Carbonyl Alkenation Reactions via Carbene Complexes

Wittig-type alkenation of the carbonyl group is possible with Ti carbene compounds [56], The reaction is explained by the formation of nucleophilic carbene complexes of Ti, although they are not isolated. In the carbonyl alkenation, the oxametallacyclo-butane intermediate 182 is formed by [2+2] cycloaddition of the carbene complex 181 with the carbonyl group. This intermediate is converted to the new alkene 183 and the Ti(IV) oxo species 184, which is a stable compound, and hence the carbonyl alkenation requires a stoichiometric amount of the Ti complex. Also, ester 185 is converted to the enol ether 187 via 186. 

The Wittig reaction is carried out under strongly basic conditions, and is not possible with the five-membered keto ester 195, because an enolate of the ketone is formed. The Tebbe reagent, as described later, reacts with both esters and ketones to give a mixture of products. Selective reaction of the ketone in 195 without attacking 

The yields from aldehyde alkylidenation is somewhat lower due to the reductive dimerization of aldehydes with low-valent Ti. Alkylidenation of esters is possible by the reaction of 1,1 -dibromoalkane. TiCU and Zn in the presence of TMEDA to give (Z) vinyl ethers [60], Cyclic vinyl ethers are prepared from unsaturated esters in two steps. The first step is formation of the acyclic enol ethers using a stoichiometric amount of the Ti reagent, and the second step is ring-closing alkene metathesis catalysed by Mo complex 19. Thus the benzofiiran moiety of sophora compound I (199, R = H) was synthesized by the carbonyl alkenation of ester in 197 with the Ti reagent prepared in situ, and the subsequent catalytic RCM of the resulting enol ether 198 catalysed by 19 [61]. 

Synthetic reactions via transition metal carbene complexes 

The Tebbe reagent reacts with some alkenes. The tricyclo[5.3.0.0] ring 207 was obtained nearly quantitatively by domino alkene metathesis and carbonyl alkenation of the norbomene-type ester 205 with the Tebbe reagent. This interesting reaction to give the intermediate 206 can be explained by the kinetic preference of the Tebbe reagent for the strained double bond over the ester. Alkenation of the ester in 206 produces 207. Capnellene (208) has been synthesized by applying this reaction as a key reaction [65], 

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