Heck coupling reactions heating

The first reaction pathway for the in situ formation of a metal-carbene complex in an imidazolium ionic liquid is based on the well loiown, relatively high acidity of the H atom in the 2-position of the imidazolium ion [29]. This can be removed (by basic ligands of the metal complex, for example) to form a metal-carbene complex (see Scheme 5.2-2, route a)). Xiao and co-workers demonstrated that a Pd imida-zolylidene complex was formed when Pd(OAc)2 was heated in the presence of [BMIMjBr [30]. The isolated Pd carbene complex was found to be active and stable in Heck coupling reactions (for more details see Section 5.2.4.4). Welton et al. were later able to characterize an isolated Pd-carbene complex obtained in this way by X-ray spectroscopy [31]. The reaction pathway to the complex is displayed in Scheme 5.2-3. 

Microwave-assisted Heck coupling reactions have been reported in several instances.[75,81 88] Using microwave dielectric heating, reaction times as short as only a few minutes can be realised and some data from such experiments are listed in Table 6.3. A wide selection of arylhalides were reacted with olefins with Pd/C immobilised in [C8Ciim][BF4] under microwave irradiation.[88]... 

Through consecutive injections of small aliquots of reaction components and subsequent monitoring of the resultant heat flow, the authors were able to compile information about induction periods, reaction rates, and catalyst lifetimes for a Heck coupling reaction between an aryl bromide and / -butylcinnamate. The technique readily distinguished the performances of three structurally distinct catalysts, and resulted in the identification of a particularly active palladium catalyst with an interesting nitrogen-based ligand. 

The ease of formation of the carbene depends on the nucleophilicity of the anion associated with the imidazolium. For example, when Pd(OAc)2 is heated in the presence of [BMIM][Br], the formation of a mixture of Pd imidazolylidene complexes occurs. Palladium complexes have been shown to be active and stable catalysts for Heck and other C-C coupling reactions [34]. The highest activity and stability of palladium is observed in the ionic liquid [BMIM][Brj. Carbene complexes can be formed not only by deprotonation of the imidazolium cation but also by direct oxidative addition to metal(O) (Scheme 5.3-3). These heterocyclic carbene ligands can be functionalized with polar groups in order to increase their affinity for ionic liquids. While their donor properties can be compared to those of donor phosphines, they have the advantage over phosphines of being stable toward oxidation. 

There are many other examples in the literature where sealed-vessel microwave conditions have been employed to heat water as a reaction solvent well above its boiling point. Examples include transition metal catalyzed transformations such as Suzuki [43], Heck [44], Sonogashira [45], and Stille [46] cross-coupling reactions, in addition to cyanation reactions [47], phenylations [48], heterocycle formation [49], and even solid-phase organic syntheses [50] (see Chapters 6 and 7 for details). In many of these studies, reaction temperatures lower than those normally considered near-critical (Table 4.2) have been employed (100-150 °C). This is due in part to the fact that with single-mode microwave reactors (see Section 3.5) 200-220 °C is the current limit to which water can be safely heated under pressure since these instruments generally have a 20 bar pressure limit. For generating truly near-critical conditions around 280 °C, special microwave reactors able to withstand pressures of up to 80 bar have to be utilized (see Section 3.4.4). 

A perhaps more exotic substrate for the Heck reaction is 1,2-cyclohexanedione [25], The reactivity of this molecule under Heck coupling conditions can probably be attributed to its resonance enol form. This reaction is attractive, because the literature contains relatively few examples of the preparation of 3-aryl-l,2-cyclohexane-diones. Yields varied from good to modest when classic heating and electron-rich aryl bromides were used, and reaction times typically ranged from 16 to 48 h. Similar yields were obtained under continuous microwave irradiation with a single-mode microwave reactor for 10 min at 40-50 W (Eq. 11.10) [25],... 

A nonclassical substrate for the Heck reaction is 2,3-epoxycyclohexanone. The reactivity of this molecule under Heck coupling conditions is most likely attributed to its in situ isomerization to 1,2-cyclohexanedione. The 1,2-diketone subsequently reacts with aryl bromides as an olefin via the enol tautomer. Thus, within 5 to 30 min of directed microwave heating of the aqueous PEG mixture, up to 13 different C3-arylations were conducted using less than 0.05 mol % palladium acetate and no phosphine ligand (Scheme 12) [51]. 

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