Electroreduction alkynes

Organic Electroreductive Coupling Reactions using Transition Metal Complexes as Catalysts Table 17. Electrochemical carboxylation of alkynes in the presence of Ni(bipy)3(BF4)2... 

Organic electroreductions at mercury cathodes in tetraalkylammonium (TAA+) electrolyte solutions at the limit of the cathodic potential window are described. Aromatic hydrocarbons, fluorides, ethers and heterocycles, as well as aliphatic ketones, alkenes and alkynes have been studied, using both aqueous and non-aqueous solvents. At these very negative potentials neither the TAA+ cation nor the mercury cathode are inert, instead they combine to form TAA-mercury. It is hypothesized, and supporting evidence is presented, that TAA-mercury serve as mediators in the organic electroreductions. The mediated reactions show remarkable selectivity in certain cases and it is shown that this selectivity can be improved by the choice of the TAA +. 

For reduction, relevant data from polarographic and cyclic voltammetric experiments are summarized in Tables 1 and 2, respectively. For the results in Table 1 the variety of solvents and reference electrodes used makes comparisons difficult. It is clear, however, that even with the activation of a phenyl substituent (entries 6,7,9-14) reduction occurs at very cathodic potentials. In this context it is worth noting that in aprotic solvents at ca. — 3 V vs. S.C.E.) it becomes difficult to distinguish between direct electron transfer to the alkyne and the production of the cathode of solvated electrons. Under the latter conditions the indirect electroreductions show many of the characteristics of dissolving metal reductions (see Section II.B). Even at extreme cathodic potentials it is not clear that an electron is added to the triple bond the e.s.r. spectra of the radical anions of dimesitylacetylene and (2,4,6,2, 4, 6 -hexa-r-butyldiphenyl)acetylene have been interpreted in terms of equal distribution of the odd electron in the aromatic rings . 

Conjugation between the triple bond and the carbonyl function lowers the reduction potential considerably whereas alkyl substitution makes reduction more difficult (entries 1-5). A comparison between the half-wave potentials for reduction of PhC=CPh (1-69 V, vs. Hg pool) and // <7/t -PhCH=CHPh (1-65 V) substantiates the fact that, at least for this case, a likely product of reduction is more vulnerable to electroreduction than the starting material. In practice electrolyses in protic media aimed at producing alkene from alkyne usually proceed to give alkane. 

Kariv-Miller and coworkers have developed indirect electroreductive cyclizations with the dimethyl-pyrrolidinium ion (DMP") as a mediator. Preparative electrolysis of 6-hepten-2-one (9) at a graphite cathode afforded cu-dimethylcyclopentanol (10) in 90% yield (equation 5). The reduction is believed to occur via the ketyl radical anion, which cyclizes onto the alkenic bond. In the absence of DMP simple reduction to 6-hepten-2-ol takes place.Very recently it was shown that instead of DMP several aromatic hydrocarbons can be used as mediators to initiate the cyclization reaction. The carbonyl group can also be cyclized onto an alkynic bond and even an aromatic ring. - ... 

An interesting and useful variation on the electroreductive cyclization theme calls for the use of substrates wherein an allene or alkyne is tethered to an aldehyde or ketone [38]. As exemplified by the conversion of 139 or 143 to 141, the reductive cyclizations lead to an allylic alcohol. This functionality, of course, is exceptionally useful, offering the opportunity for a host of followup reactions to be employed. 

Derien S, Dunach E, Perichon J (1991) From stoichiometry to eatalysis electroreductive coupling of alkynes and carbon dioxide with nickel-bipyridine etnnplexes. Magnesium ions as the key for catalysis. J Am Chem Soc 113 8447-8454... 

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