Ligand-centred reactions stability

During the coverage period of this chapter, reviews have appeared on the following topics reactions of electrophiles with polyfluorinated alkenes, the mechanisms of intramolecular hydroacylation and hydrosilylation, Prins reaction (reviewed and redefined), synthesis of esters of /3-amino acids by Michael addition of amines and metal amides to esters of a,/3-unsaturated carboxylic acids," the 1,4-addition of benzotriazole-stabilized carbanions to Michael acceptors, control of asymmetry in Michael additions via the use of nucleophiles bearing chiral centres, a-unsaturated systems with the chirality at the y-position, and the presence of chiral ligands or other chiral mediators, syntheses of carbo- and hetero-cyclic compounds via Michael addition of enolates and activated phenols, respectively, to o ,jS-unsaturated nitriles, and transition metal catalysis of the Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. ... 

Probably the most common attachment reaction in a late transition metal catalyzed reaction is transmetalation. This reaction, depicted in Figure 1-6, is the reversible exchange of covalently bonded ligands between two metal centres. The placement of the equilibrium is usually determined by the difference between the thermodynamic stability of the sacrificed and the formed bonds. From the practical point of view the placement of the equilibrium is less interesting as long as it is able to provide enough of the transmetalated complex for the follow up reaction. 

The coordination chemistry of silver has historically been centred on the reaction of silver(I) ions with N-donor ligands and halides. However, an extensive chemistry now exists for P- and S-donor ligands, whilst for O-donor ligands only weak complexes are generally formed and they have been studied in much less detail. Based on the reactivity and stability of its coordination complexes, the silver(I) ion has been characterized as a class B or soft acid, for which the following stability order is observed N P>As>Sb 0 S Se Te FComparative studies between ligands with these donor atoms allowed the relative stability of silver bonds to be determined as P > S > N > O. 

In general, the greater the thermodynamic stability of the imine complex, the smaller the tendency towards hydrolysis. The hydrolysis of the imine formed from aniline and benz-aldehyde is enhanced 100,000 times in the presence of copper(n). The importance of the electron configuration of the metal ion is seen in the reactions of this same ligand the imine is stabilised with respect to hydrolysis on co-ordination to a d6 iron(n) centre. This may be partially ascribed to the effective back-donation from the low-spin d6 centre (Fig. 4-24). In this case, the free imine is reasonably stable to hydrolysis in the absence of metal ions. 

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