Carbene insertions overview

Cyclopropanation reactions are one set in an array of C-C bond-forming transformations attributable to metal carbenes (Scheme 5.1) and are often mistakenly referred to by the nonspecific term carbenoid. Both cyclopropanation and cyclopropenation reactions, as well as the related aromatic cycloaddition process, occur by addition. Ylide formation is an association transformation, and insertion requires no further definition. All of these reactions occur with diazo compounds, preferably those with at least one attached carbonyl group. Several general reviews of diazo compounds and their reactions have been published recently and serve as valuable references to this rapidly expanding field [7-10]. The book by Doyle, McKervey, and Ye [7] provides an intensive and thorough overview of the field through 19% and part of 1997. 

Fischer-type carbenes, 8, 218 iV-heterocyclic carbenes, 8, 219 non-heteroatom carbenes, 8, 217 overview, 8, 197—268 photochemistry, 1, 252 with Re(I), 5, 900 with rhodium, 7, 184 rotation, dynamic NMR studies, 1, 420 in Ru and Os half-sandwich preparations, 6, 575 silver-catalyzed insertions, 9, 568 with silver(I), 2, 203 as spectator ligands, 1, 66... 

C-H insertion reactions of carbenes and nitrenes assisted by transition metals have been overviewed. Transition-metal-catalysed carbenoid insertions as a tool for C-H functionalization have been detailed. The intermolecular versions of these C-H insertions have been discussed from the point of view of their mechanisms and stereochemical outcomes. ... 

While major advances in the area of C-H functionalization have been made with catalysts based on rare and expensive transition metals such as rhodium, palladium, ruthenium, and iridium [7], increasing interest in the sustainability aspect of catalysis has stimulated researchers toward the development of alternative catalysts based on naturally abundant first-row transition metals including cobalt [8]. As such, a growing number of cobalt-catalyzed C-H functionalization reactions, including those for heterocycle synthesis, have been reported over the last several years to date (early 2015) [9]. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of such recent advancements with classification according to the nature of the catalytically active cobalt species involved in the C-H activation event. Besides inner-sphere C-H activation reactions catalyzed by low-valent and high-valent cobalt complexes, nitrene and carbene C-H insertion reactions promoted by cobalt(II)-porphyrin metalloradical catalysts are also discussed. 

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