Arene derivatives carbon-hydrogen activation

Co-condensation of transition metal atoms with arenes such as benzene and toluene is well known to yield bis-arene-metal compounds. However, in many cases the yields based on the metal atoms are less than 40%. Evidence that competing reactions such as carbon-hydrogen activation can occur is provided by the isolation of non-metal-containing products such as biaryl derivatives (2JL). ... 

Several carbon-hydrogen bond substitutions are involved in the palladium-catalysed reaction of arylsulfonic acids with arenes to yield aromatic sulfones. A plausible mechanism, shown in Scheme 9, involves the initial formation of the palladacycle (99) which, after eoupling with the arene, yields the biphenyl derivative (100). Further coordination and carbon-hydrogen activation gives the seven-membered palladacycle (101) that affords the sulfone, (102), after reductive elimination. ... 

Important advances in the field of C-H bond activation have involved the photochemical reactions of boryl complexes such as Cp W(CO)3(Bcat) (98, cat = 1,2-02-3,5-Me2C6H2). Transient species derived from these complexes efficiently activate the C-H bonds of alkanes and arenes (see Alkane Carbon-Hydrogen Bond Activation), and they can convert hydrocarbon solvents into alkylboronate esters (equation 27). Experimental and theoretical studies have shown that these reactions proceed via a boron-assisted, a-bond metathesis see a-Bond Metathesis) pathway involving back donation of electron density from the tungsten atom to a formally unoccupied p orbital centered on the boryl ligand. ... 

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