Iron alkyls, carbonylation reactions with nucleophiles

Reaction of Z-a./j-unsaturated iron-acyl complexes with bases under conditions similar to those above results in exclusive 1,4-addition, rather than deprotonation, to form the extended enolate species. However, it has been demonstrated that in the presence of the highly donating solvent hexamethylphosphoramide, y-deprotonation of the -complex 6 occurs. Subsequent reaction with electrophiles provides a-alkylated products such as 736 this procedure, demonstrated only in this case, in principle allows access to the a-alkylatcd products from both Z- and it-isomers of a,/j-unsaturated iron-acyl complexes. The hexamethylphosphoramide presumably coordinates to the base and thus prevents precoordination of the base to the acyl carbonyl oxygen, which has been suggested to direct the regioselective 1,4-addition of nucleophiles to -complexes as shown (see Section 1.1.1.3.4.1.2.). These results are also consistent with preference for the cisoid conformations depicted. 

Neither the palladium nor nickel catalyst described will promote the carbonylation of saturated aliphatic halides as noted above. However, this reaction can be catalyzed with cobalt (17) or iron (77) and probably with manganese (18) carbonyl anion salts. These carbonyl anions are strongly nucleophilic species and readily displace halide or other good leaving groups from primary or secondary positions giving alkyl metal carbonyl complexes. 

Applications of carbonylate reactions in organic synthesis are numerous. Particularly noteworthy are schemes involving tetracaibonylferrate( -11) (referred to as Collman s reagent), which can be isolated as a sodium salt, Na2Fe(CO)4-1.5 dioxane, and is commercially available. The highly nucleophilic [Fe(CO)4]2 reacts readily with alkyl halides to yield alkyl iron carbonylates ... 

The 1,3-dicarbonyl unit has been shown to be an excellent leaving group in 5 1 reactions catalysed by FeCl3. °" The catalysis is thought to occur when the iron coordinates with the two carbonyl oxygens before the ionization step. These reactions proceed via either a free carbenium ion or a carbenium ion-pair intermediate, which is consumed in a second reaction with a nucleophile such as C(3) of 5-bromoindole. Yields of these alkylation reaetions range from 73 to 99%. 

Alternatively, acyliron complexes can be obtained in a two-step sequence either from dicarbonyl(cyclopentadienyl)ferrates or from dicarbonyl(cyclopentadienyl)iron halides via alkyl-Fp complexes. The first method makes use of the nucleophilicity of [CpFe(CO)2] anions. Their reaction with alkyl halides provides alkyl-Fp complexes that, upon treatment with phosphanes or phosphites, undergo a migratory insertion of a carbonyl ligand into the metal-alkyl bond leading to an acyliron complex (Scheme 4-38). " ... 

In (alkene)iron complexes, either neutral or cationic, the electron density at the alkene is reduced. This allows for nucleophilic addition to such complexes. For example, malonates are added to give ethyl malonate derivatives after aqueous workup. Reaction of the intermediate anionic T -alkyl-Fp complexes with alkyl halides leads to migratory insertion of a carbonyl ligand and provides acylated products (Scheme 4-73). ... 

In other variations ketones are produced. The acyliron monoanion may be alkylated again with another alkyl halide to form a transient acyl-alkyl iron intermediate, which rapidly decomposes into ketone and the polynuclear iron carbonyl complex. This reaction is limited, however, because only very reactive alkylating agents such as methyl, allyl, and benzyl halides will react with the weakly nucleophilic acyliron monoanions ... 

Dienes form very stable complexes with a variety of metal caibonyls, particularly Fe(CO)s, and the neutral V-diene metal carbonyl complexes are quite resistant to normal reactions of dienes (e.g. hydrogenation, Diels-Alder). However, they are subject to nucleophilic attack by a variety of nonstabilized carbanions. Treatment of -cyclohexadiene iron tricarbonyl with nonstabilized carbanions, followed by protonolysis of the resulting complex, produced isomeric mixtures of alkylated cyclohexenes (Scheme 15).24 With acyclic dienes, this alkylation was shown to be reversible, with kinetic alkylation occurring at an internal position of the complexed dienes but rearranging to the terminal position under thermodynamic conditions (Scheme 16).2S By trapping the kinetic product with an electrophile, overall carbo-... 

Iron carbonyl complexes containing 77 -alkyl-77 -allyl coordinated hydrocarbon ligands are obtained in several ways. Nucleophilic addition to cationic iron complexes containing 77 -pentadienyl ligands yields (pentenediyl)iron complexes. Oxidatively-induced reductive elimination of these complexes can be utilized as a means to generate 1,2,3-trisubstituted cyclopropanes.The reaction of cationic cycloheptadienyl complexes (Scheme 22) with appropriate nucleophiles also yields the alkyl-allyliron carbonyl complexes. Fe(CO)s also reacts with a- or /3-pincnc in refluxing dioxane (Scheme 22) to produce an alkyl-allyliron complex. Recently, 1,2- and 1,4-disubstituted [(pentadienyl)Fe(CO)3] cations were shown to react with carbon nucleophiles, such as sodium dimethylmalonate, to yield 77 77 -allyl complexes as products. 

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