Dienes from enyne cross metathesis

Treatment of an alkyne/alkene mixture with ruthenium carbene complexes results in the formation of diene derivatives without the evolution of byproducts this process is known as enyne cross-metathesis (Scheme 22). An intramolecular version of this reaction has also been demonstrated, sometimes referred to as enyne RCM. The yield of this reaction is frequently higher when ethylene is added to the reaction mixture. The preferred regiochemistry is opposite for enyne cross-metathesis and enyne RCM. The complex mechanistic pathways of Scheme 22 have been employed to account for the observed products of the enyne RCM reaction. Several experiments have shown that initial reaction is at the alkene and not the alkyne. The regiochemistry of enyne RCM can be attributed to the inability to form highly strained intermediate B from intermediate carbene complex A in the alkene-first mechanism. Enyne metathesis is a thermodynamically favorable process, and thus is not a subject to the equilibrium constraints facing alkene cross-metathesis and RCM. In a simple bond energy analysis, the 7r-bond of an alkyne is... 

Under enyne cross-metathesis conditions, the intermolecular reaction of the a,(D-dienes 153, derived from the MBH reaction, with different terminal alkynes 154 afforded triene intermediates that cyclized spontaneously under the reaction conditions to give substituted cis-hexahydro-l/f-indenes 155 (Scheme 4.45), which can be further transformed into steroid analogues via TBS deprotection and oxidation. However, metathesis reactions starting with 156 only furnished trienes 157 [as EfZ) mixtures] and no spontaneous intramolecular cycloaddition occurred. Even at elevated reaction temperatures, trienes 157 cyclized only slowly to give octahydronaphthalene diastereomers. With deprotection of the TBS and subsequent Dess-Martin oxidation, trienes 157 could be converted exclusively into cw-fused 7-substituted 6,7-dehy-drodealone-l-one-lO-carboxylic esters 158 in 50-60% yields. Moreover, c ross-metathesis of TBS-unprotected MBH adduct 159 with alkynes 154 along with treatment with Dess-Martin periodinane (DMP) in one pot could conveniently produce the corresponding bicyclic ketones 160 in moderate yields. ... 

Enyne metathesis starting either from acetylenic boronates and homoallylic alcohols [104a,c] or from propargyl alcohols and allylboronates [104b] has recently been described. The resulting boronated dienes can be converted to allenes or cycloaddition products. The cross metathesis of vinylcyclopropyl-boronates directed toward the total synthesis of natural products has very recently been investigated by Pietruszka et al. [104d]. 

Blechert reported a skillful method of cross-enyne metathesis. Solid-supported alkyne 139 is reacted with alkene in the presence of Ic to give 140. For cleavage of 1,3-diene from solid-supported product 140 having an allyl acetate moiety, palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution is used. Thus, 140 is treated with Pd(PPh3)4 in the presence of methyl malonate to afford three-component coupling product 141 in good yield ... 

Tonogaki K, Mori, M. An improved 1,3-diene synthesis from alkyne and ethylene using cross-enyne metathesis. Tetrahedron Lett. 2002 43 2235-2238. 

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