Chromium isomerisation reactions

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). 

The isolation of the biologically active metabolite of vitamin D3 in a pure state, and the determination of its structure as 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (401) has been rapidly followed by its synthesis via irradiation of 25-hydroxycholesta-5,7-dien-3j -ol by three independent groups. The first synthesis of pre-calciferola (405) has been achieved by reaction of the lithium derivative of the chloro-ketone (402) with the en-yne (403) to give (404) which was treated with bis(ethylenediamine)chromium(ii) and then partially reduced catalytically. The thermal isomerisation of (405) (as 3,5-dinitrobenzoate) to vitamin D3 represents the first non-photochemical synthesis. 

The cross coupling reactions of aryl halides or aryl triflates with arylmetals catalysed by palladium(O) has found extensive use in the synthesis of unsymmetrical biaryls (ref. 27). A recent application of this coupling approach in the presence of chiral planar chromium complexes (ref. 25) has proved fruitful in the synthesis of chiral biaryls. Furthermore, Cr(CO)3-complexed biaryls can be isomerised under thermodynamic control, providing access to both atropisomers. Heating a solution of the complexed biaryl 37 in xylene under reflux resulted in a 1 99 ratio favouring the isomerised biaryl chromium complex 38 (ref. 28)... 

The modifying effects of molybdenum and chromium have been looked at. The latter, introduced to Pt/Al203 as chromyl chloride or potassium dichromate, changed the direction of the reaction of -pentane with hydrogen towards cyclisation rather than isomerisation orhydrogenolysis, due it was thought to electron transfer from reduced chromium ions to platinum. 

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