Hydrozirconation of Terminal Alkynes

Hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes R-C=CH (R= aryl, alkyl) with 1 affords terminally ( )-Zr-substituted alkenes with high efficiency and excellent stereochemical and regiochemical control ( 98%). These alkenylzirconocene complexes are of particular interest for synthetic use [136, 143, 144]. Moreover, beside the electropositive halogen sources [145] and heteroatom electrophiles [3] used in the pioneering studies to directly cleave the Zr-C bond, ( )-vinyl-Zr complexes were recently transformed into a number of other trans-functionalized alkenes such as ( )-vinyl-sul-fides[146], vinylic selenol esters [147], vinyl-sulfones [148], vinyl-iodonium [149], vinyl-(R0)2P(0) [150], and vinilic tellurides [143]. 

Terminal heterosubstituted alkynes X-C=CH such as RO-C=CH [16, 17, 151-153], RSe-teCH (R= alkyl, aryl) [154-157], MejSi-teCH [158] and R P-feCH [159] were regioselectively converted into the ( )-2-ethenylzirconium complexes via hydrozirconation using 1. In marked contrast, with terminal BuTe-C=CH [154] 

Terminal diynes could not be cleanly monoliydrozirconated it was necessary to protect one of the two acetylenic forms with EtMgBr/TMSCl to get single addition [85]. 

As for alkenes, the rate of hydrozirconation of aikynes decreases with increasing substitution on the alkyne. An unsymmetrical diyne reacts with 1 preferentially at the less-substituted triple bond [85]. 

Hydrozirconation is useful for regiospedfic and/or stereospecific deuterium labeling [177]. Formation of diastereomerically pure dideuterated 3,3-dimethyl-butylzirconium(IV) complexes by successive hydrozirconation sequences showed 

Reduction with [Cp2Zr(H)Cl]n (1) of common C=X functional groups such as aldehydes, ketones, nitriles and related functionality is also possible. 

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Scheme 8-18 Regio- and stereo-selectivity in hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes...

Despite the great success of the transmetalation process in the enantiose-lective arylation of ketones, its extension to allylation or alkynylation reactions failed, providing the corresponding tertiary alcohols with enantiomeric excesses never higher than 50% ee. On the other hand, more success has been found in the alkenylation of ketones. The process started with the hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes to give the corresponding alkenylzirconium intermediates, which were transmetalated by reaction, in this case, with various ketones in the presence of the HOCSAC ligand. This protocol tolerated the presence of other carbon-carbon multiple bonds on the alkyne, as well as different functionalities and achieved excellent results for alkyl ketones, a,(3-unsaturated ketones and even dialkylketones, as shown in Scheme 4.22. 

As Scheme 16 shows, vinyl(methyl)zinc compounds 17 were obtained from the hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes with Cp2ZrHGl, followed by treatment with dimethylzinc. The initially formed vinyl zirconium complex undergoes rapid transmetallation with ZnMe2 to yield the product.44... 

Cleavage of Zr—C a bonds occurs readily on treatment with H20 or dilute acids, while the Zr—Cp bond usually survives mild protonolysis conditions. The use of D20 or DC1/D20 permits the replacement of Zr with D. Deuterolysis provides a generally reliable method for establishing the presence of Zr—C bonds. Protonolysis or deuterolysis of Zr—Csp bonds proceeds with retention of configuration [97]. In the hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes, deuterium can be introduced at any of the three positions in the vinyl group in a completely regio- and stereoselective manner, as shown in Scheme 1.18. Although relatively little is known about the mechanistic details, the experimental results appear to be consistent with concerted c-bond metathesis (Pattern 13) between C—Zr and H— X bonds. 

Scheme 1.18. Synthesis of non-deuterated, partially deuterated, and fully deuterated vinyl derivatives via hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes.

For the asymmetric 1,4-addition of alkenyl groups in aprotic media, alkenyl zirconium reagents can be used, which are generated by hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes (Figure 3.30). Under these conditions, alkenyl groups derived from alkylacetylenes are efficiently installed, but those from arylacetylenes are not as effective (entry 3). 

Another protocol was reported by Wipf and Xu. The hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes followed by the addition of dimethylzinc forms (E)-alkenylmethylzinc (equation 18)58. The chiral amino thiol 38 has been employed as a catalyst for this reaction59. Li and Walsh found that ketones as well as aldehydes are alkenylated by alkenylzinc using the chiral catalyst 3460. 

Catalytic asymmetric vinylation of ketones has been achieved. Vinylzinc reagents have been generated by hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes which are then transmet- allated with zinc.199 A titanium(IV) complex of a tims-cyclohexane-bis(sulfonamide) provides chiral catalysis it also facilitates dienylation of ketones, with ees also >90% in this case. 

When the above-mentioned process is applied to 1-lithio-l-chloroethene 66 [52] and vinyl zirconocene 67, arising from hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes, a stereospecific formation of 2-zirconated dienes 68 is obtained, affording terminal dienes after protonation [53] (Scheme 24). 

Coupling reactions with organozirconium reagents have hardly been explored in azines. In 1995 it was reported, however, that alkenylation can be effected by alkenylzirconocenes. The latter, in the trans configuration, are available by hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes 1-hexyne was hydrozirconated and coupled in situ with 2,4-dichloropyrimidine. Selective reaction in the 4-position gave the 4-alkenylpyrimidine (201) (Equation (13)). 

Cross-coupling of acetylenes with aryl halides E)-alkenylarenes. (E)-Atkenyl-zirconium compounds (1), obtained by hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes, react smoothly with aryl bromides and iodides in the presence of 10 mole % of Nl[P(CeH5)3]4 to form (E)-alkenylarenes (2) in yields generally of 70-95%. ... 

Alkenylzirconium species that are obtained by hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes using H(Cl)ZrCp2 can be readily transmetalated into the corresponding Zn organometallics. It has been shown that difluorovinylzinc iodide (321) can be obtained by the addition of ZrCp2 to the alkenyl tosylate 322. Besides, in situ transmetalation reactions have been reported (Scheme 2-111). 

Hydrozirconation of terminal triple bonds is an essential method to obtain alkenes with defined stereochemistry. In the case of internal alkynes the zirconocene moiety adds to the sterically less hindered position of the triple bond. C/s-selectivity is high, but the regioselectivity is sometimes moderate depending on the nature of the substrate.8... 

Besides hydrozirconation of terminal triple bonds Cp2Zr(H)Cl (16) also reacts with double bonds.8 The mechanism is similar to that described for alkynes. After coordination of alkene 5 to the Zr center giving -complex 23 the terminal double bond inserts into the Zr-H bond to form the stable (T-alkyl complex 24. The bulky zirconocene moiety again adds to the end-position of the terminal double bond. 

The steric demand of the zirconocene moiety leads to rearrangements in the case of hydrozirconation of internal double bonds. Regardless of position or configuration of the double bond in the substrate, zirconium migrates to the terminal position of the alkyl chain via insertion and /TH-elimination steps. Such isomerization does not occur upon hydrozirconization of internal alkynes. 

The hydrozirconation of alkynes by Cp2ZrHCl has been studied in detail . The addition of Zr-H is uniquely cis, and in 1-alkynes the zirconium attaches to the terminal carbon atom with high regioselectivity ( 98%). The direction of cis-fi addition of Zr-H to internal alkynes is sensitive to the steric bulk of the two substituents of the alkyne and, in the absence of excess Zr-H, is subject to kinetic control. The presence of excess Zr-H results in rapid equilibration of the initial mixture. The results of some hydrozirconations of internal alkynes are shown in Table H. 

Walsh developed an efficient protocol for the asymmetric catalytic vinylation of a variety of aldehydes and ketones, using the vinylzinc species generated in situ by treatment of terminal alkynes with Schwartz s reagent for hydrozirconation, followed by transmetallation to zinc via reaction with Me2Zn. Under the catalysis of titanium complex of the chiral dihydroxyl bis (sulfonamide) ligand, the reaction provides access to the corresponding secondary or tertiary allylic alcohols in high yields and excellent enantiomeric excesses [65] (Scheme 14.13). 

The alkenylzirconium 685, prepared by hydrozirconation of a terminal alkyne with hydrozirconocene chloride, reacts with alkenyl halide to afford the conjugated diene 686(545]. The Zr reagent can be used even in the presence of the carbonyl group in 687, which is sensitive to Al and Mg reagents. 

As predicted from the comparative rates for C=C over C=C hydrozirconation cited earlier, a (poly)enyne is selectively hydrozirconated at the alkyne moiety, whatever the position of the alkene function [138, 210] in the molecule. It can be exempUfied by the chemoselective hydrozirconation of 1,3-butenyne. One exception to this chemoselectivity has been reported, which showed the terminal alkene to react with 1 but leaving the TMS-substituted alkyne function intact (Scheme 8-25). 

Nitriles [153, 211] are tolerated by an equivalent of reagent in the presence of a particularly reactive site of unsaturation, such as a terminal alkyne or vinyl function, whereas methacrylonitrile gives only C N hydrozirconation (Scheme 8-26) [215]. 

Some hydrometalation reactions have been shown to be catalyzed by zirconocene. For instance, CpiZrCf-catalyzed hydroaluminations of alkenes [238] and alkynes [239] with BU3AI have been observed (Scheme 8-34). With alkyl-substituted internal alkynes the process is complicated by double bond migration, and with terminal alkynes double hydrometalation is observed. The reaction with "PrjAl and Cp2ZrCl2 gives simultaneously hydrometalation and C-H activation. Cp2ZrCl2/ BuIi-cat-alyzed hydrosilation of acyclic alkenes [64, 240] was also reported to involve hydrogen transfer via hydrozirconation. 

It was shown (654) that the sequence terminal alkyne hydrozirconation, Zr to Zn exchange and addition to nitrones, is a good method to the stereoselective synthesis of (E)-N-allylhydroxylamines, under mild conditions and in good yield. 

The only other alkenyl carbenoid with a proton trans to the halide that can readily be generated by deprotonation is the parent 1-lithio-l-chloroethene 57 [43] (Scheme 3.13). Insertion into organozirconocenes arising from hydrozirconation of alkenes and alkynes, followed by protonation, affords terminal alkenes and ( )-dienes 59, respectively [38]. The latter provides a useful complement to the synthesis of 54 in Scheme 3.12 since the stereocontrol is >99%. 

Palladium-catalyzed alkenylation reactions involving pyrimidines can be achieved with hydrozirconated terminal alkynes, although the reaction is carried out in the presence of zinc chloride, so transmetallation to the zinc species is presumed to occur prior to the palladium-mediated coupling <1996ACS914, B-2002MI409>. Selective reaction at the 4-position of both 2,4-dichloropyrimidine and 2,4-dichloroquinazoline can be achieved. 

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