Metathesis Molybdenum-catalysed

Barrett and Gibson also reported the application of the molybdenum catalysed cross-metathesis reaction to the elaboration of (3-lactams [31,32]. Protected allyloxy p-lactams 16 were successfully cross-metathesised with a selection of substituted styrenes to yield trans cross-metathesis products (Eq. 16). 

It is worth noting that the reactions with the unsubstituted styrene gave noticeably higher yields than the corresponding cross-metathesis reactions with the substituted styrenes. This appears to be quite a common characteristic of the molybdenum catalysed cross-metathesis reaction. 

A number of authors have reported successful alkyne metathesis reactions catalysed by either tungsten " molybdenum" complexes. 

Alkyne metathesis is catalysed by alkylidene complexes of tungsten and molybdenum, but not by all alkylidene complexes of these metals. Complexes which do not catalyse metathesis catalyse polymerization of acetylenes to give polypropynes. 

The metal-catalysed olefin metathesis (equation 122) when applied to dienes results in ring-closure and expulsion of an olefin (equation 123). Thus the molybdenum carbene complex 241 promotes the decomposition of the 1,6-heptadiene derivative 242 to a mixture of the cyclopentene 243 and ethylene (equation 124)122. An analogous reaction of the alcohol 244 gives 245 (equation 125), and 4-benzyloxy-l,7-decadiene (246) affords the cyclohexene 247 and 1-butene (equation 126). These transformations, which occur in benzene at room temperature, proceed in excellent yields122. 

Initial reports of cross-metathesis reactions using well-defined catalysts were limited to simple isolated examples the metathesis of ethyl or methyl oleate with dec-5-ene catalysed by tungsten alkylidenes [13,14] and the cross-metathesis of unsaturated ethers catalysed by a chromium carbene complex [15]. With the discovery of the well-defined molybdenum and ruthenium alkylidene catalysts 3 and 4,by Schrock [16] and Grubbs [17],respectively, the development of alkene metathesis as a tool for organic synthesis began in earnest. 

A year later, Schrock confirmed that the cross-metathesis of two alkyl-substituted terminal alkenes could also be catalysed by his molybdenum catalyst [26] (Eq. 9). 

Previously acrylonitrile had proved to be inert towards transition metal catalysed cross- and self-metathesis using ill-defined multicomponent catalysts [lib]. Using the molybdenum catalyst, however, acrylonitrile was successfully cross-metathesised with a range of alkyl-substituted alkenes in yields of40-90% (with the exception of 4-bromobut-l-ene, which gave a yield of 17.5%). A dinitrile product formed from self-metathesis of the acrylonitrile was not observed in any of the reactions and significant formation (>10%) of self-metathesis products of the second alkene was only observed in a couple of reactions. 

Blechert and co-workers have also reported the application of cross-metathesis to the synthesis of jasmonic acid derivatives containing modified alkene side chains [28]. Molybdenum or ruthenium catalysed cross-metathesis of acetal 20 with various alkenes gave the desired cross-metathesis products in high yields (Eq. 21) (Table 2). 

Benzylideneanilines have been added across 2,3-dihydrofurans to produce bicyclic azetidines regio- and stereoselectively a zwitterionic mechanism is proposed. An extensive range of reaction parameters have been calculated for the Mannich reaction of benzoxazole with formaldehyde/dimethylamine. A molybdenum bis(imide) has been used to catalyse C=N bond formation in imine-imine metathesis reactions of synthetic interest the approach has been extended to alkylidene-imine, imide-imine, and imide-imide metatheses. 1-Substituted 1-phenyl-... 

A significant development for the selective synthesis of alkenes makes use of alkene metathesis. Metathesis, as applied to two alkenes, refers to the transposition of the alkene carbon atoms, such that two new alkenes are formed (2.110). The reaction is catalysed by various transition-metal alkylidene (carbene) complexes, particularly those based on ruthenium or molybdenum. The ruthenium catalyst 84, developed by Grubbs, is the most popular, being more stable and more tolerant of many functional groups (although less reactive) than the Schrock molybdenum catalyst 85. More recently, ruthenium complexes such as 86, which have similar stability and resistance to oxygen and moisture as complex 84, have been found to be highly active metathesis catalysts. 

Hoveyda, Schrock, and coworkers [19] reported using chiral cross-linking compounds immobilized on heterogeneous polystyrene resins. The chiral moiety was then used as a ligand in asymmetric catalyses. In one application, they used the material to prepare a recyclable chiral molybdenum olefin metathesis catalyst that was used in enantioselective ring opening and ringclosing metathesis reactions. The material can be illustrated as follows ... 

This review summarises the most interesting approaches in the polymerisation of alkynes and the ring opening metathesis polymerisation of cyclic olefins catalysed by seven-coordinate tungsten(II) and molybdenum(II) compounds. Special attention is given to the catalytically active intermediate compound formed in the reaction of the metal complex and the organic substrate (alkyne or cyclic olefin) and to the reaction mechanism. 

The isomerisation between syn and anti rotamers of a large number of M(NR)(CHR XOR )2 (M = Mo (H W) complexes has been studied. Rate constants and acdvaticHi energies for this process are dependent on the nature of R, R, R2 and the solvent. The result of bulk polymerisations with 2,3-b/s(trifluoromethyl)norbom Kliene suggests a relationship between alkylidene rotamer isomerisation rates and the polymer cis/trans content.33 The molybctenum complex, Mo OC(CF3)2Me 2 N(2,6-P r 2C6H3) (CHCMe2Ph), catalyses the cross-metathesis of aryl- and alkyl-substituted terminal alkenes to unsymmetrical alkenes widi trans selectivities of >95%.335 The molybdenum alkylidene... 

The electronic structure of [MoCl3(T 3-cyclopiopenyl)] complexes was studied using nonlocal density functional theory as part of a study of acetylene metathesis catalysed by high-oxidation state molybdenum complexes3. ... 

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