Metal trifluoroacetates bond cleavage

Shilov reported some of the earliest evidence that transition metal complexes could selectively cleave the C-H bonds of alkanes in a catalytic fashion. Shilov showed that H/D exchange would occur between alkanes and deuterated acid in the presence of platinum complexes (Equation 18.5 and Table 18.1). In addition, Shilov showed that the oxidation of alkanes occurred in the presence of a platinum(II) catalyst, although a platinum(IV) complex was needed as the oxidant. These reactions led to a mixture of alkyl halides formed from the halide of the Pt(IV) oxidant (Equation 18.6) and trifluoroacetate from the trifluoroacetic acid solvent. The cost of platinum(IV) as an oxidant makes this reaction impractical. However, these results provided hope that selective alkane functionalization could be developed because H/D exchange occurred faster at primary C-H bonds than at secondary C-H bonds (Table 18.1), and some selectivity for oxidations of primary C-H bonds over secondary C-H bonds was observed. As noted in Chapter 6, these results motivated a large number of groups to seek transition metal complexes that would insert into, or by other means selectively cleave, the C-H bond of alkanes and create products from this bond cleavage that could be observed directly. 

M[pz(A4)] A = S2ML2. The octakis(.V-R)porphyra/,ines reported by Schramm and Hoffman (2), M[pz(S-R)8 (M = Ni, Cu), (60), can be converted to the octathiolate M[pz(S )g] (Scheme 11) via reductive cleavage of the sulfur-carbon bond when R = benzyl (Bn), and this tetra-bis(dithiolate) can then be peripherally capped with metal-ligand systems to yield peripherally tetrametalated star porphyrazines. The benzyl dinitrile 57 can be macrocyclized around magnesium butoxide to form [Mg[pz(S-Bn)8] (58) (35-40%), which can then be demetalated with trifluoroacetic acid to form 59 (90%), which is subsequently remetalated with nickel or copper acetate to form 60a (95%) and 60b (70%) (Scheme 11) (3, 23, 24). Deprotection of 60a or 60b with sodium in ammonia yields the Ni or Cu tetra-enedithiolates, 61a or 61b to which addition of di-ferf-butyl or n-butyl tin dinitrate produces the peripherally metalated star porphyrazines 62a (37%), 62b (80%), and 62c (41%). 

Mechanistic aspects of the electrophilic cleavage of cyclopropanes by metal salts have received considerable attention. Studies of the stereochemistry of reactions of cyclopropanes with mercuric trifluoroacetate lead to the conclusions that the electrophilic mercuric ion attacks the least strained ring bond (for equally substituted bonds, attack is preferred at a cis-substituted bond over a trans-substituted one). Ring-opening occurs in the direction of the more stable carbonium ion, which can lead... 

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