Carbodiimides metal alkoxides

Insertion reactions involving metal alkoxides are also known. For example, carbon dioxide is known to react with some metal alkoxides as shown in equation (12). The formation of a bidentate ligand is a significant thermodynamic driving force for some of these reactions. The isoelectronic aryl and alkyl isocyanates and carbodiimides can react similarly. Insertion reactions involving alkenes and carbon monoxide are known for platinum alkoxides. 

Other catalysts effective in the conversion of isocyanates into carbodiimides include the naphthenates of Mn, Fe, Co, Cu and Pb, derivatives of metallic acetylacetonates, the alkoxides of titanium, zirconium and niobium and vanadium oxides or chlorides. Sterically hindered isocyanates are readily converted into carbodiimides upon heating in the presence of a catalytic amount of a strong base. For example, heating of... 

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