Ketene—zirconocene complexes

Although the chemistry described in Sections 5.3.2.1 and 5.3.2.2 indicates an attractive feature of the acylzirconocene chloride complex for carbon—carbon bond formation, application to the synthesis of metal-free organic molecules has not been extensively studied. 

Reactions of Acylzirconocene Chlorides as Unmasked Acyl Croup Donors 

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Conversion to Ketone— and Ketene Zirconocene Complexes and Reactions Thereof 5.3.2.1 Ketone zirconocene complexes... 

Clear formation of ketene—zirconocene complexes upon treatment of acylzirconocene chlorides with a hindered amide base indicates that the carbonyl group of the acylzirconocene chloride possesses usual carbonyl polarization (Scheme 5.10). However, these zirconocene—ketene complexes are exceptionally inert due to the formation of strongly bound dimers [13a], Conversion of the dimer to zirconocene—ketene—alkylaluminum complexes by treating with alkylaluminum and reaction with excess acetylene in toluene at 25 °C has been reported to give a cyclic enolate in quantitative yield. Although the ketene—zirconocene—alkylaluminum complex reacts cleanly with acetylene, it does not react with ethylene or substituted acetylenes [13b]. Thus, the complex has met with limited success as a reagent in organic synthesis. 

The isomerization of an O-silyl ketene acetal to a C-silyl ester is catalyzed by a cationic zirconocene—alkoxide complex [92], This catalysis was observed as a side reaction in the zirconocene-catalyzed Mukaiyama aldol reactions and has not yet found synthetic use. The solvent-free bis(triflate) [Cp2Zr(OTf)2] also catalyzes the reaction in nitromethane (no reaction in dichloromethane), but in this case there may be competitive catalysis by TMSOTf (cf. the above discussion of the catalysis of the Mukaiyama aldol reaction) [91] (Scheme 8.51). 

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