacted substrate that had an ee between 20% and 40%. When A (OR=acetate) was taken to 90% conversion, the ee of residual A was 84%. The relatively low enantioselectivity might be ascribed to the slow interconversion of syn and anti rotamers of the intermediates or to the relatively floppy nature of the diolate that forms a pseudo nine-membered ring containing the metal. 

In particular, ruthenium carbenes 1 are more sensitive to the substitution pattern of the alkenes than the molybdenum catalyst 24 [19]. While the latter reacts readily even with di- and tri-substituted double bonds and is apparently the only catalyst capable of producing tetrasubstituted cycloalkenes (cf. Table 2, en-... 

A year later, Schrock confirmed that the cross-metathesis of two alkyl-substituted terminal alkenes could also be catalysed by his molybdenum catalyst [26] (Eq. 9). 

Previously acrylonitrile had proved to be inert towards transition metal catalysed cross- and self-metathesis using ill-defined multicomponent catalysts [lib]. Using the molybdenum catalyst, however, acrylonitrile was successfully cross-metathesised with a range of alkyl-substituted alkenes in yields of40-90% (with the exception of 4-bromobut-l-ene, which gave a yield of 17.5%). A dinitrile product formed from self-metathesis of the acrylonitrile was not observed in any of the reactions and significant formation (>10%) of self-metathesis products of the second alkene was only observed in a couple of reactions. 

The success of the cross-metathesis reactions involving styrene and acrylonitrile led to an investigation into the reactivity of other Ji-substituted terminal alkenes [27]. Vinylboranes, enones, dienes, enynes and a,p-unsaturated esters were tested, but all of these substrates failed to undergo the desired cross-metathesis reaction using the molybdenum catalyst. 

Although the Grubbs ruthenium benzylidene 17 has a significant advantage over the Schrock catalyst 3 in terms of its ease of use, the molybdenum alkylidene is still far superior for the cross-metathesis of certain substrates. Acrylonitrile is one example [28] and allyl stannanes were recently reported to be another. In the presence of the ruthenium catalyst, allyl stannanes were found to be unreactive. They were successfully cross-metathesised with a variety of alkenes, however, using the molybdenum catalyst [39] (for example Eq. 20). 

Alkene cross-metathesis has also been recently used for the modification of silsesquioxanes and spherosilicates, by Feher and co-workers [46]. Reaction of vinylsilsesquioxane 28 with a variety of simple functionalised alkenes, in the presence of Schrock s molybdenum catalyst 3, gave complete conversion of the starting material and very good isolated yields of the desired products (75— 100%) (for example Eq. 28). 

Representative data illustrating the influence of Lewis base functional groups in the ADMET reaction are shown in Table 1. When molybdenum catalysts are used to polymerize ether or thioether dienes, little change in reaction rate is observed as compared with the standard, 1,9-decadiene, which possesses no heteroatoms in its structure. When a sulfur atom is three carbons atoms away from the alkene site, the reaction rate is reduced approximately one order of magnitude otherwise, the kinetics are all essentially unaffected [20a]. 

Molybdenum complexes A (Figure 3.46) react efficiently with terminal and internal alkenes in toluene (e.g. 500 eq. Z-2-pentene are metathesized in 2 min at 25 °C 20 eq. of styrene in 2 h at 25 °C). These catalysts also oligomerize 2,4-hexadiene [808] and 1,5-hexadiene [809] and promote RCM of enol ethers. Isomerization of alkenes by catalysts A is a potential catalytic side-reaction [810-812]. 

Molybdenum catalysts such as 1 can also lead to the isomerization of alkenes [810-812]. Care is due in particular if enantiomerically pure olefins with the stereogenic center near the C-C double bond are to be metathesized, or when strained rings are to be formed [811]. 

A catalytic asymmetric oxidation of mono-, di-, and tri-substituted alkenes using a chiral bishydroxamic acid (BHA) complex of molybdenum catalyst in air at room temperature leads to good to excellent selectivity. It has been suggested that the Mo-BHA complex combines with the achiral oxidant to oxidize the alkene in a concerted fashion by transfer of oxygen from the metal peroxide to the alkene.78 The chiral BHA-molybdenum complex has been used for the catalytic asymmetric oxidation of sulfides and disulfides, utilizing 1 equiv. of alkyl peroxide, with yields up to 83% and ees up to 86%. An extension of the methodology combines the asymmetric oxidation with kinetic resolution providing excellent enantioselectivity (ee = 92-99%).79... 

Hoveyda and co-workers have developed chiral catalysts for asymmetric alkene metathesis. They have demonstrated that with their chiral molybdenum catalyst asymmetric syntheses of dihydrofurans through catalytic kinetic resolution by RCM and enantioselective desymmetrization by RCM are feasible processes (Scheme 40) <1998JA9720>. The use of Schrock s molybdenum catalysts for asymmetric alkene metathesis has been reviewed <2001CEJ945>. 

Related molybdenum catalysts appear to show even more functional group tolerance. To date, the major test of functional group compatibility has been in the synthesis of polymers however, it is anticipated that this activity will persist into acyclic metathesis. Later transition metals are active in the metathesis polymerization of highly functiondized cyclic alkenes. These catalyst systems, which appear to tolerate almost all functional groups, show very low activity for acyclic alkene metathesis. If these systems can be activated, the problems associated with the use of alkene metathesis in the synthesis of multifunctional organics will be solved. 

Thiiranes can be prepared directly from alkenes using specialized reagents. Thiourea with a tin catalyst gives the thiirane, for example. " Interestingly, internal alkynes were converted to 1,2-dichorothiiranes by reaction with S2CI2 (sulfur monochloride).It is noted that epoxides are converted to thiiranes with ammonium thiocyanate and a cerium complex. " A trans-thiiration reaction occurs with a molybdenum catalyst, in which an alkene reacts with styrene thiirane to give the new thiirane. 

The effectiveness of catalysts A and B to desulfurize SRN and blend naphtha was investigated and the results are shown in Table 4. Figure 4, which shows the performance of catalyst A, illustrates that it is easier to desulfurize SRN than blend naphtha. The results also confirmed higher HDS performance with blend naphtha than SRN with both catalysts. This could be due to the refractive material in the hydrocracked fraction of the blend naphtha. With blend naphtha and catalyst A the minimum total sulfur ofO.69 ppm was obtained at 320°C, while with SRN the minimum was 0.37 ppm at 300°C. Above these temperatures, the occurrence of H2S-alkene recombination reactions increased the total sulfur. Nickel-molybdenum catalysts are known to reduce recombination reactions by hydrogenating alkenes. Higher temperatures and very active catalysts can cause cracking at the reactor outlet allowing alkenes production[13],... 

Cyclopropanes from Diazocarbonyl Compounds and Electron-Deficient Alkenes in the Presence of Molybdenum Catalysts General Procedure ... 

In general, ruthenium catalysts 86 are less active than 85 with respect to the formation of tri- and tetra-substituted alkenes. Although molybdenum catalyst 85 is appreciably sensitive to air and moisture, ruthenium catalysts 86 are not significantly affected. Both catalysts are tolerant of functionality in the substrate for example, ketones, esters, amides, epoxides, acetals, silyl ethers, amines, sulfides, and alcohols. 

The ability of the nitrosyl ligand to behave as an electron pair reservoir has also been considered to play an important part in certain catalytically active systems. The vacant site provided by isomerization of the ligand could enable an unsaturated organic molecule to enter the transition metal s coordination sphere, thus forming an active intermediate. Examples of catalysis by nitrosyl complexes include the hydrogenation of alkenes by Rh(NO)L3 species and the dimerization of dienes in the presence of Fe(CO)2(NO)2 or Fe(n-C3Hs)(CO)2NO. Certain molybdenum dinitrosyl complexes, such as MoCljfNOljfPPhjlj, have also been found to provide very efficient alkene dismutation catalysts. ... 

A significant development for the selective synthesis of alkenes makes use of alkene metathesis. Metathesis, as applied to two alkenes, refers to the transposition of the alkene carbon atoms, such that two new alkenes are formed (2.110). The reaction is catalysed by various transition-metal alkylidene (carbene) complexes, particularly those based on ruthenium or molybdenum. The ruthenium catalyst 84, developed by Grubbs, is the most popular, being more stable and more tolerant of many functional groups (although less reactive) than the Schrock molybdenum catalyst 85. More recently, ruthenium complexes such as 86, which have similar stability and resistance to oxygen and moisture as complex 84, have been found to be highly active metathesis catalysts. 

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