Metal-activated heteroatom nucleophilic addition

ADDITION OF HETEROATOM NUCLEOPHILES TO METAL-ACTIVATED ALKADIENES 565... 

The same transition metal systems which activate alkenes, alkadienes and alkynes to undergo nucleophilic attack by heteroatom nucleophiles also promote the reaction of carbon nucleophiles with these unsaturated compounds, and most of the chemistry in Scheme 1 in Section 3.1.2 of this volume is also applicable in these systems. However two additional problems which seriously limit the synthetic utility of these reactions are encountered with carbon nucleophiles. Most carbanions arc strong reducing agents, while many electrophilic metals such as palladium(II) are readily reduced. Thus, oxidative coupling of the carbanion, with concomitant reduction of the metal, is often encountered when carbon nucleophiles arc studied. In addition, catalytic cycles invariably require reoxidation of the metal used to activate the alkene [usually palladium(II)]. Since carbanions are more readily oxidized than are the metals used, catalysis of alkene, diene and alkyne alkylation has rarely been achieved. Thus, virtually all of the reactions discussed below require stoichiometric quantities of the transition metal, and are practical only when the ease of the transformation or the value of the product overcomes the inherent cost of using large amounts of often expensive transition metals. 

An extension of Hashmi s Au(III)-catalyzed phenol synthesis [81] to furan substrates 9 bearing an additional alkyne moiety allowed the preparation of C6-C7-heterofused benzofuran 11 (Scheme 9.3) [82]. According to the proposed mechanism, the Au(III)-catalyzed arene formation reaction generates o-alkynylphenol 10. A subsequent Au(III)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of the latter, following the general mechanism for an intramolecular nucleophilic addition of heteroatom to transition metal-activated carbon-carbon multiple bonds, gives 11 (Scheme 9.3). 

The principal manner for organometallic reagents to react with activated aziridines and the 0-analogous oxiranes as well is ring opening through nucleophilic addition accompanied by heterolytic cleavage of the carbon-heteroatom bond (see below). Other favorite modes, in particular, a-metalation and P-elimination are evoked in later sections (pp. 3.5.1 and 3.5.2). 

Alkylidenes have been prepared by reduction of alkyli-dynes, by C H oxidative addition from alkyls, and by treatment of unsaturated metal clusters with diazoalkanes. In most instances, the alkylidene adopts a /r2-h coordination mode. However, alkylidenes with heteroatom substituents may also be found in terminal coordination modes. The latter are typically prepared by the Fischer-type carbene route (see Fischer-type Carbene Complexes) (sequential addition of nucleophilic and electrophilic alkylating agents to carbonyl or isocyanide ligands), by condensation of metal fragments with mono- or dimetallic carbene complexes, or by C-H activation of alkylamines. These heteroatom substituted carbenes may also bind in a p3-ri mode, as in (12). 

The propensity for C-N vs. N-H activation correlates well with substituent Hammet parameters groups that increase the basicity of aniline increase the relative rate of N-H activation, suggesting that nucleophilic attack by the amine at an empty d /dy orbital of Ta(silox)3 preceeds oxidative addition. On the other hand, electron-withdrawing substituents decrease the rate of N-H activation and increase the rate of C-N activation, similarly to the effects observed on electrophilic aromatic substitution. Nucleophilic attack by the filled d a orbital of Ta(silox)3 is expected to occur at the arylamine ipso carbon preceding C-N oxidative addition. The carbon-heteroatom cleavages can be accomodated by mechanisms using both electrophilic and nucleophilic sites on the metal center. 

As discussed in a recent review, there are four modes of C-H bond metalation (l) oxidative addition with eleetron-rich late transition metals (2) a-bond metathesis with early transition metals (3) electrophilic activation with electron-deficient late transition metals and (4) earboigrlate-directed metalation. The last mode has been only recently reported and proceeds via a continuum of electrophilic, ambiphilic, and nucleophilic interactions with the assistance of a bifunetional ligand bearing an additional Lewis-basic heteroatom, such as carbojgrlate. Possible mechanisms for the C-H bond palladation are shown in Seheme 2.12. 

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