Electron-deficient alkynes

Hydrothiolations (addition of H-SR across the CC multiple bond) of alkynes, electron-deficient aUcenes and electron-deficient vinyl arenes have been catalysed by NHC complexes of Ni and Cu, respectively [Scheme 2.17a-c],... 

Functionalized hydroquinones were obtained via [Cp RuCl2]2-catalyzed cocyclization of alkynes, electron-deficient alkenes, and carbon monoxide [91] [Eq. (36)]. A maleoylruthenium complex is postulated to occur by the reaction of ruthenium with an alkyne and two molecules of carbon monoxide. Subsequent insertion of an electron-deficient alkene and reductive elimination led to hydro-quinone derivatives. 

In the coupling of the allenyl ester 7 with a terminal alkyne, an electron-deficient phosphine (Ph3P) gave the enyne-conjugated ester 8 as the major product, while an electron-rich phosphine (TDMPP or TTMPP) yielded the non-conjugated enyne esters ( )- and (Z)-9[4],... 

The 4-hydroxy-THISs react with electron-deficient alkynes to give cycloadducts (3) that spontaneously eliminate sulfur, producing 2-pyridones (3). Bulky 5-substituents lead to a decrease in the addition rate, and elimination of isocyanate with formation of thiophenes becomes favored (3, 12, 13). Benzyne yields an isolable adduct that exclusively extrudes isocyanate on thermolysis, but sulfur on irradiation (Scheme 7)... 

Hydroxy-THISs react with electron-deficient alkynes to give nonisol-able adducts that extrude carbonyl sulfide, affording pyrroles (23). Compound 16 (X = 0) seems particularly reactive (Scheme 16) (25). The cycloaddition to benzyne yields isoindoles in low- yield. Further cyclo-addition between isoindole and benzyne leads to an iminoanthracene as the main product (Scheme 17). The cycloadducts derived from electron-deficient alkenes are stable (23, 25) unless highly strained. Thus the two adducts, 18a (R = H, R = COOMe) and 18b (R = COOMe, R = H), formed from 7, both extrude furan and COS under the reaction conditions producing the pyrroles (19. R = H or COOMe) (Scheme 18). Similarly, the cycloadduct formed between 16 (X = 0) and dimethylfumarate... 

Tertiary bismuthines appear to have a number of uses in synthetic organic chemistry (32), eg, they promote the formation of 1,1,2-trisubstituted cyclopropanes by the iateraction of electron-deficient olefins and dialkyl dibromomalonates (100). They have also been employed for the preparation of thin films (qv) of superconducting bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide (101), as cocatalysts for the polymerization of alkynes (102), as inhibitors of the flammabihty of epoxy resins (103), and for a number of other industrial purposes. 

In the case of vinylfurans and vinylpyrroles there is the possibility of cycloaddition involving either the cyclic diene system or the diene system including the double bond. 2-Vinylfuran reacts in high yield with maleic anhydride in ether at room temperature to form the adduct involving the exocyclic double bond. Similarly, 2- and 3-vinylpyrroles react with 7T-electron-deficient alkenes and alkynes under relatively mild conditions to give the corresponding tetrahydro- and dihydro-indoles (Scheme 51) (80JOC4515). 

The exploration of the chemistry of azirines has led to the discovery of several pyrrole syntheses. From a mechanistic viewpoint the simplest is based upon their ability to behave as a-amino ketone equivalents in reactions analogous to the Knorr pyrrole synthesis cf. Section 3.03.3.2.2), as illustrated in Schemes 91a and 91b for reactions with carbanions. Parallel reactions with enamines or a-keto phosphorus ylides can be effected with electron-deficient 2//-azirines (Scheme 91c). Conversely, electron-rich azirines react with electron deficient alkynes (Scheme 91d). 

Small shift values for CH or CHr protons may indicate cyclopropane units. Proton shifts distinguish between alkyne CH (generally Sh = 2.5 - 3.2), alkene CH (generally 4, = 4.5-6) and aro-matic/heteroaromatic CH (Sh = 6 - 9.5), and also between rr-electron-rich (pyrrole, fiiran, thiophene, 4/ = d - 7) and Tt-electron-deficient heteroaromatic compounds (pyridine, Sh= 7.5 - 9.5). 

The first example of a cyclization of fluorine-containing 5-hexenyl radicals was the study of the radical-iniOated cyclodimenzation reaction of 3,3,4,4-tetra-fluoro-4-iodo-1-butene. In this reaction, the intermediate free radical adds either to more of the butene or to an added unsaturated species [54, 55] (equation 56). Electron-deficient alkenes are not as effective trapping agents as electron-nch alkenes and alkynes [55]. 

The diamagnetic ylide complexes 34 have been obtained from the reaction of electron-deficient complexes [MoH(SR)3(PMePh2)] and alkynes (HC=CTol for the scheme), via the formal insertion of the latter into the Mo-P bond. The structural data show that 34 corresponds to two different resonance-stabilized ylides forms 34a (a-vinyl form) and 34b (carbene ylide form) (Scheme 17) [73]. Concerning the group 7 recent examples of cis ylide rhenium complexes 36 cis-Me-Re-Me) have been reported from the reaction of the corresponding trans cationic alkyne derivatives 35 with PR" via a nucleophilic attack of this phosphine at the alkyne carbon. 

A related unprecedented double insertion of electron-deficient alkynes has also been reported in the reactions of the linear Pt2Pd heterotrimetallic complex 64 with 65 (RO2CCSCR) (Scheme 24) [95,96]. A series of unsymmetri-cal A-frame clusters 68 has thus been obtained in which a first insertion of the alkyne takes place site-selectively into the Pt-Pd bond vs the Pt-Pt bond (66). After a zwitter-ionic polar activation of the resulting inserted alkene (67), a subsequent reaction with the phosphine unit of the dpmp allows one to obtain the products 68 via the nucleophilic migration of the terminal P atom from the Pd center to the CH terminal carbon (formation of the P-C bond). 

Recently, Li et al. have reported an efficient 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azides with electron-deficient alkynes without any catalysts at room temperature in water.128 The reaction has been applied successfully to the coupling of an azido-DNA molecule with electron-deficient alkynes for the formation of [l,2,3]-triazole heterocycle (Eq. 4.66). 

In a, P-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and related electron-deficient alkenes and alkynes, there exist two electrophilic sites and both are prone to be attacked by nucleophiles. However, the conjugated site is considerably softer compared with the unconjugated site, based on the Frontier Molecular Orbital analysis.27 Consequently, softer nucleophiles predominantly react with a, (i-unsaturated carbonyl compounds through conjugate addition (or Michael addition). Water is a hard solvent. This property of water has two significant implications for conjugate addition reactions (1) Such reactions can tolerate water since the nucleophiles and the electrophiles are softer whereas water is hard and (2) water will not compete with nucleophiles significantly in such... 

Another impressive example is the synthesis of paracyclophanes as 4-9 by Hopf [3], starting from a 1,2,4,5-hexatetraene 4-6 and an electron-deficient alkyne 4-7 to give 4-9 via the intermediate 4-8 (Scheme 4.2). 

The Michael addition of nitro compounds to electron-deficient alkynes affords allylic nitro compounds in good yields, in which KF-/j-Bu4NC1 in DMSO is used as a base and solvent (Eq. 4.118).161... 

Iodonium ylides reacted with electron-deficient alkynes or conjugated Rh-catalyst to form trisubstituted furans in moderate yields as depicted in the... 

Triazole derivatives are very interesting compounds that can be prepared by 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions between azides and alkynes. Loupy and Palacios reported that electron-deficient acetylenes react with azidoethylphosphonate 209 to form the regioisomeric substituted 1,2,3-triazoles 210 and 211 under microwaves in solvent-free conditions (Scheme 9.65) [114]. This procedure avoids the harsh reaction conditions associated with thermal cycloadditions (toluene under reflux) and the very long reaction times. 

A new three-component approach to the highly substituted 2,5-dihydro-l,2,4-oxadiazoles 359 has been reported from the reaction of nitriles 354 under mild conditions with iV-alkylhydroxylamines 355 in the presence of electron-deficient alkynes 356 (Scheme 60) <20050L1391>. This synthesis is proposed to proceed via the initial formation of the alkyl or arylamidoximes 357, which then undergo a sequential double Michael addition to the electron deficient alkyne. The intermediate alkyl or arylamidoximes 357 can be isolated and then reacted with the alkyne to produce the product. The initial Michael adduct 358 is stable in cases where R2 is H. 

Imino-1,2,4-thiadiazoles such as 27 react with electron-deficient alkynes to afford arylimino thiazoles such as 28. There has been some speculation as to the mechanism of this reaction, which may involve a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition or a stepwise nucleophilic addition (Equation 6) <1996CHEC-II(4)307>. 

Domino reactions of imines with difluorocarbene in the presence of electron-deficient alkynes lead to 2-fluoropyrroles. For instance, reaction of A-benzylideneaniline (18) with difluorocarbene yields an intermediate azomethine ylide 19 capable of undergoing 1,3-... 

In work reminiscent of earlier studies by van der Plas <89T803, 89T5611>, Dehaen and co-workers illustrated how the electron deficient pyrimidine ring can be exploited in the intramolecular inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reactions of pyrimidine-tethered alkynes 102 <00SL625>. Under thermal conditions, pyridines 103 were produced in modest to excellent yields. 

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