Ethyl group, cross-metathesis

The total synthesis of Stemona alkaloid (-)-tuberostemonine was accomplished by P. Wipf. Late in the synthesis, the introduction of an ethyl sidechain was required. This could be achieved in a novel four-step sequence. First, the allyl sidechain was introduced by the Keck radical allylation. To this end, the secondary alkyl phenylselenide substrate was treated with allyltriphenyltin in the presence of catalytic amounts of AIBN. This was followed by the introduction of a methyl group onto the lactone moiety. The allyl group then was transformed into the desired ethyl group as follows the terminal double bond was isomerized to the internal double bond by the method of R. Roy. This was followed by ethylene cross metathesis and catalytic hydrogenation to provide the desired ethyl sidechain. 

Another example of metathesis of olefins bearing functional groups at the a-position is the cross-metathesis of tetracyanoethene with ethyl a-cyanocinnamate to give l,l-dicyano-2-phenylethene and ethyl 2,3,3-tricyanopropenoate, eqn. (23), in the presence of certain rhenium(I)enolate complexes at 20°C (Hirano 1994). 

Cross metathesis between two different alkanes represent one of the most difficult challenges in organic chemistry [53]. In 2001, Basset et al. first demonstrated the possibilities of sigma bond metathesis between two different alkanes [55]. In 2004, this same group has reported the cross metathesis between ethane and toluene [81] and methane and propane [82]. Silica-supported tantalum hydride catalyst [(=SiO)2TaH] [(=SiO)2TaH3] was employed for cross-metathesis reaction between toluene and ethane at 250°C. Under static condition, it produced mainly ethyl benzene and xylenes as major product along with propane and methane (Scheme 24). 

The ROMP of cyclooctene-5-methacrylate and its copolymerization with cyclooctadiene is catalyzed by Ru(=CHCH=CPh2)(Cl)2(PCy3)2 in the presence of p-methoxyphenol as radical inhibitor. The double bonds in the methacrylate groups are inert towards metathesis. After chain transfer with ethyl vinyl ether to release the polymer from the ruthenium centre, it can be cross-linked by radical polymerization through the methacrylate side-chains (Maughon 1995). 

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