Copper, stereochemistry

The copper(I) ion, electronic stmcture [Ar]3t/ , is diamagnetic and colorless. Certain compounds such as cuprous oxide [1317-39-1] or cuprous sulfide [22205-45 ] are iatensely colored, however, because of metal-to-ligand charge-transfer bands. Copper(I) is isoelectronic with ziac(II) and has similar stereochemistry. The preferred configuration is tetrahedral. Liaear and trigonal planar stmctures are not uncommon, ia part because the stereochemistry about the metal is determined by steric as well as electronic requirements of the ligands (see Coordination compounds). 

The formation of g-alkyl-a,g-unsaturated esters by reaction of lithium dialkylcuprates or Grignard reagents in the presence of copper(I) iodide, with g-phenylthio-, > g-acetoxy-g-chloro-, and g-phosphoryloxy-a,g-unsaturated esters has been reported. The principal advantage of the enol phosphate method is the ease and efficiency with which these compounds may be prepared from g-keto esters. A wide variety of cyclic and acyclic g-alkyl-a,g-unsaturated esters has been synthesized from the corresponding g-keto esters. However, the method is limited to primary dialkylcuprates. Acyclic g-keto esters afford (Zl-enol phosphates which undergo stereoselective substitution with lithium dialkylcuprates with predominant retention of stereochemistry (usually > 85-98i )). It is essential that the cuprate coupling reaction of the acyclic enol phosphates be carried out at lower temperatures (-47 to -9a°C) to achieve high stereoselectivity. When combined with they-... 

Table 28.2 Oxidation states and stereochemistries of copper, silver and gold...

The diastereoselectivity of the copper enolate 2b may be rationalized by suggesting that the chair-like cyclic transition state J is preferred which leads to the major diastereomer 4. The usual antiperiplanar enolate geometry and equatorial disposition of the aldehyde substituent are incorporated into this model. Possible transition states consistent with the stereochemistries of the observed minor aldol products are also illustrated. 

The intermediate vinyl copper species react readily with a variety of electrophiles, with retention of stereochemistry. 

The stereochemistry and electronic properties of fluxional six-coordinate copper(II) complexes. B. Hathaway, M. Duggan, A. Murphy, J. Mullane, C. Power, A. Walsh and B. Walsh, Coord. Chem. Rev., 1981,36, 267-324 (132). 

Sulfonyl bromides and iodides react similarly217-218-225 copper-salt catalysis in these cases facilitates the additions but is not absolutely necessary however, it influences the stereochemistry of the additions. Addition of sulfonyl iodides226 as well as the uncatalyzed thermal addition of sulfonyl bromides227 to alkynes leads to an exclusive trans-addition, whereas CuBr2 catalysis in the latter case causes the formation of cis-addition products to some extent (11 16%) correspondingly, copper-salt catalysis in sulfonyl chloride additions to alkynes leads to the formation of a mixture of Z,E-isomers228-229 (equation 40). 

Compound (22) was used to synthesise some central nervous system stimulants, the others mostly in i nvestiga Lions of the stereochemistry of the reaction. Vihat generalisation can you make on the stereochemistry of the organo-copper additions ... 

However, there is evidence that reactions of aluminium hydride produced in situ involve single-electron-transfer (SET) processesThe reactions described by Trost and Ghadiri have most likely not been studied in sufficient detail to permit an adequate description of the reaction mechanism to be given at this stage. It is, however, quite likely that the Grignard reactions catalyzed by copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes , as developed by julia - and by Masaki , do involve SET processes, although, if this is so, the preservation of stereochemistry in some of the examples described by these workers is quite remarkable. (In this context, the reader s attention is drawn to Reference 196, end of this section.)... 

Early studies [170] of copper(II) complexes of thiosemicarbazones were 2-formylpyridine iV-methylthiosemicarbazone, 30, 6-methyl-2-formylpyridine Ai-methylthiosemicarbazone, 31, and 2-formylpyridine " JV-dimethylthiosemi-carbazone, 32. With copper(II) chloride and bromide, monomeric complexes of stoichiometry [Cu(L)A2] were isolated for each of these thiosemicarbazones. All six complexes had a band in the 14000-15000 cm spectral region, but their stereochemistry was not specified. 

Seven different copper(II) complexes [181] of 2-acetylpyridine iV-phenyl-thiosemicarbazone, 14, all having the general formula, [Cu(14-H)A] have been prepared and characterized. Their spectral data are included in Table 2 and g is similar to other copper(II) complexes of 2-acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazones. However, the d-d spectra all show two bands, suggesting planar stereochemistry these bands are of higher energy than the analogous complexes of the bicyclononyl derivative, 4 [128, 175]. 

Copper(II) complexes of 2,6-lutidylphenylketone thiosemicarbazone, 38, have been prepared from copper(II) chloride and copper(II) bromide [186]. Similar to 2-pyridyl thiosemicarbazones, 38-H coordinates via the ring nitrogen, the azomethine nitrogen and the thiol sulfur based on infrared spectral assignments. Magnetic susceptibilities and electron spin resonance spectra indicate dimeric complexes and both are formulated as [Cu(38-H)A]2 with bridging sulfur atoms. The electronic spectra of both halide complexes show band maxima at 14500-14200 cm with shoulders at 12100 cm S which is consistent with a square pyramidal stereochemistry for a dimeric copper(II) center. 

Secondary bromides and tosylates react with inversion of stereochemistry, as in the classical SN2 substitution reaction.24 Alkyl iodides, however, lead to racemized product. Aryl and alkenyl halides are reactive, even though the direct displacement mechanism is not feasible. For these halides, the overall mechanism probably consists of two steps an oxidative addition to the metal, after which the oxidation state of the copper is +3, followed by combination of two of the groups from the copper. This process, which is very common for transition metal intermediates, is called reductive elimination. The [R 2Cu] species is linear and the oxidative addition takes place perpendicular to this moiety, generating a T-shaped structure. The reductive elimination occurs between adjacent R and R groups, accounting for the absence of R — R coupling product. 

In recent years, cross-coupling methodology has emerged as a viable tool for enamide synthesis, and, indeed, there are a number of published protocols which employ palladium- or copper-catalyzed stereospecific amidations of vinyl halides [17]. For example, Buchwald and coworkers had recently shown that a copper-catalyzed cross-coupling of vinyl bromides or iodides proceeded with retention of stereochemistry (Scheme 9.16), though the only example using a tetrasubstituted vinyl halide, 23, lacked the need for any stereochemical control in the halide portion [18]. Based on this it seemed feasible that the desired enamide 22 could potentially be assembled via a comparable coupling between amide 24 and a stere-odefined vinyl halide such as 25. 

Table 1 Stereochemistries of copper(II) complexes of aliphatic tripodal ligands.

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