Carbonate cyclic from coupling

In 1981, it was demonstrated (70) that anions of nitro compounds can be involved in C,C-coupling with allyl acetates at the allylic carbon atom with the use of metal complex catalysis. For many years, this observation did not come to the attention of chemists interested in the synthesis of cyclic nitronates. However, Trost demonstrated (71) that this process can be used in the synthesis of five-membered cyclic nitronates from olefins (18) containing two acyl groups in the different allylic positions (Scheme 3.21). 

FIGURE 4.3. Redox and chemical homogeneous catalysis of trans-1,2 dibromocyclohexane. a cyclic voltammetry in DMF of the direct electrochemical reduction at a glassy carbon electrode (top), of redox catalysis by fhiorenone (middle), of chemical catalysis by an iron(I) porphyrin, b catalysis rate constant as a function of the standard potential of the catalyst couple aromatic anion radicals, Fe(I), a Fe(0), Co(I), Ni(I) porphyrins. Adapted from Figures 3 and 4 of reference lb, with permission from the American Chemical Society. 

Following the first observations by Heck that Pd(OAc)2 can substitute a hydrogen atom in ethylene by a carbomethoxy group [50], Stille and James have discovered that the [Pd - Cu] couple catalyzes the incorporation of a COOMe group arising from carbon monoxide and methanol [51]. Most of the reactions with an alkene end up with a diester or a methoxyester, copper being used in stoichiometric quantities. Cyclic alkenes give preferentially diesters (Scheme 7). 

Figure 3.13 (a) Values of charge-transfer resistance of different systems based on carbon, using the redox probe Fe(CN)6 . (b) Nyquist plot of different carbon nanotube composites in the presence of the redox couple, (c) Table with the electron-transfer rate constants calculated from cyclic voltammet data by using Nicholson method. Adapted with permission from Ref [103]. Copyright, 2008, Elsevier. 

Abstract This chapter focuses on well-defined metal complexes that serve as homogeneous catalysts for the production of polycarbonates from epoxides or oxetanes and carbon dioxide. Emphasis is placed on the use of salen metal complexes, mainly derived from the transition metals chromium and cobalt, in the presence of onium salts as catalysts for the coupling of carbon dioxide with these cyclic ethers. Special considerations are given to the mechanistic pathways involved in these processes for the production of these important polymeric materials. 

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