Hydroaminations

The Hegedus indole synthesis involves one of the earlier (formal) examples of olefin hydroamination. An ortho-vinyl or ortho-nllyl aniline derivative 1 is treated with palladium(II) to deliver an intermediate resulting from alkene aminopalladation. Subsequent reduction and/or isomerization steps then provide the indoline or indole unit 2, respectively. 

In 1974, Hegedus and coworkers reported the pa]ladium(II)-promoted addition of secondary amines to a-olefins by analogy to the Wacker oxidation of terminal olefins and the platinum(II) promoted variant described earlier. This transformation provided an early example of (formally) alkene hydroamination and a remarkably direct route to tertiary amines without the usual problems associated with the use of alkyl halide electrophiles. 

The formation of a bis(guanidinate)-supported titanium imido complex has been achieved in different ways, two of which are illustrated in Scheme 90. The product is an effective catalyst for the hydroamination of alkynes (cf. Section V.B). It also undergoes clean exchange reactions with other aromatic amines to afford new imide complexes such as [Me2NC(NPr )2]2Ti = NC6F5. ... 

B. Hydroamination/cyclization reactions catalyzed by amidinate and guanidinate complexes... 

The guanidinate-supported titanium imido complex [Me2NC(NPr02l2Ti = NAr (Ar = 2,6-Me2C6H3) (cf. Section IILB.2) was reported to be an effective catalyst for the hydroamination of alkynes. The catalytic activity of bulky amidinato bis(alkyl) complexes of scandium and yttrium (cf. Section III.B.l) in the intramolecular hydroamination/cyclization of 2,2-dimethyl-4-pentenylamine has been investigated and compared to the activity of the corresponding cationic mono(alkyl) derivatives. 

Abstract The use of A-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes as homogeneous catalysts in addition reactions across carbon-carbon double and triple bonds and carbon-heteroatom double bonds is described. The discussion is focused on the description of the catalytic systems, their current mechanistic understanding and occasionally the relevant organometallic chemistry. The reaction types covered include hydrogenation, transfer hydrogenation, hydrosilylation, hydroboration and diboration, hydroamination, hydrothiolation, hydration, hydroarylation, allylic substitution, addition, chloroesterification and chloroacylation. 

A catalytic system comprising TiCNMe ), LiNCSilVIej) and IMes has been developed for the intermolecular hydroamination of terminal aliphatic alkynes (1-hexyne, 1-octyne, etc.) with anilines [toluene, 100°C, 10 mol% TiCNMe ) ]. Markovnikov products were dominant. Substituted anilines reacted similarly. High conversions (85-95%) were observed with specific anilines. The optimum Ti/IMes/ LiN(SiMe3)2 ratio was 1 2 1. However, the nature of the active species and especially the role of LiN(SiMe3)2 are unclear [74]. 

The Rh and Ir complexes 85-88 (Fig. 2.14) have been tested for the intramolecular hydroamination/cyclisation of 4-pentyn-l-amine to 2-methyl-1-pyrroline (n = 1). The reactions were carried out at 60°C (1-1.5 mol%) in THF or CDCI3 The analogous rhodium systems were more active. Furthermore, the activity of 87 is higher than 85 under the same conditions, which was attributed to the hemilabihty of the P donor in the former complex, or to differences in the trans-eSects of the phosphine and NHC ligands, which may increase the lability of the coordinated CO in the pre-catalyst [75,76]. 

Fig. 2.14 Rhodium and iridium cataiysts for the intramolecular hydroamination of alkynes...

The pincer complexes 89-90 (Fig. 2.14) catalyse the intramolecular hydroamination/ cyclisation of unactivated alkenes, yielding pyrrolidines and piperidines (n = 1,2, respectively). The reactions can be carried out in benzene or water with high... 

Hydroamination of activated alkenes has been reported with complexes 91-93 (Fig. 2.15). For example, 91 catalyses the hydroamination of methacrylonitrile (X = CN in Scheme 2.13) by a range of secondary amines (morpholine, thiomorpholine, piperidine, iV-methylpiperazine or aniline) in good to excellent conversions (67-99%) and anfi-Markovnikov regioselectivity (5 mol%, -80°C or rt, 24-72 h). Low enantioselectivies were induced ee 30-50%) depending on the amine used and the reaction temperature [79]. 

Complexes 92 and 93 also show good activity for the hydroamination of methacrylonitrile with morpholine, piperidine or A -methylpiperazine (70-93% conversion at 2.5 mol%, 90°C in 24 h) [80]. 

Fig. 2.16 Copper-amido complexes as catalysts for the intermolecular hydroamination of electron-deficient alkenes...

The well-defined copper complexes 94 and 95 (Fig. 2.16) have been used as catalysts for the intermolecular hydroamination of electron-deficient alkenes [Michael acceptors, X=CN, C(=0)Me, C(=0)(0Me)] and vinyl arenes substituted... 

The hydroaminations of electron-deficient alkenes with aniline or small primary alkylamines proceed at high conversions (85-95%, nnder mild conditions, 5 mol%, rt), giving exclnsively the anh-Markovnikov addition product. Secondary dialkyl or bnlky primary amines require longer reaction times. With amines containing P-hydrogens, no imine side-products were observed. 

The proposed reaction mechanism involves intermolecular nucleophilic addition of the amido ligand to the olefin to produce a zwitterionic intermediate, followed by proton transfer to form a new copper amido complex. Reaction with additional amine (presnmably via coordination to Cn) yields the hydroamination prodnct and regenerates the original copper catalyst (Scheme 2.15). In addition to the NHC complexes 94 and 95, copper amido complexes with the chelating diphosphine l,2-bis-(di-tert-bntylphosphino)-ethane also catalyse the reaction [81, 82]. 

Finally, intramolecular hydroamination/cyclisation of M-alkenyl ureas was catalysed by the well-defined [AuCl(IPr)] complex (Schane 2.16), in the presence of AgOTf (5 mol%, rt, methanol, 22 h). The cationic Au(lPr)+ is presumably the active species [83]. 

Scheme 2.16 Gold-catalysed intramolecular hydroamination of alkenes...

Anfj-Markovnikov products are only observed. The postulated mechanism for these reactions is analogous to the previously discussed for the copper-catalysed hydroamination (Scheme 2.15) with the coordinated thiolate (rather than the amide) acting as nucleophile [82, 85]. 

Kovacs, G., Ujaque, G. and Lledos, A. (2008) The Reaction Mechanism of the Hydroamination of Alkenes Catalyzed by Gold(I)-Phosphine The Role of the Counterion and the N-Nucleophile Substituents in the Proton-Transfer Step. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 130, 853-864. 

Catalytic Hydroamination of Unsaturated Carbon-Carbon Bonds... 

Hydroaminomethylahon of alkenes [path (c)j wiU not be considered [12]. This review deals exclusively with the hydroaminahon reaction [path (d)], i.e. the direct addition of the N-H bond of NH3 or amines across unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds. It is devoted to the state of the art for the catalytic hydroamination of alkenes and styrenes but also of alkynes, 1,3-dienes and allenes, with no mention of activated substrates (such as Michael acceptors) for which the hydroamination occurs without catalysts. Similarly, the reachon of the N-H bond of amine derivatives such as carboxamides, tosylamides, ureas, etc. will not be considered. 

From a thermodynamic point of view, the addihon of NH3 and amines to olefins is feasible. For example, the free enthalpy for the addihon of NH3 to ethylene is AG° -4 kcal/mol [14]. Calculations showed that the enthalpies for the hydroamination of higher alkenes are in the range -7 to -16 kcal/mol and that the exothermicities of both hydrahon and hydroaminahon of alkenes are closely similar [15]. Such N-H addihons, however, are characterized by a high activation barrier which prevents the... 

Both heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts have been found which allow the hydroamination reaction to occur. For heterogeneously catalyzed reactions, it is very difficult to determine which type of activation is involved. In contrast, for homogeneously catalyzed hydroaminations, it is often possible to determine which of the reactants has been activated (the unsaturated hydrocarbon or the amine) and to propose reaction mechanisms (catalytic cycles). 

The first example of a heterogeneously catalyzed hydroamination of an alkene appeared in a 1929 patent in which it is claimed that NHj reacts with ethylene (450°C, 20 bar) over a reduced ammonium molybdate to give EtNH2 [24]. An intriguing reaction was also reported by Bersworth, who reacted oleic acid with NH3 in the presence of catalysts like palladium or platinum black or copper chromite to give the hydroamination product in quantitative yields [25]. However, this result could not be reproduced [26]. 

It was thought that propionitrile came from dehydrogenation of the anti-Markovnikov hydroamination product, w-PrNHj. Propionitrile can break down to ethylene and HCN, the former reacting with NH3 to generate acetonitrile via ethyl-amine, the latter adding to propene to form the butyronitriles [26, 37]. 

PhNH2 reacts with ethylene in the presence of alkali metals, e.g., sodium deposited on alumina, to afford the hydroamination product in good yield but with a low turnover frequency (TOP = mol of product synthesized per mol of catalyst in 1 h) (Bq. 4.3) [44]. 

Other catalysts are 20% Na/C, 5% Li/AljOj or 10% Na/8% M0O3-AI2O3 or 10% NaH/Al203 [44]. Similarly, gaseous mixtures of olefins and NH3 have been claimed to give hydroaminated products over a ternary K/graphite/Al203 catalyst [45]. 

Last, McClain disclosed the gas phase hydroamination of ethylene and propene with NH3 over palladium on alumina (Eq. 4.4) [46]. 

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