Macrocyclic metal enolates

Template reactions between malonaldehydes and diamines in the presence of copper(II), nickel(II) or cobalt(II) salts yield neutral macrocyclic complexes (equation 15).99-102 Both aliphatic102 and aromatic101 diamines can be used. In certain cases, non-macrocyclic intermediates can be isolated and subsequently converted into unsymmetrical macrocyclic complexes by reaction with a different diamine (Scheme ll).101 These methods are more versatile and more convenient than an earlier template reaction in which propynal replaces the malonaldehyde (equation 16).103 This latter method can also be used for the non-template synthesis of the macrocyclic ligand in relatively poor yield. A further variation on this reaction type allows the use of an enol ether (vinylogous ester), which provides more flexibility with respect to substituents (equation 17).104 The approach illustrated in equation (15), and Scheme 11 can be extended to include reactions of (3-diketones. The benzodiazepines, which result from reaction between 1,2-diaminobenzenes and (3-diketones, can also serve as precursors in the metal template reaction (Scheme 12).101 105 106 The macrocyclic complex product (46) in this sequence, being unsubstituted on the meso carbon atom, has been shown to undergo an electrochemical oxidative dimerization (equation 18).107... 

The role of the metal ion may be purely conformational, acting to place the reactants in the correct spatial arrangement for cyclisation to occur, or it may play a more active role in stabilising the enol, enolate, imine or enamine intermediates. The prototypical example of such a reaction is shown in Fig. 6-18. The nickel(n) complex of a tetradentate macrocyclic ligand is the unexpected product of the reaction of [Ni(en)3]2+ with acetone. There are numerous possible mechanisms for the formation of the tetradentate macro-cyclic ligand and the exact mechanism is not known with any certainty. 

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