1.3- Azoles lithiation

Carbene complexes have also been prepared by transmetallation reactions. Lithiated azoles react with gold chloride compounds and after protonation or alkylation the corresponding dihydro-azol-ylidene compounds, e.g., (381) or (382), are obtained.22 9-2264 Silver salts of benz-imidazol have also been used to obtain carbene derivatives.2265 Mononuclear gold(I) carbene complexes also form when trimeric gold(I) imidazolyl reacts with ethyl chlorocarbonate or ethyl idodate.2266,2267 The treatment of gold halide complexes with 2-lithiated pyridine followed by protonation or alkylation also yields carbene complexes such as (383).2268 Some of these carbene complexes show luminescent properties.2269-2271... 

The transmetallation of lithiated heterocycles has been described as a method to provide NHC complexes, and other Fischer-type carbene complexes [161]. The method proceeds via the alkylation of an alkylimidazole with BuLi to generate the lithiated azole, which can transmetallate to the metal complex. Further reaction with an acid or an alkylating agent would provide the desired NHC - M complex (Scheme 47). 

Carbene complexes derived from lithiated azoles 01JOM(617-618)170. Chemistry of trimethylsilylazoles 01ZOR165. 

Scheme 9.2 Synthesis of complexes bearing protic NHCs from C2-lithiated azoles.

Complexes with protic NHC ligands have been prepared from neutral azole precursors. In spite of the problems often encountered during the deprotonation of neutral Af-alkyUmidazoles, some complexes bearing protic NHC ligands have been generated from C2-lithiated azoles followed by N-protonation as depicted in Scheme 9.2. Complex 1 is stable [20a], but complexes of type 2 have been shown to tautomerize to the complexes bearing N-bound azoles [17]. The C2-deprotonation of various thiazoles and the use of the resulting salts for the preparation of NHC complexes have been demonstrated by Raubenheimer [20b]. 

Neutral azoles are readily C-lithiated by K-butyllithium provided they do not contain a free NH group (Table 6). Derivatives with two heteroatoms in the 1,3-orientation undergo lithiation preferentially at the 2-position other compounds are lithiated at the 5-position. Attempted metallation of isoxazoles usually causes ring opening via proton loss at the 3-or 5-position (Section 4.02.2.1.7.5) however, if both of these positions are substituted, normal lithiation occurs at the 4-position (Scheme 21). 

A neat synthesis of the chiral 10,ll-dibenzo[ / thiepine 79 from the chiral precursor 78 has been described. Cyclisation of the lithiated intermediate was mediated via reaction with sulfur W.v(i mid azole) <06OBC2218>. 

The a-metalation of azoles (aromatic nitrogen-containing five-mem-bered rings) is a much more facile process than that for the analogous saturated systems, and a small number of heterocycles containing free NH groups can undergo some direct lithiation, despite the ionization of the... 

Direct metalation at the /8-carbon of azoles can also occur, although it is a much less facile process than that for the adjacent a-carbon, because of the greater charge density at what is normally a nucleophilic center in enamine-type reactions. Thus in order for reaction to occur, it is usually necessary to either block the a-position or activate the /3-site. If both factors are accommodated than /8-metalation occurs readily, and thus 3,4-disubstituted-2(3//)-thiazolethiones undergo direct lithiation with lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) at the 5-position, which is activated by the inductive effect of the adjacent sulfur (Scheme 4) (80S800). 

Neutral azoles are readily C-lithiated by n-butyllithium provided they do not contain a free NH group (Table 7). Derivatives with two heteroatoms in the 1,3-orientation undergo lithiation preferentially at the 2-position other compounds are lithiated at the 5-position. 

Thieno[2,3 -6]selenophenes lithiation, 4, 950 Thienospirans synthesis, 4, 760 Thieno[3,4-c][l,2,5]thiadiazoles cycloaddition reactions, 6, 534 reactions, 6, 1036 synthesis, 6, 1042, 1044 Thieno[2,3-d]thiazole, 2-acylamino-synthesis, 6, 1010 Thieno[2,3-d]thiazoles synthesis, 5, 116 6, 988, 994 Thieno[3,2-d]thi azoles synthesis, 5, 135 6, 1015 Thieno[3,4-d]thiazolidine-2-thione, perhydro-... 

Arenes and heteroarenes which are particularly easy to metalate are tricarbo-nyl( 76-arene)chromium complexes [380, 381], ferrocenes [13, 382, 383], thiophenes [157, 158, 181, 370, 384], furans [370, 385], and most azoles [386-389]. Meta-lated oxazoles, indoles, or furans can, however, be unstable and undergo ring-opening reactions [179, 181, 388]. Pyridines and other six-membered, nitrogen-containing heterocycles can also be lithiated [59, 370, 390-398] or magnesiated [399], but because nucleophilic organometallic compounds readily add to electron-deficient heteroarenes, dimerization can occur, and alkylations of such metalated heteroarenes often require careful optimization of the reaction conditions [368, 400, 401] (Schemes 5.42 and 5.69). 

Table 7 Some typical conditions for lithiation of azoles by n-butyllithium...

Metallated azoles frequently show expected properties, especially if not too many heteroatoms are present. Thus, Grignard reagents prepared from halogeno-azoles (see Section 3.4.3.9.3) show normal reactions, as in Scheme 154. 2-Lithioimidazoles react normally, e.g., with benzophenone (Scheme 155). Lithiated imidazoles are not always particularly reactive toward electrophiles and yields may be low. The nature of the quenching electrophile is the critical factor. Hard reagents like benzophenone tend to give better yields than the softer methyl iodide heteroaryl lithiums have hard carbanion centers. 

Acetophenone, A/-methyloxazolidine derivative, lithiation, 56, 261 Acetyl hypofluorite fluorination of uracil by, 59, 3 fluorination using, 60, 7 reaction with pyridines, 58, 280, 289 Acetylacetone, hexafluoro-, reaction with ethylenediamine, 56, 3 Acetylene cyclic dimer, trimer. tetramer, dissociation energies, 56, 343 Acetylenes, activated reactions with 3-diazo-azoles, 59, 70... 

Recently, interest has been rekindled in the use of the vinyl group as a blocking agent which can be cleaved by ozonolysis [60, 61]. Critical assessment of the variety of blocking groups employed in azole lithiations has appeared elsewhere, and will not be discussed in detail here [24-26, 62]. 

The metaiation of heterocycles is possible without the aid of a directing group. This type of reaction is most common in the ir-excessive heterocycles, and is most important for thiophenes. For nitrogen heterocycles, examples of unactivated lithiation of ir-excessive azoles have been reported, and are summarized below. ir-Deficient heterocycles such as pyridine are resistant to unactivated lithiation, although pyridine can be metalated with low regioselectivity using butylsodium. Pyridines also form weak complexes with fluoro ketones the complex of 4-r-butylpyridine and hexafluoroacetone can be lithiated and added to benzaldehyde in 60% yield. ... 

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