Carbenes synthesis intermediates

Enamine formation occurs by the thermolysis of diazo compounds (Scheme 150)67 109,278 284 288,304 332 453 454 via a carbene-like intermediate.284 332 When R1 = Ph, it enters into competition with hydrogen migration,284,332 and the electrophilic character of the carbene enhances the migration of the dimethylaminophenyl more than the phenyl.332 When triazoline synthesis is carried out at temperatures higher than that at which thermolysis of diazo compounds occurs, enamines are obtained exclusively, as in the addition of phenyl azide to cinnamic nitriles and ketones, with phenyl migration dominating in the nitrile.284 Enamine is also formed quantitatively in the reaction of ethyl diazoacetate with benzylideneaniline at 110°C.455... 

Olefin metathesis is a useful tool for the formation of unsaturated C-C bonds in organic synthesis, and the reaction has been generally accepted to proceed through a series of metallacyclobutanes and carbene complexe intermediates [40-43]. For this type of reaction, the most widely used catalysts include an alkoxyl imido molybdenum complex (Schrock catalyst) [44] and a benzylidene ruthenium complex (Grubbs catalyst) [43]. The former is air- and moisture-sensitive and has some other drawbacks such as intolerance to many functional groups and impurities the latter has increased tolerance to water and many reactions have been used in aqueous solution without any loss of catalytic efficiency. 

Synthesis of Ionic Liquids via N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) Intermediates... 

In principle also the possibility should be considered that CO is dissociated, as in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of hydrocarbons, and thereafter partially hydrogenated. A metal carbene would then produce, upon addition of H2O, a molecule of methanol. However, one would expect that with a metal like Rh, which can dissociate CO, the isotopically labelled atoms from C 0 would be scrambled with C 0 atoms in the methanol product but this has not been found.With metals which dissociate CO even more reluctantly, like Pd and Cu, this mechanism is even less likely than with Rh. This does not however exclude the possibility that higher alcohols can be formed by H2O addition to a carbene-like intermediate. 

There are several examples of intramolecular reactions of monocyclic /3-lactams with carbenes or carbenoids most of these involve formation of olivanic acid or clavulanic acid derivatives. Thus treatment of the diazo compound (106) with rhodium(II) acetate in benzene under reflux gives (107), an intermediate in the synthesis of thienamycin (80H(14)1305, 80TL2783). 

The potential of Fischer carbene complexes in the construction of complex structures from simple starting materials is nicely reflected in the next example. Thus, the reaction of alkenylcarbene complexes of chromium and tungsten with cyclopentanone and cyclohexanone enamines allows the di-astereo- and enantioselective synthesis of functionalised bicyclo[3.2.1]octane and bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivatives [12] (Scheme 44). The mechanism of this transformation is initiated by a 1,4-addition of the C -enamine to the alkenylcarbene complex. Further 1,2-addition of the of the newly formed enamine to the carbene carbon leads to a metalate intermediate which can... 

The use of a stereogenic carbon centre allowed an efficient asymmetric induction in the benzannulation reaction towards axial-chiral intermediates in the synthesis of configurationally stable ring-C-functionalised derivatives of al-locolchicinoids [51]. The benzannulation of carbene complex 52 with 1-pen-tyne followed by oxidative demetalation afforded a single diastereomer 53 (Scheme 33). 

A transmetalation of the styrylcarbene chromium complex 62 in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of [Ni(cod)2] to give the nickel carbene intermediate 63 was applied to the synthesis of Cr(CO)3-coordinated cycloheptatriene 64 upon reaction with terminal alkynes [57] (Scheme 37). The formation of pen-tacarbonyl(acetonitrile)chromium is expected to facilitate the metal exchange. 

The fact that pentacarbonyl carbene complexes react with enynes in a chemo-selective and regiospecific way at the alkyne functionality was successfully applied in the total synthesis of vitamins of the Kj and K2 series [58]. Oxidation of the intermediate tricarbonyl(dihydrovitamin K) chromium complexes with silver oxide afforded the desired naphthoquinone-based vitamin K compounds 65. Compared to customary strategies, the benzannulation reaction proved to be superior as it avoids conditions favouring (E)/(Z)-isomerisation within the allylic side chain. The basic representative vitamin K3 (menadione) 66 was synthesised in a straightforward manner from pentacarbonyl carbene complex 1 and propyne (Scheme 38). 

In the total synthesis of the protein kinase C inhibitors calphostins 146, the orf/zo-substituted intermediates, which are either obtained from photolysis or from reaction of the dienyl carbene complex 144 with tert-butyl isocyanide, were oxidised to yield the 1,2-benzoquinone 145 as a common product [81] (Scheme 61). 

The thermal benzannulation of Group 6 carbene complexes with alkynes (the Dotz reaction) is highly developed and has been used extensively in synthesis [90,91]. It is thought to proceed through a chromium vinylketene intermediate generated by sequential insertion of the alkyne followed by carbon monoxide into the chromium-carbene-carbon double bond [92]. The realization that photodriven CO insertion into Z-dienylcarbene complexes should generate the same vinylketene intermediate led to the development of a photochemical variant of the Dotz reaction (Table 14). 

Insertion reactions are processes in which a reactive intermediate, in this case a carbene, interposes itself into an existing bond. In terms of synthesis, this usually involves C—H bonds. Many singlet carbenes are sufficiently reactive that insertion can occur as a one-step process. 

Chapter 10 considers the role of reactive intermediates—carbocations, carbenes, and radicals—in synthesis. The carbocation reactions covered include the carbonyl-ene reaction, polyolefin cyclization, and carbocation rearrangements. In the carbene section, addition (cyclopropanation) and insertion reactions are emphasized. Recent development of catalysts that provide both selectivity and enantioselectivity are discussed, and both intermolecular and intramolecular (cyclization) addition reactions of radicals are dealt with. The use of atom transfer steps and tandem sequences in synthesis is also illustrated. 

The synthetic utility of the ring expansion reaction was demonstrated by its application to the synthesis of thermolabile thiepins. When the diazo compound (66) obtained from benzo[c]thiopyrylium salt 65 was treated with palladium catalyst under the same conditions as in the case of 63, the product isolated was ethyl 2-naphthoate (68)48). The plausible reaction pathway is one comprising i) decomposition of 66 to the corresponding carbene intermediate, ii) ring expansion to the... 

Alkylidene complexes are generally considered to be reactive intermediates but the actual surface organometallic species have never been fully characterized. However, the synthesis of silica-supported tantalum(V) carbene complexes and their characterization have been reported.332... 

In 2000, the Merlic research group reported concise total syntheses of calphostins A and D and the first total syntheses of calphostins B and C [33]. This original approach to the naphthalene fragment relied on a chromium carbene intermediate to obtain the required regioselection. The synthesis began with phosphonate 39 (three steps), followed by a Homer-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination of 39 with... 

Cycloaddition of the carbene chromium complexes 97 with CO incorporation provides a versatile method for naphthol synthesis, in which the metallacy-clic intermediates 99 are involved [47]. An alternative entry to 101 is achieved by metal carbonyl-catalyzed rearrangement of the cyclopropenes 98 via the same metalla-cyclobutenes 99 and vinylketene complexes 100 [52], Mo(CO)6 shows a higher activity than Cr(CO)6 and W(CO)6. The vinylketene complex 103 is formed by the regioselective ring cleavage of 1,3,3-trimethylcyelopropene 102 with an excess of Fe2(CO)9 [53]. (Scheme 35 and 36)... 

Several reviews on the synthesis of aziridines have been published in the previous year. These publications include a review on the silver catalyzed addition of nitrenes (among other intermediates such as carbene) across a double bond <06EJOC4313> a review on sulfur ylide addition to imines to form aziridines <06SL181> a review on nitrogen addition across double bonds <06ACR194> a general review on functionalization of a,p-unsaturated esters with some discussion of aziridination <06TA1465>... 

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