Allenylidene Complexes in Catalysis

Metal allenylidene complexes (M=C=C=CR2) are organometallic species having a double bond betv een a metal and a carbon, such as metal carbenes (M=CR2), metal vinylidenes (M=C=CR2), and other metal cumulenylidenes like M=C=C= C=CR2 [1]. These metal-carbon double bonds are reactive enough to be employed for many organic transformations, both catalytically and stoichiometrically [1, 2]. Especially, the metathesis of alkenes via metal carbenes may be one ofthe most useful reactions in the field of recent organic synthesis [3], vhile metal vinylidenes are also revealed to be the important species in many organic syntheses such as alkyne polymerization and cycloaromatization [4, 5]. 

Cy atoms of allenylidene ligands can work as electrophilic centers, while the Cp atom 

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The involvement of transition-metal allenylidene complexes in homogeneous catalysis was reported for the first time by B. M. Trost and co-workers in 1992 (Scheme 35) [293-295]. The catalytic reactions allowed the preparation of a wide variety of tetrahydropyranyl and furanyl p,y-unsaturated ketones starting from hydroxy-functionalized alkynols and allylic alcohols, the key step in the catalytic... 

The formation of allenylidene derivatives from ethynyl-hexanol and alkenyl-vinylidene mononuclear complexes (9), the formation of mononuclear ruthenium allenyl complexes from terminal alkynes (10), the intermediacy of ruthenium-allenylidene complexes in forming propargylic alcohols (II), and in the cyclization of propargyl alcohols (12), and the use of mononuclear ruthenium compounds in allylic alkylation catalysis (13) have also been reported. 

Abstract Allenylidene complexes have gained considerable significance in the context of transition-metal carbene chemistry due to their potential applications in organic synthesis. The aim of this chapter is to draw together a general presentation of the most efficient synthetic routes, the main structural features and reactivity patterns, as well as current applications in homogeneous catalysis, of aU-carbon-substituted allenylidenes and related cumulenylidene complexes containing an odd number of carbon atoms. 

The content of this book gathers in the same volume all aspects of vinylidene- and allenylidene-metal complexes, including the preparation of these organometallic carbon-rich systems with a metal-carbon double bond, their stoichiometric reactivity and theoretical aspects, and their applications in catalysis for the production of fine chemicals, mainly in the field of selective transformations of functional terminal alkynes. It provides essential general information on catalytic transformations of alkynes and their use in synthesis. 

Iridium-carbon multiple bonds allenylidene complexes, 7, 355 carbene complexes, 7, 344 carbyne complexes, 7, 361 higher cumulenylidene complexes, 7, 358 vinylidene complexes, 7, 352 Iridium-carbon single-bonded complexes alkenyl complexes, 7, 319 alkyl and aryl complexes, 7, 303 in C-C bond-forming catalysis, 7, 335 characteristics, 7, 303... 

Thiolate-bridged diruthenium complexes such as Cp RuCl(p2-SR)2RuCp Cl catalyze the propargylic substitution reaction of propargylic alcohol derivatives with various carbon-centered nucleophiles [118-120]. Ketones [119] (Eq. 88), aromatic compounds [120] (Eq. 89), or alkenes thus selectively afford the corresponding propargylated products with C-C bond formation. An allenylidene intermediate is proposed in these reactions. They are detailed in the chapter Ruthenium Vinylidenes and Allenylidenes in Catalysis of this volume. 

The activation of terminal alkynes and propargylic alcohols by appropriate ruthenium complexes provides general and easy access to ruthenium vinyli-dene and allenylidene intermediates. These cumulenic systems offer a variety of possibilities in catalysis for selective transformations of acetylenic deriva-... 

Some general reviews relating to the chemistry of Ru/Os-r hydrocarbon complexes appear in the literature the reactivity of Ru-H bonds with alkenes and alkynes/ aspects of ruthenium/osmium vinylidene/allenylidene/cumul-enylidene complexes,equilibria of M-R/M=CR2/M=CR complexes, the organometallic chemistry of metal porphyrin complexes, and the reactions of [Os(P Pr3)2(CO)HGl], ruthenium pyrazoly I borate complexes,and metallabenzynes. Other reviews relate more to applications of some of the complexes outlined in this chapter. See, for example, metal vinylidenes in catalysis,the development of Grubbs-type alkene metathesis catalysts, applications of ruthenium/osmium carbene complexes in metathesis polymerization, and the role of Ru /V-hetero-cyclic carbene complexes in metathesis polymerization. ... 

A number of processes catalyzed by the dithiolate-bridged species have been mentioned already however, the extensive reactivity of alkynes within these systems has led to a number of more recent reports on their use in catalysis. The allenylidene complex 363 (R = Tol, R = Me 864 salt) has been identified as an intermediate in the catalysis of propargylic alcohol substitution reactions with alcohols in high yields and with complete regioselectivities... 

Highly reactive organic vinylidene and allenylidene species can be stabilized upon coordination to a metal center [1]. In 1979, Bruce et al. [2] reported the first ruthenium vinylidene complex from phenylacetylene and [RuCpCl(PPh3)2] in the presence of NH4PF6. Following this report, various mthenium vinylidene complexes have been isolated and their physical and chemical properties have been extensively elucidated [3]. As the a-carbon of ruthenium vinylidenes and the a and y-carbon of ruthenium allenylidenes are electrophilic in nature [4], the direct formation of ruthenium vinylidene and ruthenium allenylidene species, respectively, from terminal alkynes and propargylic alcohols provides easy access to numerous catalytic reactions since nucleophilic addition at these carbons is a viable route for new catalysis (Scheme 6.1). 

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