Metal carbene complexes enantioselectivity

Mechanistic studies of rhodium porphyrins as cyclopropanation catalysts have resulted in the spectroscopic identification of several potential intermediates in the reaction of ethyl diazoacetate with olefins, including a diazoniumfethoxy-carbonyl)methyl-rhodium complex formed by electrophilic addition of the rhodium center to the a-C atom of ethyl diazoacetate [29]. It is not known if analogous intermediates are also formed in analogous reactions of copper catalysts. However, the initial part of the catalytic cycle leading to the metal carbene intermediate is not of primary concern for the enantioselective reactions described herein. It is the second part, the reaction of the metal-carbene complex with the substrate, that is the enantioselective step. 

Phosphorus is a key element in catalysis, and the last two Nobel prizes in molecular chemistry were awarded to Noyori, Sharpless and Knowles (2001) for their work on enantioselective catalysis and to Grubbs, Schrock and Chauvin (2005) for their work on the chemistry of transition metal carbene complexes and their applications in metathesis. In both cases the development of highly efficient, specifically tailored phosphorus based ligands are of paramount importance The book opens with an account of the recent studies on a new family of air-stable chiral primary phosphines based on the binaphthyl backbone and their applications in asymmetric hydrosilylations (Chap. 1). The concept of applying phosphorus ligands to enantioselective catalysis is also the main subject of Chaps. 5 and 10, dealing with P-based planar chiral ferrocenes and chiral phosphorus ligands for enantioselective enyne cycloisomerizations, respectively. 

The potential of Fischer carbene complexes in the construction of complex structures from simple starting materials is nicely reflected in the next example. Thus, the reaction of alkenylcarbene complexes of chromium and tungsten with cyclopentanone and cyclohexanone enamines allows the di-astereo- and enantioselective synthesis of functionalised bicyclo[3.2.1]octane and bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivatives [12] (Scheme 44). The mechanism of this transformation is initiated by a 1,4-addition of the C -enamine to the alkenylcarbene complex. Further 1,2-addition of the of the newly formed enamine to the carbene carbon leads to a metalate intermediate which can... 

Doyle MP (2004) Metal Carbene Reactions from Dirhodium(II) Catalysts. 13 203-222 Drudis-Sole G, Ujaque G, Maseras F, Lledds A (2005) Enantioselectivity in the Dihydroxyla-tion of Alkenes by Osmium Complexes. 12 79-107... 

As shown in the previous two sections, rhodium(n) dimers are superior catalysts for metal carbene C-H insertion reactions. For nitrene C-H insertion reactions, many catalysts found to be effective for carbene transfer are also effective for these reactions. Particularly, Rh2(OAc)4 has demonstrated great effectiveness in the inter- and intramolecular nitrene C-H insertions. The exploration of enantioselective C-H amination using chiral rhodium catalysts has been reported by several groups.225,244,253-255 Hashimoto s dirhodium tetrakis[A-tetrachlorophthaloyl-(A)-/ r/-leuci-nate], Rh2(derived rhodium complex, Rh2(i -BNP)4 48,244 afforded moderate enantiomeric excess for amidation of benzylic C-H bonds with NsN=IPh. 

There are no mechanistic details known from intermediates of copper, like we have seen in the studies on metathesis, where both metal alkylidene complexes and metallacyclobutanes that are active catalysts have been isolated and characterised. The copper catalyst must fulfil two roles, first it must decompose the diazo compound in the carbene and dinitrogen and secondly it must transfer the carbene fragment to an alkene. Copper carbene species, if involved, must be rather unstable, but yet in view of the enantioselective effect of the ligands on copper, clearly the carbene fragment must be coordinated to copper. It is generally believed that the copper carbene complex is rather a copper carbenoid complex, as the highly reactive species has reactivities very similar to free carbenes. It has not the character of a metal-alkylidene complex that we have encountered on the left-hand-side of the periodic table in metathesis (Chapter 16). Carbene-copper species have been observed in situ (in a neutral copper species containing an iminophosphanamide as the anion), but they are still very rare [9],... 

These complexes can be isolated in some cases in others they are generated in situ from appropriate precursers, of which diazo compounds are among the most important. These compounds, including CH2N2 and others, react with metals or metal salts (copper, palladium, and rhodium are most commonly used) to give the carbene complexes that add CRR to double bonds.1063 Optically active complexes have been used for enantioselective cyclopropane synthesis.1064... 

The chiral ruthenium(II) carbene complex 8, prepared from diazo(trimethylsilyl)methane, (p-cymene)2ruthenium(II) chloride, and 2,6-bis(4-isopropyloxazolinyl)pyridine, has been introduced as catalyst for the enantioselective cyclopropanation of alkenes with ethyl diazoacetate. The carbene complex 8 also serves as a transfer reagent for trimethylsilylcarbene and cyclopro-panates styrene in 34% yield. This reaction demonstrates the similarities between catalytic and stoichiometric cyclopropanations and between in situ generated and isolated transition metal carbenes. 

The asymmetric insertion of a-diazoesters into the O—H bond of water provides an extremely simple approach for the synthesis of chiral a-hydroxyesters in an efficient and atom-economical way. The challenges of asymmetric O—H insertion of water are mainly attributed to two considerations first, the active metal carbene intermediates are generally sensitive to water and secondly, the small molecular structure of water makes chiral discrimination quite difficult. Zhou and co-workers discovered a highly enantioselective O—H insertion of water catalyzed by chiral spiro Cu [112] and Fe catalysts [111]. Under mild conditions, both Cu andFe complexes of ligand (S, 5,5)-23a... 

The detailed mechanism of this cyclopropanation method is still unclear, however, copper and its chiral ligands must be present in the sterically determining step. A carbene complex type intermediate is assumed and metal-carbene and alkene orientations are depicted to minimize steric repulsions. Thus, preferred enantioselection and tram selectivity can be accounted... 

Palladium(ii) and rhodium(ii) acetates were introduced by Teyssie s group (Pd Paulissen et al., 1972 Rh Paulissen et al., 1973). They differ from one another in their ability to coordinate with alkenes and have, therefore, a different regio- and substrate specificity (Anciaux et al., 1980). Cobalt complexes are first of all interesting because of their effect on enantioselectivity. We will discuss them in Section 8.8. Here, we emphasize only that enantioselectivity provides the most convincing evidence for the involvement of metal-carbene intermediates in cyclopropana-tions. 

ChiralcarboxamMatecomplexes. After exchanging the ligands of dirhodium tetraacetate to chiral pyrrolidinones (as well as their heteroatom analogs) bearing a methyl ester at C-5 new carboxamidate complexes are formed. These are catalysts of choice for enantioselective intramolecular metal carbene transformations. One such complex is particularly effective for the formation of P-benzyl-y-butyrolactones from hydrocinnamyl diazoacetates. The lactones are useful for the synthesis of some lignans. 

The cyclopropanation of non-functionalized alkenes requires even stronger electrophilic metal carbenes as provided by non-heteroatom-stabilized group 6 carbene complexes 17 or cationic iron carbene complexes the reaction is highly syn-selective (Scheme 18). Iron carbenes bearing optically active phosphine ligands allowed for an efficient enantioselective cyclopropanation. [34]... 

Certain dinuclear Rh(II) carbene complexes react with alkanes to generate products from insertion of the carbene imit into the alkane C-H bond with high diastereo- and enantioselectivity (Equation 6.59). ° These reactions occur by mechanisms distinct from those of the reactions of C-H bonds witti the tungsten alkylidene and alkylid5me complexes just described. The reactions of the dinuclear Rh(II) carbene complexes appear to occur by a mechanism that involves direct reaction of the carbene at the C-H bond without coordination of the alkane and addition across the M=C bond of the carbene. Such rhodium carbene complexes have not been isolated, but the absence of an open coordination site cis to the carbene ligand in the accepted carbene intermediate is thought to preclude initial reaction of tire substrate at the metal center to form a new metal-carbon bond. The catalytic chemistry that occurs via these carbene complexes is presented in more detail in Chapter 18 (catalytic C-H bond functionalization). 

Silver carbene complexes act as very efficient NHC transfer reagents for the synthesis of different metal-NHC complexes. On the other hand, as far as we know, there is only one example described to date where a silver-NHC complex was used for asymmetric catalysis. In 2006, Ferndndez and coworkers reported the first and only asymmetric catalysis using a chiral NHC-silver catalyst. Enantioselective diboration of styrenes was realized by using silver complex 111 as the catalyst (Scheme 3.70) [99], However, the diol was obtained in low yield and low enantioselectivity (less than 10% ee). 

Transition metal salts or complexes are known to catalyze effectively the cyclopropanation of olefins with diazoalkanes. Asymmetric synthesis with chiral copper catalysts (Nozaki et ai, 1966, 1968 Noyori et al., 1969 Moser, 1969), as well as a detailed kinetic study (Salomon and Kochi, 1973), has suggested the intervention of copper-carbene complexes as reactive intermediates. Recently synthesis of crysanthemic acid (CCXXXIV) (R = H) with high optical yield (60-70 %) has been achieved by applying this asymmetric catalysis (Aratani et al., 1975). The camphorglyoxime-cobalt(I) complex is also effective for the enantioselective reaction (Tatsuno et al., 1974). 

---