Carbenes complex catalysts

Chemists continue to explore ADMET using well-defined carbene complex catalysts, but the use of this mode of metathesis polymerization on a significant industrial scale awaits further research and development.63... 

Actual metal carbene complex catalysts can be divided into two broad classes, Fischer-type and Schrock-type . The Fischer-type carbene complexes are low-valent and generally characterized by the presence of one or two heteroatoms (O, N, or S) bonded to the carbene carbon. Such complexes do not normally initiate the chain metathesis of olefins, since they are both coordinatively and electronically (18e) saturated. However, they can sometimes be activated for metathesis by heating, or by reaction with a cocatalyst, or photochemically. Some examples are listed in Table 2.1. 

The advent of stable carbene complex catalysts has had a profound effect on the general utility of alkene metathesis. Early metathesis catalysts displayed a low tolerance for functional groups, and successful metathesis reactions were primarily restricted to relatively unfunctionalized substrates. Early demonstrations that discreet carbene complex catalysts could initiate alkene metathesis inspired the development new transition metal carbene complex catalysts. Some of the more commonly employed alkene metathesis initiators are depicted in... 

Although numerous examples of successful RCM reactions have been demonstrated, a few limitations and/or side-reactions have been uncovered. Some cases where the RCM reaction proceeds with complications are depicted in Scheme 18. Sometimes RCM reactions are competitive with alkene isomerization. For example, the unexpected formation of 162 from precursor 160 was attributed to alkene isomerization (affording 161), followed by RCM to afford the ring-contracted compound 162. Later investigators went on to exploit this observation for the synthesis of cyclic enol ethers. Treatment of the allyl ether 164 with a ruthenium carbene complex catalyst affords the RCM... 

Several studies reported on the catalytic activity of non-classical carbene palladium complexes in Mizoroki Heck and in Suzuki Miyaura couphng reactions (Scheme 5.6). Here, we grouped them into three categories, including (i) comparative studies between non-classical and classical carbene complex catalysts, (ii) accounts comparing diflerent types of non-classical carbene complexes, and (iii) investigations to elucidate mechanistic details. 

The olefins that undergo metathesis include most simple and substituted olefins cycHc olefins give linear high molecular-weight polymers. The mechanism of the reaction is beheved to involve formation of carbene complexes that react via cycHc intermediates, ie, metaHacycles. Industrial olefin metathesis processes are carried out with soHd catalysts (30). 

The ease of formation of the carbene depends on the nucleophilicity of the anion associated with the imidazolium. For example, when Pd(OAc)2 is heated in the presence of [BMIM][Br], the formation of a mixture of Pd imidazolylidene complexes occurs. Palladium complexes have been shown to be active and stable catalysts for Heck and other C-C coupling reactions [34]. The highest activity and stability of palladium is observed in the ionic liquid [BMIM][Brj. Carbene complexes can be formed not only by deprotonation of the imidazolium cation but also by direct oxidative addition to metal(O) (Scheme 5.3-3). These heterocyclic carbene ligands can be functionalized with polar groups in order to increase their affinity for ionic liquids. While their donor properties can be compared to those of donor phosphines, they have the advantage over phosphines of being stable toward oxidation. 

Acyclic diene molecules are capable of undergoing intramolecular and intermolec-ular reactions in the presence of certain transition metal catalysts molybdenum alkylidene and ruthenium carbene complexes, for example [50, 51]. The intramolecular reaction, called ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM), affords cyclic compounds, while the intermolecular reaction, called acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization, provides oligomers and polymers. Alteration of the dilution of the reaction mixture can to some extent control the intrinsic competition between RCM and ADMET. 

O Neill and Rooney 90) found that the Mo03-CoO-A1208 catalyst converts diazomethane into nitrogen and ethene under conditions where propene undergoes metathesis. However, because many catalysts are active for this conversion 91), their results cannot be considered as supporting the hypothesis that the metathesis reaction of alkenes proceeds via carbene complexes. 

Because in metathesis reactions with most catalyst systems a selectivity of nearly 100% is found, a carbene mechanism seems less likely. Banks and Bailey ( ) reported the formation of small quantities of C3-C6-alkenes, cyclopropane, and methylcyclopropane when ethene was passed over Mo(CO)6-A1203, which suggests reactions involving carbene complexes. However, similar results have not been reported elsewhere most probably the products found by Banks and Bailey were formed by side reactions, typical for their particular catalyst system. 

The preferred kinetic model for the metathesis of acyclic alkenes is a Langmuir type model, with a rate-determining reaction between two adsorbed (complexed) molecules. For the metathesis of cycloalkenes, the kinetic model of Calderon as depicted in Fig. 4 agrees well with the experimental results. A scheme involving carbene complexes (Fig. 5) is less likely, which is consistent with the conclusion drawn from mechanistic considerations (Section III). However, Calderon s model might also fit the experimental data in the case of acyclic alkenes. If, for instance, the concentration of the dialkene complex is independent of the concentration of free alkene, the reaction will be first order with respect to the alkene. This has in fact been observed (Section IV.C.2) but, within certain limits, a first-order relationship can also be obtained from many hyperbolic models. Moreover, it seems unreasonable to assume that one single kinetic model could represent the experimental results of all systems under consideration. Clearly, further experimental work is needed to arrive at more definite conclusions. Especially, it is necessary to investigate whether conclusions derived for a particular system are valid for all catalyst systems. 

Recently, Aumann et al. reported that rhodium catalysts enhance the reactivity of 3-dialkylamino-substituted Fischer carbene complexes 72 to undergo insertion with enynes 73 and subsequent formation of 4-alkenyl-substituted 5-dialkylamino-2-ethoxycyclopentadienes 75 via the transmetallated carbene intermediate 74 (Scheme 15, Table 2) [73]. It is not obvious whether this transformation is also applicable to complexes of type 72 with substituents other than phenyl in the 3-position. One alkyne 73, with a methoxymethyl group instead of the alkenyl or phenyl, i.e., propargyl methyl ether, was also successfully applied [73]. 

Ruthenium hydride complexes, e.g., the dimer 34, have been used by Hofmann et al. for the preparation of ruthenium carbene complexes [19]. Reaction of 34 with two equivalents of propargyl chloride 35 gives carbene complex 36 with a chelating diphosphane ligand (Eq. 3). Complex 36 is a remarkable example because its phosphine ligands are, in contrast to the other ruthenium carbene complexes described so far, arranged in a fixed cis stereochemistry. Although 36 was found to be less active than conventional metathesis catalysts, it catalyzes the ROMP of norbornene or cyclopentene. 

It has been demonstrated that group 6 Fischer-type metal carbene complexes can in principle undergo carbene transfer reactions in the presence of suitable transition metals [122]. It was therefore interesting to test the compatibility of ruthenium-based metathesis catalysts and electrophilic metal carbene functionalities. A series of examples of the formation of oxacyclic carbene complexes by metathesis (e.g., 128, 129, Scheme 26) was published by Dotz et al. [123]. These include substrates where double bonds conjugated to the pentacarbonyl metal moiety participate in the metathesis reaction. Evidence is... 

Independently, Caddick et al. reported microwave-assisted amination of aryl chlorides using a palladium-N-heterocyclic carbene complex as the catalyst (Scheme 99) [lOlj. Initial experiments in a domestic microwave oven (reflux conditions) revealed that the solvent is crucial for the reaction. The Pd source also proved very important, since Pd(OAc)2 at high power in DMF gave extensive catalyst decomposition and using it at medium and low power gave no reaction at all. Pd(dba)2/imidazohum salt (1 mol% catalyst loading) in DME with the addition of some DMF was found to be suitable. Oil bath experiments indicated that only thermal effects are governing the amination reactions. 

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