Imidazolidinium salts

Asymmetric versions of this transformation were also developed by using chiral imidazolium pro-ligands as NHC precursors, or silver transmetallation methodology with chiral NHC ligands (Fig. 2.23) [106]. Imidazolium salts with chiral A-substituents (132) or imidazolidinium salts with chirality at the backbone of the heterocycle (133) gave quantitative conversions at -78°C with good ee (58% and 70% respectively). 

The reaction of an orf/io-ester, e.g., HC(OEt)3, with a secondary bisamine in the presence of an anunonium salt yields imidazolidinium salts (Scheme The necessary secondary diamines can be generated by a classical condensation-reduction sequence or by applying the palladium-catalyzed Buchwald-Hartwig amination." The latter reaction offers convenient access to imidazolidinium salts with chiral backbones starting from chiral diamines, a number of which are commercially available. ... 

Imidazolidinium salts can also be transformed into the corresponding diamino ortho-esters by alkaline alkoxylate, and upon alcohol elimination at elevated temperature the imidazolidin-2-ylidenes can be trapped. The reaction of tria-zolium salts with sodium methanolate in methanol yields 5-methoxy-4,5-dihydro-IH-triazole which also eliminates methanol upon heating in vacuo. The resulting triazolin-5-ylidenes can either be isolated or trapped by an appropriate metal precursor [Eq. (19)]. Benzimidazolin-2-ylidenes are similarly accessible by this route. 

Electron-rich olefins are nucleophilic and therefore subject to thermal cleavage by various electrophilic transition metal complexes. As the formation of tetraaminoethylenes, i.e., enetetramines, is possible by different methods, various precursors to imidazolidin-2-ylidene complexes are readily available. " Dimerization of nonstable NHCs such as imidazolidin-2-ylidenes is one of the routes used to obtain these electron-rich olefins [Eq. (29)]. The existence of an equilibrium between free NHC monomers and the olefinic dimer was proven only recently for benzimidazolin-2-ylidenes. In addition to the previously mentioned methods it is possible to deprotonate imidazolidinium salts with Grignard reagents in order to prepare tetraaminoethylenes. " The isolation of stable imidazolidin-2-ylidenes was achieved by deprotonation of the imidazolidinium salt with potassium hydride in THF. ... 

Asymmetric homogeneous catalysis generally requires chiral ligands. Approaches to chiral NHCs have focused on the generation of chiral centers either in the 4- and 5-position of imidazolidinium salts 71 or in the a-position of the nitrogen substituents for imidazolium salts 72. 

The saturated imidazolidinium salts can be obtained by alkylation of dihydroimidazole or by selected cyclization reactions [22]. A multicomponent reaction leading to unsymmetric derivatives of type 2 has also been reported (Fig. 3c) [30]. 

Fig. 3 Syntheses of imidazolium salts 1 (a, b), unsymmetrically substituted imidazolidinium salts 2 (c) and of cyclic 2-thiones 3 and 4 (d, e)...

Additional factors which lead to an increased stability of the carbene complexes towards reductive ehmination are the type of NHC ligand and the NA -substitution pattern. The stability of NHC complexes depends strongly on the electronic situation at the carbene center. The oxidative addition of p-tolyl chloride to linear Pd° complexes bearing two unsaturated imidazolin-2-ylidenes (type 5, Fig. 6) or two saturated imidazolidin-2-ylidenes (t3q>e 7, Fig. 6) proceeds readily. The Pd complex with the imidazolin-2-yhdene ligands is stable, while the one with the imida-zolidin-2-ylidene ligands reductively ehminates the C2-arylated imidazolidinium salt [134]. 

MacMillan s catalysts 56a and 61 allowed also the combination of the domino 1,4-hydride addition followed by intramolecular Michael addition [44]. The reaction is chemoselective, as the hydride addition takes place first on the iminium-activated enal. The enamine-product of the reaction is trapped in a rapid intramolecular reaction by the enone, as depicted in Scheme 2.54. The intramolecular trapping is efficient, as no formation of the saturated aldehyde can be observed. The best results were obtained with MacMillan s imidazolidinium salt 61 and Hantzsch ester 62 as hydride source. As was the case in the cyclization reaction, the reaction affords the thermodynamic trans product in high selectivity. This transformation sequence is particularly important in demonstrating that the same catalyst may trigger different reactions via different mechanistic pathways, in the same reaction mixture. 

The reversible formation of a N,N-dibenzyl iminium intermediate, which is reduced by hydride capture from the Hantzsch ester 1 was proposed. Subsequent hydrolysis regenerates catalyst 2 and releases the saturated aldehyde. The transition state A has been suggested for the hydride transfer. An example of the asymmetric version of this reaction was also realized, by using a chiral imidazolidi-none catalyst (the McMillan imidazolidinium salt 3 [13]) (see Scheme 11.4). 

Scheme 3.49 Preparation of cyclic imidazolidinium salts from acyclic amidines...

A variety of cationic surfactants are derived from pyridine and imidazole, such as the alkylpyridinium salts and the alkyl imidazolidinium salts. These salts are very stable in aqueous solutions, but absorb UV light which makes them difficult to be used in MLC. Also, surfactants associating a nonionic polyoxyethylene chain with a cationic terminal group have been designed [5],... 

Unusual type of P-based cyclophane 154 containing NH,NH-functionalized carbene heterocyclic fragment coordinated to the transition metal was obtained by metal template assisted cyclization reactions of the diphosphine hgand bearing reactive 2-fluoro substiments at phenyl groups on phosphorus atoms and carbene heterocycle in coordination sphere of 153 (Scheme 12.57). Aerial oxidation of the complexes of the cyclophane hgand resulted in the isolation of the free macrocycle as di(phosphine oxide)/imidazolidinium salt [142, 143]. 

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