Carbene insertion reactions Lewis acid

The Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction outlined in Scheme 43 also explains the formation of alkylrhodium complexes 414 from iodorhodium(III) meso-tetraphenyl-porphyrin 409 and various diazo compounds (Scheme 42)398), It seems reasonable to assume that intermediates 418 or 419 (corresponding to 415 and 417 in Scheme 43) are trapped by an added nucleophile in the reaction with ethyl diazoacetate, and that similar intermediates, by proton loss, give rise to vinylrhodium complexes from ethyl 2-diazopropionate or dimethyl diazosuccinate. As the rhodium porphyrin 409 is also an efficient catalyst for cyclopropanation of olefins with ethyl diazoacetate 87,1°°), stj bene formation from aryl diazomethanes 358 and carbene insertion into aliphatic C—H bonds 287, intermediates 418 or 419 are likely to be part of the mechanistic scheme of these reactions, too. 

In addition to the preparations of ethanoadamantane via Lewis acid catalyzed rearrangement of various polycyclic hydrocarbons described above (Section II. A.1), a ring closure reaction of a substituted adamantane has also been developed. Treatment of 2-adamantyl diazoketone with copper results in the intramolecular carbene insertion illustrated in Eq. (48) 14°1. 

The Coordination Chemistry of a Dialkylstannylene. In terms of the solution behavior of Sn CH(SiMe3)2 2, formalized as Structure II, reactions may be classified as those in which it functions as a Lewis acid, as a Lewis base, or as a carbene-like reactive intermediate that gives rise to insertion reactions (14). Further illustrations of this behavior are given in Reactions 4 [R = (Me3Si)2CH] (27). 

Many rhodium(II) complexes are excellent catalysts for metal-carbenoid-mediated enantioselective C-H insertion reactions [101]. In 2002, computational studies by Nakamura and co-workers suggested the dirhodium tetracarboxylate catalyzed diazo compounds insertion reaction to alkanes C-H bonds proceed through a three-centered hydride-transfer-like transition state (Fig. 25) [102]. Only one rhodium atom of the catalyst is involved in the formation of rhodium carbene intermediate, while the other rhodium atom served as a mobile ligand, which enhanced the electrophilicity of the first one and facilitate the cleavage of rhodium-carbon bond. In this case, the metal-metal bond constitutes a special example of Lewis acid activation of Lewis acidic transition-metal catalyst. 

On the way to further extension of the scope of Cp Co "-catalyzed C-H functionalization, Glorius and coworkers developed a condensation reaction of 2-arylpyridine derivatives and diazoesters to form unique polycyclic heteroaromatics having 6//-pyrido[2,l-a]isoquinolin-6-one skeletons (Scheme 10.15) [38]. The reaction is achieved by the combination of a bench-stable Co precatalyst [Cp Co(CO)l2] [39], a silver salt (AgSbFg), and an acetate source (KOAc) in trifluoroethanol. The in situ-formed Cp Co catalyst is proposed to play a dual role in this condensation reaction. First, it promotes formal carbene insertion into the ortho C-H bond through pyridine-directed C-H metalation, cobalt-carbene formation, carbene insertion into the aryl-Co bond, and protodemetalation. Second, it acts as a Lewis acid to facilitate nucleophilic attack of the pyridine moiety to the ester group, which eventually leads to the product through aromatization and elimination of methanol. The thus-synthesized polycyclic heteroarenes exhibit bright and color-tunable fluorescence in solution and in the solid state. 

In complex 155, the NHC ring was nearly orthogonal to the Si" heterocyle plane, consistent with electron donation from the carbene into an orbital of primarily p-character on the silicon center. Cui and co-workers were able to prepare the donor-acceptor stabilized silylones 157 and 158 by treating 154 with aldehydes. These reactions were reported to proceed through silicon heterocyclic ring expansion and insertion leading to 0x0 transfer from the aldehyde to silicon. Unlike Driess complexes 152 and 153, the formation of silylones 157 and 158 required the addition of the Lewis acid AICI3 to stabilize the Si=0 moiety (Scheme 5.26). " ... 

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