Carbene from vinylidene complexes

Fig. 2.9. Generation of carbene complexes from vinylidene complexes.

One-electron oxidation of the vinylidene complex transforms it from an Fe=C axially symmetric Fe(ll) carbene to an Fe(lll) complex where the vinylidene carbon bridges between iron and a pyrrole nitrogen. Cobalt and nickel porphyrin carbene complexes adopt this latter structure, with the carbene fragment formally inserted into the metal-nitrogen bond. The difference between the two types of metalloporphyrin carbene, and the conversion of one type to the other by oxidation in the case of iron, has been considered in a theoretical study. The comparison is especially interesting for the iron(ll) and cobalt(lll) carbene complexes Fe(Por)CR2 and Co(Por)(CR2) which both contain metal centers yet adopt... 

Obviously, the first intermediates in the syntheses with terminal alkynols are the vinylidene complexes [Ru(bdmpza)Cl(=C= CH(CH2) +iOH)(PPhg)] (n = 1, 2), which then react further via an intramolecular addition of the alcohol functionality to the a-carbon (Scheme 22), although in none of our experiments we were able to observe or isolate any intermediate vinylidene complexes. The subsequent intramolecular ring closure provides the cyclic carbene complexes with a five-membered ring in case of the reaction with but-3-yn-l-ol and with a six-membered ring in case of pent-4-yn-l-ol. For both products type A and type B isomers 35a-I/35a-II and 35b-I/ 35b-II are observed (Scheme 22, Fig. 22). The molecular structure shows a type A isomer 35b-I with the carbene ligand and the triphenylphosphine ligand in the two trans positions to the pyrazoles and was obtained from an X-ray structure determination (Fig. 25). 

Table 2.7. Formation of heteroatom-substituted carbene complexes from alkynes, vinylidene complexes, and alkynyl complexes.

Protonation of alkenyl complexes has been used [56,534,544,545] for generating cationic, electrophilic carbene complexes similar to those obtained by a-abstraction of alkoxide or other leaving groups from alkyl complexes (Section 3.1.2). Some representative examples are sketched in Figure 3.27. Similarly, electron-rich alkynyl complexes can react with electrophiles at the P-position to yield vinylidene complexes [144,546-551]. This approach is one of the most appropriate for the preparation of vinylidene complexes [128]. Figure 3.27 shows illustrative examples of such reactions. 

Alkynes react readily with a variety of transition metal complexes under thermal or photochemical conditions to form the corresponding 7t-complexes. With terminal alkynes the corresponding 7t-complexes can undergo thermal or chemically-induced isomerization to vinylidene complexes [128,130,132,133,547,556-569]. With mononuclear rj -alkyne complexes two possible mechanisms for the isomerization to carbene complexes have been considered, namely (a) oxidative insertion of the metal into the terminal C-Fl bond to yield a hydrido alkynyl eomplex, followed by 1,3-hydrogen shift from the metal to Cn [570,571], or (b) eoneerted formation of the M-C bond and 1,2-shift of H to Cp [572]. 

Scheme 5.8 Formation of a Fischer-carbene complex from vinylidene by Rudler.

Alkoxy(alkyl)carbene complexes are formed more or less rapidly from alcohols and cationic vinylidene complexes (14, 40-43) ... 

The conventional vinylidene complex could be isolated when the hydroxyl group was protected as the tetrahydropyranyl ether derivative reaction of this with acid immediately gave the cyclic carbene complex, even under mild conditions. The reaction is related to the formation of similar nickel(II)- and platinum(IV)-carbene complexes from the [Pg.71]

Tables I and II summarize the structural studies of mononuclear and binuclear vinylidene complexes, and Table III those of propadienylidene complexes which had been reported to mid-1982. As can be seen, the C=C bond lengths range from 1.29 to 1.38 A, and the M-C bond (1.7-2.0 A) is considerably shorter than those found in alkyl or simple carbene complexes. Both observations are consistent with the theoretical picture outlined above, and in particular, the short M-C bonds confirm the efficient transfer of electron density to the n orbitals. In mononuclear complexes, the M—C=C system ranges from strictly linear to appreciably bent, e.g., 167° in MoCl[C=C(CN)2][P(OMe3)2]2(fj-C5H5) these variations have been attributed to electronic rather than steric factors. In the molybdenum complex cited, the vinylidene ligand bends towards the cyclopentadienyl ring (111).

As a supporting evidence, it is well-known that the electron-rich 0 6-arene)Ru complex of terminal alkyne 428 rearranges easily by the treatment with NaPR, of the )/ -vinylidenc complex 429, which is a strongly electrophilic carbene complex. Attack of ROH on the carbene carbon generates the the alkoxycarbene complex 431 via 430 [166]. Formation of ketone 427 by attack of the allylic alcohol is understanable by this mechanism. Formation of Ru-vinylidene complex 429 from the terminal alkyne has been proposed as the intermediate 432 of the reaction of terminal alkyne, amine and CO2 to form the vinyl carbamate 433 [167,168]. 

Most efforts to explore the reactivity of ruthenium carbene complexes have employed the alkoxycarbene species so readily synthesized from the inter- or intramolecular reaction of vinylidene complexes with alcohols. These electrophilic alkoxycarbene complexes exhibit only limited reactivity at Ca, primarily with hydride reagents. For example, treatment of the 2-oxacyclopentylidene complex 97 with NaAlH2(OCH2CH2OMe)2 affords the neutral 2-tetrahydrofuranyl complex (98) [Eq. (89)] (55), as was anticipated from similar reductions of iron carbene complexes (87). 

Several groups have completed computational studies on the relative stabilities of osmium carbyne, carbene, and vinylidene species. DFT calculations on the relative thermodynamic stability of the possible products from the reaction of OsH3Cl(PTr3)2 with a vinyl ether CH2=CH(OR) showed that the carbyne was favored. Ab initio calculations indicate that the vinylidene complex [CpOs(=C=CHR)L]+ is more stable than the acetylide, CpOs(-C=CR)L, or acetylene, [CpOs() -HC=CR)L]+, complexes but it doesn t form from these complexes spontaneously. The unsaturated osmium center in [CpOsL]+ oxidatively adds terminal alkynes to give [CpOsH(-C=CR)L]+. Deprotonation of the metal followed by protonation of the acetylide ligand gives the vinylidene product. 

Scheme 8.74, path B is reminiscent of the electrophilic attack at oxygen of acylmetal complex shown in Eq. 8.5. Another electrophilic route to carbene complex is the reaction of alkylmetals with Ph3C" , as shown in Eq. 8.25 [136]. An electrophilic attack that is similar to Scheme 8.74, path B but appears potentially more signihcant in catalysis is that of alkynylmetal complex to generate vinyli-dene ligand. Although Scheme 8.17 described direct formation of the vinylidene complex from M+ and terminal alkyne, this complex is sometimes derived by treatment of M-C = CR with H+ via -attack [137]. 

Iron porphyrin carbenes and vinylidenes are photoactive and possess a unique photochemistry since the mechanism of the photochemical reaction suggests the Hberation of free carbene species in solution [ 110,111 ]. These free carbenes can react with olefins to form cyclopropanes (Eq. 15). The photochemical generation of the free carbene fragment from a transition metal carbene complex has not been previously observed [112,113]. Although the photochemistry of both Fischer and Schrock-type carbene has been investigated, no examples of homolytic carbene dissociation have yet been foimd. In the case of the metalloporphyrin carbene complexes, the lack of other co-ordinatively labile species and the stability of the resulting fragment both contribute to the reactivity of the iron-carbon double bond. Thus, this photochemical behavior is quite different to that previously observed with other classes of carbene complexes [113,114]. 

In some cases, vinylidene complexes undergo [2-t-2] reactions that are characteristic of Fischer and Schrock carbene complexes. However, these [2+2] reactions involving vinylidene complexes can result from nucleophilic addition at the central carbon, rather than a concerted [2+2] process. For example, the reaction of an imine with the iron-vinylidene complex in Equation 13.28 leads to formation the product of a [2+2] reaction between the carbon-nitrogen double bond and the carbon-carbon double bond. ° - This reaction is believed to occur by nucleophilic attack of the nitrogen at the central carbon, followed by ring closure at the p-carbon, instead of a concerted [2+2] process. 

The reluctance of the carbyne carbon to react with nucleophiles is revealed by the reaction with LiEt3BH (see Scheme 6). Here the most electrophilic site is not the carbyne carbon but the ipara position of the aryl ring in the carbyne substituent Both ruthenium and osmium five coordinate, cationic, carbyne complexes undergo this reaction. The structure of a representative example, the osmium compound derived from the p-tolyl carbyne complex, has been determined by X-ray crystallography [16]. The unusual vinylidene complex reacts with HCl to produce a substituted benzyl derivative. The reaction may proceed through the intermediate a-vinyl complex depicted in Scheme 6 although there is also the possibility that the vinylidene compound is in equilibrium with the carbene tautomer as shown below. 

Alternately, vinylidene complexes can be produced either from Ru hydride complexes, by insertion of the triple bond to form a vinyl Ru intermediate which further undergoes a-hydrogen migration, or from a Ru carbene, by a... 

Some of the vinylidene complexes include cobalt, rhodium and rhenium in halfsandwich complexes, which are synthesized from acetylene complexes". This reaction involves an intermediate alkinyl(hydrido) complex, which can sometimes be isolated. The bonding between the metal and the a-carbon atom in vinylidene rhodium complexes is shorter than in carbene rhodium complexes, which indicates a high electron density on the center atom. 

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