Alkylidene complexes, formation

These carbene (or alkylidene) complexes are used for various transformations. Known reactions of these complexes are (a) alkene metathesis, (b) alkene cyclopropanation, (c) carbonyl alkenation, (d) insertion into C-H, N-H and O-H bonds, (e) ylide formation and (f) dimerization. The reactivity of these complexes can be tuned by varying the metal, oxidation state or ligands. Nowadays carbene complexes with cumulated double bonds have also been synthesized and investigated [45-49] as well as carbene cluster compounds, which will not be discussed here [50]. 

The reactivity of a remarkable electronically unsaturated tantalum methyli-dene complex, [p-MeCgH4C(NSiMe3)2]2Ta( = CH2)CH3, has been investigated. Electrophilic addition and olefination reactions of the Ta = CH2 functionality were reported. The alkylidene complex participates in group-transfer reactions not observed in sterically similar but electronically saturated analogs. Reactions with substrates containing unsaturated C-X (X = C, N, O) bonds yield [Ta] = X compounds and vinylated organic products. Scheme 117 shows the reaction with pyridine N-oxide, which leads to formation of a tantalum 0x0 complex. ... 

Etherification using a metal vinylidene has also been combined with G-G bond formation through the reaction of an alkynyl tungsten complex with benzaldehyde (Scheme 14). The addition of an internal alcohol to the incipient /3,/Udialkylvinylidene that is generated leads to dehydration and the formation of a Fischer-type alkylidene complex. Further reactions of this carbene with a range of nucleophiles have provided access to various furan derivatives.374,375... 

Olefin metathesis is a catalytic process whose key step is a reaction between an olefin and a transition metal alkylidene complex, usually M=CHR (Eq. 1) or M= CH2, in a 2+2 fashion to give an unstable intermediate metalacyclobutane ring [1]. All possible reactions of this general type are reversible, possibly nonproductive, and in competition with one another, so the overall result depends heavily on relative rates, and in the case of formation of volatile or insoluble products, displacement of equilibria as those products form. 

Although numerous advantages are associated with the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (scC02) as an ecologically benign and user friendly reaction medium, systematic applications to metal-catalyzed processes are still rare. A notable exception is a recent report on the use of scC02 for the formation of industrially relevant polymers by ROMP and the eyelization of various dienes or enynes via RCM [7]. Both Schrock s molybdenum alkylidene complex 24 and the ruthe-... 

Grubbs has reported a similar tandem olefin metathesis-carbonyl olelination process for the preparation of cyclic olefins [31]. In this case, treatment of a keto-olefin with the molybdenum alkylidene 1 at 20°C generates an intermediate alkylidene complex. Under these conditions, competing intermolecular olelination does not occur. However, intramolecular carbonyl olelination of the initially formed alkylidene complex can occur and this results in the formation of a cyclic olefin. This tandem sequence is illustrated by the transformation of keto-olefins... 

Figure 16.6. Formation of well-defined alkylidene complexes...

Electrophilic transition metal complexes can react with organic ylides to yield alkylidene complexes. A possible mechanism would be the initial formation of alkyl complexes, which are converted into the final carbene complexes by electrophilic a-abstraction (Figure 3.18). This process is particularly important for the generation of acceptor-substituted carbene complexes (Section 4.1). 

Unusual bridging (//-cyclopropyIidene)diiron complexes having a tetrahedral carbene carbon have been studied as model intermediates in carbon-carbon bond formation in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis248. The cyclopropylidene complexes cis- and trans-[Cp(Co)Fe]2(/(-Co)(//-C,H4) were readily prepared by cyclopropanation in ether, of the corresponding cis- and mww-vinylidene complexes [CpCoFe](//-CO)(//-CH2) with diazomethane in the presence of CuCl (equation 181). Both isomers are air stable in the solid state. Solutions of the complexes are air stable for several hours, provided they are kept in the dark. The pure //-cyclopropylidene isomers slowly interconvert in solution, like their parent /z-vinylidene and other alkylidene complexes. The final equilibrium ratio cis .trans = 4.8 1 is reached after two weeks. 

The chiral Mo-alkylidene complex derived from AROM of a cyclic olefin may also participate in an intermolecular cross metathesis reaction. As depicted in Scheme 16, treatment of meso-72a with a solution of 5 mol % 4a and 2 equivalents of styrene leads to the formation of optically pure 73 in 57% isolated yield and >98% trans olefin selectivity [26]. The Mo-catalyzed AROM/CM reaction can be carried out in the presence of vinylsilanes the derived optically pure 74 (Scheme 16) may subsequently be subjected to Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, allowing access to a wider range of optically pure cyclopentanes. 

These carbene (or alkylidene) complexes are used as either stoichiometric reagents or catalysts for various transformations which are different from those of free carbenes. Reactions involving the carbene complexes of W, Mo, Cr, Re, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ti and Zr are known. Carbene complexes undergo the following transformations (i) alkene metathesis (ii) alkene cyclopropanation (iii) carbonyl alkenation (iv) insertion to C—H, N—H and O—H bonds (v) ylide formation and (vi) dimerization. Their chemoselectivity depends mainly on the metal species and ligands, as discussed in the following sections. 

Alkylidene complexes are of two types. The ones in which the metal is in a low oxidation state, like the chromium complex shown in Fig. 2.4, are often referred to as Fischer carbenes. The other type of alkylidene complexes has the metal ion in a high oxidation state. The tantalum complex is one such example. For both the types of alkylidene complexes direct experimental evidence of the presence of double bonds between the metal and the carbon atom comes from X-ray measurements. Alkylidene complexes are also formed by a-hydride elimination. An interaction between the metal and the a-hydrogen atom of the alkyl group that only weakens the C-H bond but does not break it completely is called an agostic interaction (see Fig. 2.5). An important reaction of alkylidene complexes with alkenes is the formation of a metallocycle. 

The mechanism of all metathesis reactions consists of three basic steps. The first step is the formation of metal-alkylidene complexes. The second step is the formation of metallocyclobutanes. The third step is the opening of the metallocyclobutane rings, which leads to product formation. The catalytic cycle... 

In decomposition reactions of dimethyl-metal complexes of palladium(II) and nickel (II) one finds the formation of only traces of methane [49] which may also attributed to an a-elimination process. In regard to the valence state, note that, formally, the alkylidene ligand is considered as a neutral ligand and therefore, in the tantalum-alkylidene complex in Fig. 4.29, tantalum is trivalent. The electronic structure of the alkylidene is of course reminiscent of the corresponding oxide CpTa(Cl)20, which we would definitely call pentavalent. All that matters is that there should be a sufficient number of electrons for the multiple bonds which we draw. 

Surface chemistry of the alkyl/alkylidene complexes has been studied by C CPMAS NMR spectroscopy. Cp2Ta(= CH2)( CH3) is converted predominantly to a stable cation-hke Cp2Ta( CH3)2+ species on partially dehydroxylated Si02 (PDS) presumably via electrophilic addition of a proton from the PDS surface. The formation of cation-like Cp2Ta( CH3)2+ and CpTa( CH3)3+ is observed when Cp2Ta( CH3)3 and CpTa( CH3)4 are chemisorbed on PDS and dehydroxylated Si02 (DS),... 

Thermolysis of ()) -cyclopentadienyl)bis(neopentyl)(tri-methylphosphine)vanadium(I) (82) in the presence of 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphuio)ethane leads to the formation of the Schrock-type see Schrock-type Carbene Complexes) alkylidene vanadium complex (83), which is supported by X-ray crystallographic analysis (Scheme 45). " The imido vanadium complex (84) is converted to the corresponding alkylidene complex (86) on treatment with ben-zylidene(triphenyl)phosphorane (85) via substitution of the phosphine ligand (Scheme 46). ... 

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