Intramolecular transition metal complexes

Intramolecular aromatic substitution in transition metal complexes. G. W. Parshall, Acc. Chem. Res., 1970,3,139-144 (51). 

The interconversion between different spin states is closely related to the intersystem crossing process in excited states of transition-metal complexes. Hence, much of the interest in the rates of spin-state transitions arises from their relevance to a better understanding of intersystem crossing phenomena. The spin-state change can alternatively be described as an intramolecular electron transfer reaction [34], Therefore, rates of spin-state transitions may be employed to assess the effect of spin multiplicity changes on electron transfer rates. These aspects have been covered in some detail elsewhere [30]. 

The Alder-ene reaction has traditionally been performed under thermal conditions—generally at temperatures in excess of 200 °C. Transition metal catalysis not only maintains the attractive atom-economical feature of the Alder-ene reaction, but also allows for regiocontrol and, in many cases, stereoselectivity. A multitude of transition metal complexes has shown the ability to catalyze the intramolecular Alder-ene reaction. Each possesses a unique reactivity that is reflected in the diversity of carbocyclic and heterocyclic products accessible via the transition metal-catalyzed intramolecular Alder-ene reaction. Presumably for these reasons, investigation of the thermal Alder-ene reaction seems to have stopped almost completely. For example, more than 40 papers pertaining to the transition metal-catalyzed intramolecular Alder-ene reaction have been published over the last decade. In the process of writing this review, we encountered only three recent examples of the thermal intramolecular Alder-ene reaction, two of which were applications to the synthesis of biologically relevant compounds (see Section 10.12.6). 

Organic Electroreductive Coupling Reactions using Transition Metal Complexes as Catalysts Table 11. Co- or Ni-catalyzed intramolecular additions to Michael acceptors... 

Terminal alkynes readily react with coordinatively unsaturated transition metal complexes to yield vinylidene complexes. If the vinylidene complex is sufficiently electrophilic, nucleophiles such as amides, alcohols or water can add to the a-carbon atom to yield heteroatom-substituted carbene complexes (Figure 2.10) [129 -135]. If the nucleophile is bound to the alkyne, intramolecular addition to the intermediate vinylidene will lead to the formation of heterocyclic carbene complexes [136-141]. Vinylidene complexes can further undergo [2 -i- 2] cycloadditions with imines, forming azetidin-2-ylidene complexes [142,143]. Cycloaddition to azines leads to the formation of pyrazolidin-3-ylidene complexes [143] (Table 2.7). 

Beside [2+2+2] cycloaddition, [4+2] and [5+1] cycloadditions represent other approaches for the construction of six-membered ring systems. In parhcular, the intermolecular and intramolecular [4+2] cycloadditions of diene and alkyne have been extensively studied, and a variety of transition-metal complexes-including those of Fe, Ni and Rh-have been reported as efficient catalysts. The first enanh-oselective reaction was achieved with a chiral Rh complex, although the substrates were limited to dienynes with a substituent on the diene terminus [36]. Later, Shibata and coworkers developed an intramolecular and enanhoselective [4+2] cycloaddition using an Ir-BDPP (l,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)pentane) complex (Scheme 11.24) [37], where dienynes with an unsubstituted diene terminus were transformed into bicyclic cyclohexa-1,4-diene with up to 98% ee. 

This was the very first explicit connechon to be made between the intermolecular and intramolecular varieties of C—H bond breaking by transition-metal complexes. 

Stabilization of transition states by intramolecular dihydrogen bonding explains the high degree of fluxionality of polyhydride transition metal complexes. 

Several types of 1,2,4-triphospholide transition metal complexes are known, that is complexes with f/ -coordination of P-1 (in rare cases of P-4) to one or two metal centers and sometimes additional f/ -coordination of the remaining four ring members, as well as with f/ -coordination and sometimes additional f/ -coordination of P-1 and P-2 <94CCR1,95CCR20i>. f/ -Complexes are fluxional in solution as the metal atom undergoes an intramolecular shift between P-1 and P-2. The structural consequences of two bonding modes (1, 2) for f/ -complexes are mentioned in Section 4.22.2.2, molecular structures of four examples are found in Table 6. 

A variety of transition metal-carbene complexes have been prepared and characterized. None of these are known to efficiently effect intermolecular C-H insertion. An electrophilic iron carbcne complex can, however, participate in intramolecular C-H insertions (Section I.2.2.3.2.I.). More commonly, transition metal complexes are used to catalyze intramolecular C-H insertion starting with a diazo precursor. In these cases, the intermediate metal carbene complexes are not isolated. 

Intramolecular Motion Within a Heterodinuclear Bis-macrocycle Transition Metal Complex... 

Wozniak and coworkers described recently the first heterodinuclear bismacrocyclic transition metal complex 34 + (Fig. 14.5) that exhibits potential-driven intramolecular motion of the interlocked crown ether unit.25 26 Although the system contains transition metals, the main interaction between the various subunits, which also allowed to construct catenane 34+, is an acceptor-donor interaction of the charge transfer type. 

Cleavage of the H—H bond by transition metal complexes suggests that similar reactions may be possible with C—H and C—C bonds. In fact it has been known for a number of years that coordinated triphenylphosphine can undergo intramolecular cyclomelallation. 

As noted in the introduction, in contrast to attack by nucleophiles, attack of electrophiles on saturated alkene-, polyene- or polyenyl-metal complexes creates special problems in that normally unstable 16-electron, unsaturated species are formed. To be isolated, these species must be stabilized by intramolecular coordination or via intermolecular addition of a ligand. Nevertheless, as illustrated in this chapter, reactions of significant synthetic utility can be developed with attention to these points. It is likely that this area will see considerable development in the future. In addition to refinement of electrophilic reactions of metal-diene complexes, synthetic applications may evolve from the coupling of carbon electrophiles with electron-rich transition metal complexes of alkenes, alkynes and polyenes, as well as allyl- and dienyl-metal complexes. Sequential addition of electrophiles followed by nucleophiles is also viable to rapidly assemble complex structures. 

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