Organometallic Electrophiles

Whether or not such electrophilic organometallic species can be identified, or indeed isolated, depends primarily on the stability of the counteranion. The per-fluorophenyl boron compounds B(C,sF5)3 and [B(C6F5)4] , first prepared by Stone and co-workers in 1963 [33], proved particularly useful in this respect. Their use in metallocene polymerisation catalysis [34, 35] led to significantly more active catalysts and well-defined catalyst systems that proved mechanistically informative. These results have then enabled similar species to be detected in the more complex MAO-activated catalyst systems (vide infra). 

Most reactions discussed in this chapter rely on the formal attack of an electrophilic organometallic species on the electron-rich aromatic core of a five membered heterocycle. Depending on the way the transition metal... 

Electrophilic organometallic complexes are important as Ziegler-Natta catalysts for alkene polymerization. In this connection their behaviour with respect to cyanides has also been investigated. Coordination is often followed by insertion Only one example is mentioned here, the gas-phase reaction of bis(fy -cyclopentadienyl)methylzirconium(l+) ion (69) with acetonitrileThe reaction probably took the course shown in equation 40. The system seemed to be in equilibrium since reaction between 69 and deuteriated acetonitrile afforded Cp2ZrCD3. Similarly,... 

Tsai JC, Khan M, Nicholas KM (1989) Reactivity of coordinated carbon dioxide reactions of (C5H5)2Mo(.eta.2-C02) with electrophiles. Organometallics 8 2967-2968... 

Hirano M, Akita M, Tani K, Kumagai K, Kasuga N, Fukuoka A, Komiya S (1997) Activation of coordinated carbon dioxide in Fe(C02)(depe)2 by group 14 electrophiles. Organometallics 16 4206 213... 

Application of 7r-allylpalladium chemistry to organic synthesis has made remarkable progress[l]. As deseribed in Chapter 3, Seetion 3, Tt-allylpalladium complexes react with soft carbon nucleophiles such as maionates, /3-keto esters, and enamines in DMSO to form earbon-carbon bonds[2, 3], The characteristie feature of this reaction is that whereas organometallic reagents are eonsidered to be nucleophilic and react with electrophiles, typieally earbonyl eompounds, Tt-allylpalladium complexes are electrophilie and reaet with nucleophiles such as active methylene compounds, and Pd(0) is formed after the reaction. 

There are a wide variety of methods for introduction of substituents at C3. Since this is the preferred site for electrophilic substitution, direct alkylation and acylation procedures are often effective. Even mild electrophiles such as alkenes with EW substituents can react at the 3-position of the indole ring. Techniques for preparation of 3-lithioindoles, usually by halogen-metal exchange, have been developed and this provides access not only to the lithium reagents but also to other organometallic reagents derived from them. The 3-position is also reactive toward electrophilic mercuration. 

Introduction of substituents on the carbocyclic ring relies primarily on electrophilic substitution and on organometallic reactions. The former reactions are not under strong regiochcmical control. The nitrogen atom can stabilize any of the C-nng o-complexes and both pyrrole and benzo ring substituents can influence the substitution pattern, so that the position of substitution tends to be dependent on the specific substitution pattern (Scheme 14.1). 

Organometallic reagents and alkali metal amides can react via a cyclic transition state (Section II, B, 5) beginning with electrophilic attack at the most basic ring-nitrogen. As a result, sodamide (in dimethylaniline, 145°, 2 hr) yields the 4-amino derivatives (40% yield S)) methyl- or phenyl-magnesium iodides give the 4-adduct quantitatively.s ... 

L3.3.3.3.1.1.1. From Allylic Organometallic Reagents and Electrophilic Boranes (a) Allylboranes and Allylboronates... 

One of the most general preparative routes to allyl- and 2-butenylboranes involves the reaction of an allylic organometallic species and an electrophilic borylating reagent. Various esters of allylboronic acid have been prepared in this way2,4-5. 

The synthesis of alkoxy amines 2 by addition of organometallic reagents to the C-N double bond of oxime ethers 1 is plagued by the propensity for proton abstraction a. to the C-N double bond, the lability of the N-O bond and the poor electrophilicity of the oxime ethers. Therefore, frequently no products, undesired products or complex mixtures are obtained. The result depends on the substrate, organometallic reagent, solvent, temperature and additives1 6. 

Beside these free radical reactions of sulfur dioxide, its electrophilic reactions generating sulfinates with organometallic compounds453,454 or sulfinic acids with arenes under Friedel-Crafts conditions455 are well known. To complete these three-component syntheses, the sulfinates prepared first are transformed to sulfones by reactions with appropriate electrophiles, discussed earlier in this chapter, i.e. equation 82. 

The surprising stability of N-heterocyclic carbenes was of interest to organometallic chemists who started to explore the metal complexes of these new ligands. The first examples of this class had been synthesized as early as 1968 by Wanzlick [9] and Ofele [10], only 4 years after the first Fischer-type carbene complex was synthesized [2,3] and 6 years before the first report of a Schrock-type carbene complex [11]. Once the N-heterocyclic ligands are attached to a metal they show a completely different reaction pattern compared to the electrophilic Fischer- and nucleophilic Schrock-type carbene complexes. 

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