Iridium catalyzed decarbonylation

Ir-Catalyzed Reactions (Z)-Vinyl chlorides are obtained selectively by the iridium-catalyzed decarbonylative addition of aroyl chlorides to terminal alkynes, using RuPhos as a phosphine ligand in refluxing toluene (20h) (Scheme 22.22) [31]. 

Iridium-Catalyzed Guerbet/Decarbonylation Reaction of Arylalkanols... 

The major drawback in the development of efficient catalytic PK protocols is the use of carbon monoxide. Many groups probably refuse to use this reaction in their synthetic plans in order to avoid the manipulation of such a highly toxic gas. Carbonylation reactions without the use of carbon monoxide would make them more desirable and would lead to further advances in those areas. Once the use of rhodium complexes was introduced in catalytic PKR, two independent groups realized these species were known for effecting decarbonylation reactions in aldehydes, which is a way to synthesize metal carbonyls. Thus, aldehydes could be used as a source of CO for the PKR. This elegant approach begins with decarbonylation of an aldehyde and transfer of the CO to the enyne catalyzed by rhodium, ruthenium or iridium complexes under argon atmosphere (Scheme 36). 

Wilkinson s catalyst and chlorocarbonylbis(triphenylphosphine)rhodium [or iridium] can catalyze the thermal decarbonylation of aromatic acid halides to aryl halides. An intermediate Rh(III) hydride is involved in the reaction (Suggs, 1978). For aliphatic acid halides, subsequent elimination of HX frequently occurs from the generated alkyl halide (Ohno and Tsuji 1968 Blum et al., 1%7, 1971 Strohmeier and Pfohler, 1976). 

Iridium complex-catalyzed cyclization of an Af-arylcarbamoyl chloride with an alkyne has been reported by Tsuji and coworkers [153]. In a typical example, Af-methyl-Af-phenylcarbamoyl was reacted with 5-decyne and a catalytic amount of [IrCl(cod)]2 (2.5mol%) and additional cod (30mol%) in refluxing o-xylene for 20 h to give 3,4-dimethyl-l-methyl-2-quinolone in 92% yield (Scheme 11.5). During this reaction, no indole product formed by decarbonylation was observed. This reaction is proposed to proceed by oxidative addition of Af-arylcarbamoyl chloride to Ir(I), giving a carbamoyl chloroiridium(III) species. Subsequently, the formation of a five-membered iridacycle by ortho-aryl C-H activation followed by insertion of the alkene and reductive elimination produces the 2-quinolone derivative. 

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