Metal allenes 3+2 cycloaddition reactions

Although interest in metal-catalyzed cycloaddition reactions of arynes has mostly focused on reactions with alkynes, they have also proved synthetically useful in reactions with other species, such as allyl derivatives, CO or allenes. 

Allene (1) and its alkyl and aryl derivatives have long been used in organic synthesis, especially in cycloaddition reactions, whether these are thermally [5] or photochemi-cally induced and involve metal catalysis or polar reagents [2], Potentially more interesting derivatives arise when the allene group is connected with other unsaturated building blocks as shown in Scheme 5.1. 

A tremendous number of transformations of allenes have been reported owing to their high jt-coordination ability towards transition metals. Among them, intramolecular cycloaddition reactions of allenes, in particular, appear to be a practical means of carbon-carbon bond formation in a complicated system. The allenic moiety, however, should be precisely designed for the synthetic purpose of more complex frameworks. A formidable challenge is the synthesis of diversely functionalized allenes of high chemical and/or enantiomerical purity. 

In a [4+2] cycloaddition reaction that proceeds via a Michael addition, an azadiene has been shown to react with Fischer carbenes yielding the 1,4-dihydropyridine after removal of the metal (Scheme 82) <1997TL3981>. Reactions of 1-azadienes with allenic esters yield the 1,4-dihydropyridine in excellent yield (Scheme 83) <20010L2133>. 

Metal complexes enable one to employ molecules that are thermally unreactive toward cycloadditions by taking advantage of their ability to be activated through complexation. Most of the molecules activated by transition-metal complexes involve C-C unsaturated bonds such as alkynes, alkenes, 1,3-dienes, allenes, and cyclopropanes. In contrast, carbonyl functionalities such as aldehydes, ketones, esters, and imines seldom participate in transition-metal-catalyzed carbonylative cycloaddition reactions. Recently, such a transformation was reported via the use of ruthenium complexes. 

Another family that can participate in metal-catalyzed cocyclotrimerization with arynes are the terminal allenes (e.g. 162). This cocycloaddition is best catalyzed by Ni(0), and leads in the case of 162 to 9-cyclohexyl-10-methylene-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (163). For monosubstituted allenes the reaction appears to be highly selective, since only the internal C-C double bond of the allene participates in the cocyclotrimerization. With disubstituted allenes, mixtures of the two possible regioisomers are obtained as the result of the participation of both C-C double bonds in the cycloaddition reaction [79,80] (Scheme 46). 

Transition metal-mediated cycloaddition and cyclization reactions have played a vital role in the advancement and applications of modem synthetic organic chemistry. Rhodium-catalyzed cycloadditions/cyclizations have attracted significant attention because of their versatility in the transformations of activated and unactivated acetylenes, olefins, allenes, etc. These reactions are particularly valuable because of their ability to increase molecular complexity through a convergent and highly selective combination of acyclic components. In addition, these reactions allow for the preparation of molecules with chemical, biological, and medicinal importance with greater atom economy. Recent developments in rhodium-catalyzed cycloaddition and cyclization reactions are described in this section. 

Other bonds involved in [2-1-2] cycloaddition reactions with allenes include carbon/metal double bonds and N=N and S=0 bonds. 

The cumulenes discussed in this book are subdivided into carbon- and noncarbon cumulenes, and the 1-carbon cumulenes (sulfines, sulfenes, thiocarbonyl S -imides and thiocar-bonyl S -sulfides) are excellent dipolar species. The 2-carbon or the center-carbon cumulenes (carbon dioxide and carbon sulfides) are less reactive but their imides (isocyanates, isothiocyantes and carbodiimides) readily participate in many of the discussed reactions. The 1,2-dicarbon cumulenes (ketenes, thioketenes and ketenimenes) similarly participate in cycloaddition reactions, as well as the more exotic 1,2-dicarbon cumulenes (1-silaalene, 1-phosphaallene and other metal allenes). In contrast, 1,3-dicarbon cumulenes are only... 

VCPs have served as valuable five-carbon components in various cycloaddition reactions. Usually, they form six-membered metallacycles upon oxidative cycliza-tion with transition metals. Then, migratory insertion of unsaturated molecules, followed by reductive elimination, furnishes the carbocycles. In particular, intermolecular [5-1-2] annulation of VCPs with alkynes, alkenes, and allenes has been studied extensively (Scheme 2.39) [57]. In addition, VCP-cyclopentene rearrangement has been well documented [56 ]. 

Azetidines are compounds of interest in the field of agricultural and pharmaceutical chemistry. They are also useful as monomers and cross-linkers in polymer industry. Due to ring strain associated with it, azetidines are also useful S5mthons in organic chemistry. The common methods for S5mthesis of azetidines are cyclizations of y-amino alcohols, y-amino halides, 3-amino allenes, reactions of 1,3-dielectrophiles with amines, metal-catalyzed cyclizations in diazocarbonyls, cycloaddition reactions, and reduction of 2-azetidinones. There are several reports in literature on the S5mthesis of azetidines in aqueous media. A diastereoselective synthesis of azetidines is reported by the reaction of azazirconacyclopentane derivatives with iodine followed by treatment with aqueous potassium carbonate [26]. 

Abstract The photoinduced reactions of metal carbene complexes, particularly Group 6 Fischer carbenes, are comprehensively presented in this chapter with a complete listing of published examples. A majority of these processes involve CO insertion to produce species that have ketene-like reactivity. Cyclo addition reactions presented include reaction with imines to form /1-lactams, with alkenes to form cyclobutanones, with aldehydes to form /1-lactones, and with azoarenes to form diazetidinones. Photoinduced benzannulation processes are included. Reactions involving nucleophilic attack to form esters, amino acids, peptides, allenes, acylated arenes, and aza-Cope rearrangement products are detailed. A number of photoinduced reactions of carbenes do not involve CO insertion. These include reactions with sulfur ylides and sulfilimines, cyclopropanation, 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions, and acyl migrations. 

Treating diene-yne derivatives 50 with ferrate 40 does not lead to the expected ene-allenes, instead the [4 + 2]-cycloaddition products 51 are obtained in moderate yields (eq. 1 in Scheme 11). As metal-catalyzed Diels-Alder-reactions of unactivated aUcynes and dienophiles are assumed to proceed via metaUacyclic intermediates, this supports the mechanism for the Alder-ene-reaction discussed before. 

The examples illustrated in the almost 100 schemes in this chapter demonstrate how versatile donor-substituted allenes can be in synthetic processes. The major applications concern addition reactions and cycloadditions to the allenic double bonds, which furnish products with valuable functional groups. Of particular interest are metalations - usually at C-l of the allene unit - followed by reactions with electrophiles that deliver compounds which can often be used for cyclization reactions. A variety of highly substituted and functionalized heterocycles arises from these flexible methods, which cannot be obtained by other reactions. Many of these transformations proceed with good regioselectivity and excellent stereoselection. 

Transition metal-catalyzed [4+ 2]-cycloadditions ofdiene-allenes 247 can lead to different results. With a nickel catalyst Wender et al. isolated the anellated system of two six-membered rings 248 with a rhodium catalyst the anellation of a five- and a six-membered ring 249 was possible (Scheme 15.78) [149]. Both transformations proceed readily at low temperatures whereas the uncatalyzed thermal reaction requires 185 °C. Even an anellation of a six- and a seven-membered ring was achieved. 

In contrast to the efficient reactions illustrated above, the use of 1,2-disubstituted aikenes as the 2n -components in the [5-1-2] cycloaddition has resulted, thus far, in low cycloadduct yields and complex mixtures, putatively arising from an intermediate metal-lacycle through competitive yS-hydride elimination. This limits access to the carbocyclic cores of some large and medicinally interesting natural product families (for example, those in Scheme 13.3). Introduction of an allene substrate, however, circumvents this limitation by installing the needed carbon-carbon bond while simultaneously leaving a handle for further functionalization (Scheme 13.10). For example, reduction of the exo-... 

C(2)-C(3) fused polycyclic cephalosporins have received considerable attention as new candidates for /3-lactam antibiotics. An access to tricyclic cephalosporins based on metal-promoted alkenylation of 3-trifloxy-A3-cephem and subsequent Diels-Alder reaction has been published <1996TL5967>. Alternatively, the reaction of a cephalosporin triflate with silyl enol ethers and silylketene acetals has been described to afford tri- and tetracyclic cephalosporins <1996TL7549>. A related process is the formation of fused polycyclic cephalosporins 27 and 28 bearing a wide range of functionalities from the reaction of cephalosporin triflates 26 with unsaturated compounds (alkenes and alkynes) and a base (Scheme 5) <1997JOC4998>. These studies have suggested that the reaction proceeds via the intermediacy of a six-membered cyclic allene which undergoes concerted nZs + K2a cycloaddition with alkenes and acetylenes. 

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