Metal-carbon bonds electrophilic attack

AT-heterocyclic carbenes show a pure donor nature. Comparing them to other monodentate ligands such as phosphines and amines on several metal-carbonyl complexes showed the significantly increased donor capacity relative to phosphines, even to trialkylphosphines, while the 7r-acceptor capability of the NHCs is in the order of those of nitriles and pyridine [29]. This was used to synthesize the metathesis catalysts discussed in the next section. Experimental evidence comes from the fact that it has been shown for several metals that an exchange of phosphines versus NHCs proceeds rapidly and without the need of an excess quantity of the NHC. X-ray structures of the NHC complexes show exceptionally long metal-carbon bonds indicating a different type of bond compared to the Schrock-type carbene double bond. As a result, the reactivity of these NHC complexes is also unique. They are relatively resistant towards an attack by nucleophiles and electrophiles at the divalent carbon atom. 

Initially, it was thought more likely that the electron poor metal atom would be involved in the electrophilic attack at the alkene and also the metal-carbon bond would bring the alkene closer to the chiral metal-ligand environment. This mechanism is analogous to alkene metathesis in which a metallacyclobutane is formed. Later work, though, has shown that for osmium the actual mechanism is the 3+2 addition. Molecular modelling lends support to the 3+2 mechanism, but also kinetic isotope effects support this (KIEs for 13C in substrate at high conversion). Oxetane formation should lead to a different KIE for the two alkene carbon atoms involved. Both experimentally and theoretically an equal KIE was found for both carbon atoms and thus it was concluded that an effectively symmetric addition, such as the 3+2 addition, is the actual mechanism [22] for osmium. 

The mechanism for the stereoselective polymerization of a-olefins and other nonpolar alkenes is a Ti-complexation of monomer and transition metal (utilizing the latter s if-orbitals) followed by a four-center anionic coordination insertion process in which monomer is inserted into a metal-carbon bond as described in Fig. 8-10. Support for the initial Tt-com-plexation has come from ESR, NMR, and IR studies [Burfield, 1984], The insertion reaction has both cationic and anionic features. There is a concerted nucleophilic attack by the incipient carbanion polymer chain end on the a-carbon of the double bond together with an electrophilic attack by the cationic counterion on the alkene Ti-electrons. 

For instance, if the metal is lost by Sn2 attack on coordinated carbon, this constitutes R loss, and alkyl migration to an electrophilic centre such as coordinated CO may resemble R loss. R- loss may take place by simple homolysis, or by alkyl group transfer. Moreover, as Yamamoto has pointed out an electroneutral metal-carbon bond lengthening may be a prelude to more complex processes such as 0-elimination, or may lead to internal hydrogen abstraction rather than to actual free ligand release. 

Localized double bonds, in turn, represent attractive targets for further attack by a second electrophilic center, which explains the frequent observation of, u- /2(l,2) /2(3,4) complexes. Such (1,2) (3,4) coordination results in cumulative effects on the geometry of the benzene ring and the strength of the metal-carbon bond (as opposed to an annihilative effect in the (1,2) (4,5) compounds mentioned above). For example, coordination in the... 

M. D. Johnson, Electrophilic Attack on Transition Metal r -Organometallic Compounds, In F. R. Hadley and S. Patai, Eds., The Chemistry of the Metal-Carbon Bond, Wiley London, 1985, Vol. 2, p. 515. 

Just like the isoelectronic carbon monoxide, an isocyanide is an excellent ligand to metal ions. The chemistry of metal isocyanide complexes has been reviewed by Singleton and Oosthuizen. Only a few examples will be given here. Insertion of an isocyanide into a metal-carbon bond frequently occurs. It is not always clear whether the key step is electrophilic or nucleophilic attack on the coordinated isocyanide or whether the reaction is concerted. Insertion into metal-carbene and metal-carbyne complexes have been reviewed by Aumann. Coordination to the metal considerably affects the chemistry of the isocyanide. If the metal is electron-donating, as in nitrogenase-like centres, the coordinated isocyanide is apt to electrophilic attack at nitrogen cf. Section III. 

The usual representation of Schrock-type nucleophilic carbenes as electron rich at carbon can be especially misleading in the case of the Tebbe reagent and related complexes. These high oxidation state complexes are electron-deficient and electrophilic at the metal center, and it is unlikely for polarization of the metal-carbon bond to remove even more electron density from the metal under these circumstances. Thus, the reactivity of the Tebbe reagent is more closely related to the electrophilicity and oxophilicity of the metal center than to the nucleophilicity of a polarized carbene carbon that is, the reactivity is due to carbonyl polarization upon complexafion, not attack of the alkylidene carbon on an unactivated, electrophilic carbonyl carbon. 

In this group of compounds, the carbene acts as a a donor and a ratber weak tt acceptor, due to the relative energies of the d and p orbitals. Overall, the electron density around the carbon of the carbene is decreased, leading to a metal-carbon bond that is polarized M (5 ) = C(5+), with an electrophilic character for the carbon centre it is therefore likely to be attacked by nucleophiles, and it is possible, for example, to interconvert two carbene complexes (4-42). 

Among the earliest reports of alkane activation by a transition metal complex were the articles by Shilov in which Pt(n) served as a catalyst for methane oxidation and Pt(iv) served as a stoichiometric oxidant." The mechanism of C-H activation was termed electrophilic, as the cationic metal was postulated to interact with the electrons of the C-H bond which then lost a proton, forming a metal-carbon bond without a change in oxidation state. Oxidation of the complex by two electrons was then followed by nucleophilic attack at carbon, giving a functionalized hydrocarbon (Scheme 1). 

Cleavage of Platinum-Carbon o-Bonds.—Electrophilic cleavage of metal-carbon bonds may take place either by a direct attack on the bond or by an oxidative addition of the central metal followed by reductive elimination, cf. a recent review. Romeo and co-workers have studied reaction (8), which is first order... 

The insertions of imines into late transition metal-carbon bonds are even less common. In one case, the insertion of an imine into Ni- and Pd-acyl bonds occurs with 2,1-regiochemistry to form an aminoalkyl product (Equation 9.80). Tlus reaction is likely to occur through a polar transition state formed by attack of a nucleophilic nitrogen at the electrophilic acyl carbon. One set of examples of 1,2-insertions of imines into late metal-carbon bonds have been reported. This example involves insertion of N-aryl aldimines into rhodium-aryl complexes containing a labile pyridine ligand (Equation 9.81). The rates of these reactions were inverse order in added pyridine, suggesting that the reaction occurs by an intramolecular migratory insertion mechanism after replacement of the coordinated pyridine by the imine. 

In some cases, reactions of electrophiles with metal-alkyl complexes possessing d-elec-trons appear to occur by mechanisms. - " In this process, the electrophile can attack the frontside or backside of the alkyl group. Although retention of stereochemistry at the metal-bound carbon from frontside attack at the metal-carbon bond is often observed, inversion of stereochemistry from backside attack at this carbon has also been observed. 

Cleavage of metal-alkyl bonds in d° metal complexes, therefore, occur by an 5 2 mechanism involving direct attack on the metal-alkyl bond. The product of this process is usually formed with retention of stereochemistry at carbon. This stereochemistry implies that the electrophile reacts by frontside attack at the M-C bond, rather than backside attack at the a carbon. Equation 12.21 shows an example of electrophilic attack on a (P metal complex that occurs with retention of configuration at the metal-carbon bond. The coordina-tive unsaturation of the 16-electron Zr(IV) complex may facilitate reaction with retention of configuration because it allows coordination of the incipient Br during the reaction, as depicted in Figure 12.1. 

As discussed in Chapter 3, olefins and dienes bind to electron-poor metal centers by a flow of electrons from the olefin iT-system to the metal and from the metal to the olefin t -system. Thus, olefins bound to electron-rich and strongly backbonding metal centers react with protons and electrophiles directly at the metal-carbon bond. However, olefins and dienes coordinated to electron-poor metal centers are less reactive toward electrophiles than those bound to electron-rich metal centers or even free olefins and dienes. However, electron-poor olefin and diene complexes do imdergo reactions with electrophiles at the coordinated ligand by an indirect pathway. This indirect pathway occurs by insertion of the olefin or diene into the bond formed by attack of the electrophile at the metal. 

The reaction of HgCl" with metal-alkyl complexes led to the cleavage of the metal-carbon bond. This electrophile can attack the carbon atom or the metal atom depending on the electron richness of the metal. If the metal is electron poor (case of Mn below), the attack occurs on the carbon atom, which leads to inversion of configuration at carbon. On the other hand, if the metal is sufficiently basic (case of Fe below), the attack occurs at the metal or on the metal-carbon bond, which leads to retention of configuration at carbon. 

Although surface organometallic chemistry is still in its infancy, there are already several examples of surface reactions leading to well-defined surface complexes (Table l-I). It appears that these reactions obey the same principles as those encountered in molecular chemistry nucleophilic attack at the ligands, electrophilic attack of the metal-carbon bond, oxidative addition, Lewis acid-base adduct formation, redox reactions, disproportionation, and the cooperative effect of dual acid-base sites in an insertion reaction. 

The interaction between catalyst and diazo compound may be initialized by electrophilic attack of the catalyst metal at the diazo carbon, with simultaneous or subsequent loss of N2, whereupon a metal-carbene complex (415) or the product of carbene insertion into a metal/ligand bond (416) or its ionic equivalent (417) are formed. This is outlined in a simplified manner in Scheme 43, which does not speculate on the kinetics of such a sequence, nor on the possible interconversion of 415 and 416/417 or the primarily formed Lewis acid — Lewis base adducts. 

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