Diphenylacetylene transition metal complexes

In Sect. 2.3, generation of silylene complexes of transition metals was discussed on the basis of the reactivity of disilanyl-transition-metal complexes. The formation of silylene species in the presence of a catalytic amount of transition metals is also involved in the reactions of hydrodisilanes, which may readily form disilanyl complexes through oxidative addition of the Si-H bond prior to the activation of the Si-Si bond. Platinum-catalyzed disproportionation of hydrodisilanes affords a mixture of oligosilanes 89 up to hexasilane (Eq.45) [83]. The involvement of silylene-platinum intermediate was proven by the formation of a l,4-disila-2,5-cyclohexadiene derivative in the reaction of the hydrodisilane in the presence of diphenylacetylene. 

Westemacher, S. Kisch, H. (1996) Transition-metal complexes of diazenes. 36. Formation of indoles from azobenzene and diphenylacetylene through supported aqueous-phase catalysis by Rh(l) complexes, Monatsh. Chem., 127,469-73. 

Green and coworkers have reported78,79 examples of nucleophilic hydride addition to coordinated ii-alkyne and T]-arene ligands in transition metal complexes. The transformation of a n -diphenylacetylene complex of molybdenum(II) upon treatment with K[BHBu3l is representative. Scheme 10.15 ... 

The reaction of [2+2+2] cycloaddition of acetylenes to form benzene has been known since the mid-nineteenth century. The first transition metal (nickel) complex used as an intermediate in the [2+2+2] cycloaddition reaction of alkynes was published by Reppe [1]. Pioneering work by Yamazaki considered the use of cobalt complexes to initiate the trimer-ization of diphenylacetylene to produce hexasubstituted benzenes [54]. Vollhardt used cobalt complexes to catalyze the reactions of [2+2+2] cycloaddition for obtaining natural products [55]. Since then, a variety of transition complexes of 8-10 elements like rhodium, nickel, and palladium have been found to be efficient catalysts for this reaction. However, enantioselective cycloaddition is restricted to a few examples. Mori has published data on the use of a chiral nickel catalyst for the intermolecular reaction of triynes with acetylene leading to the generation of an asymmetric carbon atom [56]. Star has published data on a chiral cobalt complex catalyzing the intramolecular cycloaddition of triynes to generate a product with helical chirality [57]. 

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