Exchange Transmetalation

Certain structural indications of thromboxane A2 biosynthesis inhibition and hence potential therapeutic utility in arterial thrombosis prompted the synthesis of the pyridine prostanoid 544 (Scheme 165) (83TL3291). Brief metalation of 42 followed by DMF quench afforded aldehyde 541, which upon Homer-Emmons chain extension, reduction, and protection gave 542. Having served as a DMG, the bromo function was subjected to metal-halogen exchange, transmetalation (CuCN), and condensation with an iodo allene to furnish the 3,4-disubstituted pyridine 543. The latter was transformed into two derivatives 544 (with and without double bond), which were shown to be effective inhibitors of thromboxane A2. 

The tin-palladium exchange (transmetallation) occurs (pp. 1326-7) with retention of configuratior. at the double bond. The exchange of the benzyl group for the benzoyl group is necessary just to ge ... 

This highly versatile process allows further reactions with an organic partner or, if desired, a metal exchange (transmetallation) step. It will be helpful to keep this reaction in mind, as a model, for the following discussion. 

Synthetic applications of the alkenyl-alkenyl Negishi cross-coupling are intimately related to the preparation method of the alkenylzinc nucleophile. Reagents obtained by Zn(0) insertion from the corresponding halide, or by a halogen-hthium or a tin-lithium exchange/transmetallation sequence, are weU suited, as illustrated with the preparation of compounds 202 [170] and 205 (Scheme 4.46) [46]. Further evidence for the applicability of this method is its use in recent total syntheses of natural products, such as xerulinic acid [171], 6,7-dehydrostipiamide [172], epolactaene [173], and the side chains of mycolactones A and B [174]. 

Organic compounds M—R and hydrides M—H of main group metals such as Mg, Zn, B, Al, Sn, SI, and Hg react with A—Pd—X complexes formed by oxidative addition, and an organic group or hydride is transferred to Pd by exchange reaction of X with R or H. In other words, the alkylation of Pd takes place (eq. 9). A driving force of the reaction, which is called transmetallation, is ascribed to the difference in the electronegativities of two metals. A typical example is the phenylation of phenylpalladium iodide with phenyltributyltin to form diphenylpalladium (16). 

Reactivity and yields are greatly enhanced by the presence of 0.5-1% Na in the Li. The reaction is also generally available for the preparation of metal alkyls of the heavier Group 1 metals. Lithium aryls are best prepared by metal-halogen exchange using LiBu" and an aryl iodide, and transmetalation is the most convenient route to vinyl, allyl and other unsaturated derivatives ... 

Chiral organolead compounds 19 can be obtained, with retention of configuration, from the corresponding a-alkoxy stannanes via tin/lilhium exchange and transmetalation with bro-mo(tributyl)lcad12. 

However, addition of (+ )-(7 )-l-methyl-4-(mcthylsulfinyl)benzene, to aldehydes and ketones proceeds with low stereoselectivity. An improvement of the 3-syn diaslereoselectivity was found with the zinc reagent obtained by transmetalation of the lithiated sulfoxide with anhydrous zinc chloride38. An improvement of the stereoselectivity was also attained by exchange of the 4-methylphenyl substituent for a 2-methoxyphenyl or 2-pyridinyl substituent. Thus, the introduction of an additional complexing site into the aromatic part of the sulfoxide reagent enhances the stereoselectivity35. 

A transmetalation of the styrylcarbene chromium complex 62 in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of [Ni(cod)2] to give the nickel carbene intermediate 63 was applied to the synthesis of Cr(CO)3-coordinated cycloheptatriene 64 upon reaction with terminal alkynes [57] (Scheme 37). The formation of pen-tacarbonyl(acetonitrile)chromium is expected to facilitate the metal exchange. 

Yields in the above reactions can often be improved by the addition of 1 mole of triphenylphosphine directly to the trifluoroacetic acid solution of the reactants immediately before final work-up. It would appear that the triphenylphosphine functions as a scavenger for TTFA released in the metal-metal exchange reaction, thus protecting the final phenol from further electrophilic thallation and/or oxidation. Validation of the metal-metal exchange mechanism was obtained indirectly by isolation and characterization of an ArTlX2/LTTFA complex directly from the reaction mixture. NMR analysis revealed that this complex still possessed an intact aryl-thallium bond, indicating that it was probably the precursor to the transmetallation products, an aryllead tristrifluoroacetate and TTFA. 

Transmetalation, though, requires enhanced electrophilicity of the Pd. Additionally a free coordination site may be required, which may be freed by dissociation of either a neutral or an anionic ligand. The involvement of five-coordinate species and association-dissociation ligand-exchange mechanisms in the individual steps of Pd-catalyzed reactions also cannot be neglected (Scheme 3).384... 

A few measurements are available that relate to the ion pair acidity of ethylene and some other alkenes. Ethylene is difficult to metallate directly, but vinyl bromides and iodides undergo facile transmetallation with alkyllithium reagents. Applequist and O Brien determined the equilibrium constants of transmetallation exchange reactions as a measure of relative acidity (equations 6 and 7)25. 

A copper-mediated cyclization of metallated thiophenes has been utilized to prepare polycyclic thiophenes and thiophene cyclophanes. Treatment of dibromide 106 in succession with M-butyllithium (halogen-metal exchange), zinc chloride (transmetallation), and copper chloride gave 7//-cyclopcnta[ 1,2-fc 4,3-6 dithiophene (107) <00H(52)761>. This conversion has also been achieved using a palladium-mediated cyclization performed in the presence of hexamethylditin . Copper-mediated cyclizations have also been applied to the syntheses of cyclopenta[2,l-6 3,4-A ]dithiophen-4-one (108) (three steps from 73) <00S1253> and cyclophane 109 <00CC2329>. 

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