Alkynes transition metal-catalyzed/promoted

Due to the low reactivity of alkyl and arylorganozinc reagents towards alkenes and alkynes, it appears clear that the carbozincation chemistry for this class of reagents is intimately associated with transition metal catalysts. Some of the metal-catalyzed/promoted reactions do indeed produce organozinc reagents as the final organometallic species that can further react with an appropriate electrophile, whereas other processes lead to highly functionalized products by an entirely different pathway. 

The intramolecular Alder-ene reaction (enyne cydoisomerization reaction) with alkynes as the enophiles has found wide application compared with diene systems. The reason may be the ready chemo-differentiation between alkene and alkyne functionality and the more reactive alkyne moiety. Furthermore, the diene nature of the products will promote further applications such as Diels-Alder reactions in organic synthesis. Over the past two decades the transition metal-catalyzed Alder-ene cycloisomerization of l,n-enynes (typically n= 6, 7) has emerged as a very powerful method for constructing complicated carbo- or heterocydic frameworks. The transition metals for this transformation indude Pd, Pt, Co, Ru, Ni-Cr, and Rh. Lewis acid-promoted cydoisomerization of activated enynes has also been reported [11],... 

The use of alkynes in transition metal catalyzed reactions is often complicated by their tendency to undergo cyclo-tiimerization and -tetramerization. Thus, it is useful to note that a phosphite-modified catalyst, Ni(COD)2Aris(o-phenylphenyl) phosphite (TOPP), promotes codimerization of alkynes with methylenecyclopropane and its a ylidene analogs. Both electron-rich and electron-poor alkynes participate in cycloaddition with moderate regioselectivity. Opposite regiochemistiy is sometimes observed widi disubstituted alkylidene systems (equations 97-99). 

It has been shown that the stereochemistry of the hydrosilylation of 1-aUcynes giving 1-silyl-l-alkenes depends on the catalysts or promoters used. For example, the reactions under radical conditions give the cis-product predominantly via trans-addition , while the platinum-catalyzed reactions afford the trans-product via exclusive cts-addition. In the reactions catalyzed by rhodium complexes, thermodynamically unfavorable c/s-1-silyl-l-alkenes are formed via apparent trans-addition as the major or almost exclusive product. Since the trans-addition of HSiEts to 1-alkynes catalyz by RhCl(PPh3)3 was first reported in 1974 , there have been controversy and dispute on the mechanism of this mysterious trans-addition that is vray rare in transition-metal-catalyzed addition reactions to aUtynes. Recently, iridium 4i6 mthenium complexes were also found to give the ds-product with extremely high selectivity (vide supra). 

The use of [RhCl(CO)2]2 in intermolecular [5+2] cycloadditions often require heating, which in turn promotes competing cyclotrimerization of alkyne starting materials, decomposition of the VCP, or formation of undesired secondary isomerization products. Such transition metal-catalyzed intermolecular cycloadditions pose particular chemo-and regioselectivity challenges as well as entropic penalties not encountered in intramolecular processes, as the latter benefit from tether-derived alignment and proximity of reactive functionalities not possible in the former. In this context, Wender et al. have recently demonstrated that the cationic rhodium(I) complex, [RhCCioHsKcod)]" SbFe, promoted the remarkably efficient intermolecular [5+2] cycloaddition of 1-alkoxy-VCP 37, and 1-alkyi-VCP 42... 

The key success of these metal-catalyzed processes lies in the replacement of an unachievable carbozincation by an alternative carbometallation involving the transition metal catalyst, or another pathway such as an alkene-alkene (or alkyne) oxidative coupling promoted by a group IV transition metal complex, followed by transmetallation. An organozinc is ultimately produced and the latter can be functionalized by reaction with electrophiles. 

In the Bu3SnH-promoted radical reactions to aliphatic alkynes, using initiators such as AIBN, Et3B, and ultrasound104 furnishes /3-adducts as a mixture of (E)- and (Z)-isomers. Lewis acid catalysts give /3-(Z) isomers,96 whereas transition metal catalysts furnish the predominant formation of (3-(E) isomers.105 The a-stannylation of simple aliphatic alkynes, however, is particularly difficult because of the absence of anchor substituents such as ethers. In the general hydrostannations of aliphatic alkynes, a-adducts are obtained only as minor adducts in the Pd-catalyzed reaction (Equation (35)). 

Reactions catalyzed by transition-metal complexes allow the synthesis of a variety of esters ruthenium(II) promotes the addition of acids to alkynes,379 380 e.g. 2,6-difluorobenzoic acid (9) undergoes addition to but-l-en-3-yne to furnish the enol ester 10.380 Aryl bromides381 and aryl or vinyl triflates,382-384 but also aryl chlorides when their tricarbonylchromium(O) complexes are used,385 react with palladium382- 385 or cobalt complexes38 to form a C —M bond. Insertion of carbon monoxide into the carbon-metal bond followed by trapping with an alcohol or phenol leads to ester formation, e.g. triflate 11 gives ester 12.382... 

As is clear from the introductory discussion, most, if not all, of the d-block transition metals are expected to participate in reactions that are related to those discussed here. In addition to the Co-based methodology mentioned earlier, some related reactions of Pd and are known. Also related are the cyclization reactions of metal-carbene complexes containing Cr, Mo, W and other transition metals with alkynes and alkenes and a recently reported Nb- or Ta-promoted diyne-alkyne cyclization reaction, which appears to be closely related to a number of previously developed alkyne cyclotrimerization reactions, such as those catalyzed by Co. Investigations of reactions involving other transition metals may prove to be important especially from the viewpoint of developing asymmetric and catalytic procedures. 

Previously in Chapter 12 we have seen several examples of cydization reactions that have involved transition metal catalysis. In Chapter 11, we introduced Mo- and Ru-catalyzed RCM as a means of converting acyclic dienes, alkene-alkynes, and dialkynes into rings containing carbon-carbon double and triple bonds. Section 12-5 will cover a few cases where organotransition metal complexes effectively promote the construction of rings where two or more C-C bond connections occur during the same transformation. Some examples will be extensions of reactions already covered, whereas others will entail new chemistry. 

The more complex [2 -f 2 + 2] cycloisomerization reaction of acetylene units is also catalyzed by transition metal-alkyne n complexation and can be readily utilized for the synthesis of a variety of polysubstimted benzene derivatives in a straightforward manner (10, 352, 353). Recently, this methodology has been applied to the cyclization of 15-membered, nitrogen-containing di- and triacetylenic macrocycles. Upon coordination with Pd(0) to the triacetylenic macrocycle at ambient temperature, the ti-coordinated Pd(0) complex results. Subsequent refluxing of this species in toluene promotes cycloisomerization to the hexasubstituted arene (354) (Scheme 28). The Rh(I) [e.g., RhCl(CO)(PPh3)2] complex also catalyzes these same transformations in high (>80%) yields. 

This trend was rather surprising, since it had been generally accepted that a transition metal or metal complex catalyzed hydrosilylation of alkynes proceeded through exclusive ds-addition2. The stereoselectivity observed in this reaction resembles that obtained in the peroxide-promoted reaction of trichlorosilane with alkynes63,37. 

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