Alkynes, cycloaddition with cyclotrimerization

The cobalt catalyzed cocyclization of alkynes with heterofunctional substrates is not limited to nitriles. cpCo-core complexes are capable of co-oligomerizing alkynes with a number of C,C, C,N or C,0 double bonds in a Diels-Alder-type reaction. Chen, in our laboratories, has observed that these cycloadditions are best performed with the help of stabilizers such as ketones or acetic esters that are weakly coordinated to the cobalt and prevent the alkynes from being cyclotrimerized at the metal center... 

Related co-cyclotrimerizations of two alkyne molecules with limited isocyanates have also been achieved using cobalt and nickel catalysts. With respect to intramolecular versions, two examples of the cobalt(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition of a,m-diynes with isocyanates have been reported to afford bicyclic pyri-dones only in low yields, although 2,3-dihydro-5(lff)-indolizinones were successfully obtained from isocyanatoalkynes and several silylalkynes with the same cobalt catalysis [19]. On the other hand, the ruthenium catalysis using Cp RuCl(cod) as a precatalyst effectively catalyzed the cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes 21 with 4 equiv. of isocyanates in refluxing 1,2-dichloroethane to afford bicyclic pyridones 25 in 58-93% yield (Eq. 12) [20]. In this case,both aryl and aliphatic isocyanates can be widely employed. 

Alkynes can also serve as substrates in [3 -I- 2] cycloadditions to MCP, as exemplified by the reaction of but-2-yne under nickel/phosphite catalysis to provide l,2-dimethyl-4-methylene-cyclopent-l-ene (2). 2 However, alkyne oligomerization, specifically cyclotrimerization, cannot be avoided with alkyl-substituted alkynes. When alkynes with electron-withdrawing substituents are employed, cyclotrimerization becomes the exclusive reaction. 

Transition-metal-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2]-cycloaddition of alkynes, so-called cyclotrimerization, has been widely investigated as a powerful tool to construct benzene rings.117 Cyclotrimerization of the amino-dialkynes and dialkynyl ethers 109 with alkynes provides various kinds of benzene-fused aza- and oxa-heterocyclic compounds 111 (Scheme 39, route a).118 The key intermediate for the [2 + 2 + 2]-cycloaddition is the metallacyclopentadienes 110, as men-... 

The reactions that yield benzene rings can be categorized further into the following types according to the substrates involved (1) intermolecular cycloaddition of three alkynes (cyclotrimerization), (2) partially intramolecular cycloaddition ofdiynes with alkynes, and (3) fully intramolecular cyclotrimerization of triynes. In the next section, the synthetic routes to benzene derivatives using ruthenium-catalyzed cycloaddition are surveyed according to these classifications. Classic examples of [2 + 2 + 2] alkyne cycloadditions using stoichiometric ruthenium mediators are included since they provide useful information on the further development of ruthenium catalysis. 

Most transition-metal-mediated alkyne cyclotrimerizations proceed via the general mechanism, which is known as the common mechanism and involves the initial formation of a metallacyclopentadiene intermediate (A) by the oxidative cychzation of two alkyne molecules on a low-valent metal center (Scheme 3.19) [69], The metallacyclopentadiene intermediate then possibly reacts with a third alkyne molecule via insertion to produce metallacycloheptatriene B, which yields the final aromatic product by subsequent reductive elimination. Alternatively, metallacyclopentadiene A undergoes [4 + 2] cycloaddition with an alkyne to produce metallanorbornadiene C [70]. 

Recent theoretical studies on the cyclotrimerization of alkynes catalyzed by Cp RuCl have proposed a new mechanism from ruthenacyclopentadiene to mthenacycloheptatriene (Scheme 5.27). This mechanism is not the simple insertion of alkyne into a Ru—C bond. Ruthenecyclopentadiene 66 undergoes [2 + 2] cycloaddition with alkyne to give l-ruthenabicyclo[3.2.0]hepta-l,3,6-triene 67, which then isomerizes to ruthenacycloheptatriene 68 [10a,41]. Isolation of 64 from the reaction of iridacyclopentadiene 63 with 2-butyne and the observation of isomerization from 65 to 64 constitute direct evidence of the proposed mechanism of alkyne cyclotrimerization based on the theoretical study. 

Given the commercial availability of alkynes as two-carbon components, the intermolecular [5 + 2]-cycloaddition of alkynes and VCPs represents a potentially practical route to seven-membered rings. However, initial attempts at an intermolecular [5 + 2]-reaction of alkynes and VCPs with modified Wilkinson s catalysts led to cyclotrimerization of the alkynes and/or isomerization of the VCPs. The first intermolecular [5 + 2]-cycloaddition of alkynes was realized... 

A combination of the alkyne cyclotrimerization catalyzed by RhCl(PPh3)3 with a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition provides rapid access to 3-dihydroindenylmethyl-3,7-diaza[3.3.0]-octane 61 in excellent yield thus five new bonds, four stereocenters, and three rings are created in a one-pot operation (Scheme 7.18) [41]. 

An analogous cleavage of a nickeladisilacyclopentene with alkyne is shown in entry 116. It has been pointed out (297) that these reactions show certain similarities to metal-catalyzed cyclotrimerization of alkynes or to cycloaddition of alkynes and substituted disilanes, postulated to involve Si-metal intermediates. 

A highly electron-deficient carbon-oxygen double bond can also participate in the co-cyclotrimerization with alkynes under the ruthenium catalysis. The cycloaddition of commercially available diethyl ketomalonate with the diynes 21 proceeded at 90 °C in the presence of 5-10 mol % Cp RuCl(cod). The expected fused 2ff-pyrans 27, however, underwent thermal electrocyclic ringopening to produce cyclopentene derivatives 28 (Eq. 14) [23]. 

Intramolecular [2+2+2] cyclotrimerizations of diynes and triynes possessing heteroatom tethers furnish benzoheterocycles. The cyclization of triynes 88 using the Grubbs catalyst 76 proceeds via cascade metathesis as shown in Eq. (35) to yield a tricyclic product 89 [88]. This novel type of catalytic alkyne cyclotrimerization can be applied to the cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes with monoalkynes [89]. 

Complex 224 is also obtained by cyclotrimerization of acetylene promoted by complex 223, with displacement of the bicyclotriene ligand. It is noteworthy that complex 223 is obtained from 200 by simple cycloaddition of alkyne to the cyclooctatriene ligand (139) [Eq. (24)]. 

Numerous transition metal-mediated [2 + 2+2] cycloadditions have been utilized in the synthesis of pyridines . Selective cyclotrimerization of alkynes with nitriles leads to pentasubstituted pyridines 310 with minimal formation of benzenoid byproducts (Scheme 157) <20000L3131>. Different alkynes can be utilized in the same strategy if a sequential approach is used (Scheme 158) <2000JA4994>. 

The Pauson-Khand reaction (PKR) is among the most powerful transformations in terms of molecular complexity increment [1]. Only a few of other reactions like the Diels-Alder, or the cyclotrimerization of alkynes can compete with the PKR, which consists formally of a [2 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition in which a triple bond, a double bond and carbon monoxide form a cy-clopentenone [2-12], This constitutes one of the best ways to construct cyclopentenones, which upon further transformations can be converted into structures present in numerous natural products (Scheme 1). 

Compared with the Diels-Alder reaction, the [2+2+2]-cycloaddition is potentially more powerful since the number of new bonds as well as chirality centers that are formed is higher. Unfortunately, the reaction seems to be entropically or kinetically unfavorable. This disadvantage can, however, be overcome by the use of transition metal catalysts (templates). Among the most successful examples of this reaction type, the nickel(II) catalyzed Reppe reactions 96), the cobalt(I) catalyzed cocyclizations of a,to-diynes with alkynes 97), the cobalt(I) catalyzed pyridine synthesis 985 and last but not least the palladium(0) catalyzed cyclotrimerizations of 3,3-dialkylcyclopropenes to frans-cr-tris-homobenzenes must be mentioned. The latter has been known for ten years 99>. 

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