Molybdenum carbene complex catalysts

Ring-closing metathesis is well suited for the preparation of five- or six-membered heterocycles, and has also been successfully used to prepare tetrahydropyridines on insoluble supports (Entries 1 and 2, Table 15.23). Because metathesis catalysts (ruthenium or molybdenum carbene complexes) are electrophilic, reactions should be conducted with acylated amines to avoid poisoning of the catalyst. 

Most of the work has been done with RUCI3, OSCI3 or IrCl3 as catalysts at 50-80 °C in water, aqueous emulsion, an aromatic solvent, or mixtures of an alcohol and water. Tungsten or molybdenum carbene complexes in toluene are effective at 20 °C with monomers that do not contain hydroxyl groups. Thus 8W (R = Me) gives polymers of very high... 

Several catalysts for ring-closing metathesis are now known. Prominent examples are shown in Scheme 1 the molybdenum carbene complex 8, introduced by Schrock et al. [4], methyltri-oxorhenium 9, discovered by Herrmann et al. [5] and the ruthenium carbene complex 10, developed by Grubbs et al. [6]... 

Apart Ifom the molybdenum carbene complexes already listed in Tables 2.1 and 2.2 Mo-based catalysts are of three main types (i) other Mo complexes, activated by a suitable cocatalyst (ii) M0CI5, also activated by a cocatalyst and (iii) supported oxides, generated in various ways. For the metathesis of terminal olefins higher than propene. Mo-based catalysts are generally more effective than the corresponding W-based catalysts. 

Asymmetric RCM of substituted 1,6- and 1,7-dienes, taken to partial conversion using a chiral molybdenum carbene complex as catalyst, results in residual reactant having 19-84% excess of one enantiomer (Fujimura 1996a,b). 

These Mo " " ions can react with alkenes to form active molybdenum carbene complexes [65,67], Catalysts that are even much more active can be obtained when the photoreduction is followed by the treatment with carbene-generating compounds such as cyclopropane [67,68] at 293 K, followed by evacuation at 623 K, These catalysts are also active for the metathesis of unsaturated esters. 

Acyclic diene molecules are capable of undergoing intramolecular and intermolec-ular reactions in the presence of certain transition metal catalysts molybdenum alkylidene and ruthenium carbene complexes, for example [50, 51]. The intramolecular reaction, called ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM), affords cyclic compounds, while the intermolecular reaction, called acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization, provides oligomers and polymers. Alteration of the dilution of the reaction mixture can to some extent control the intrinsic competition between RCM and ADMET. 

Molybdenum dinitrosyl complexes with the general formula Mo(NO)2(CHR) (0R )2(A1C12)2 have been found to be active in a variety of metathesis reactions [110]. New alkylidenes could be identified. Variations such as Mo(NO)2(CHMe) (RC02)2 also are known [111]. Complexes of this type are believed to be more reduced than typical d° species discussed here, although they appear to be much more active as metathesis catalysts than typical Fischer-type carbene complexes. 

The ruthenium carbene catalysts 1 developed by Grubbs are distinguished by an exceptional tolerance towards polar functional groups [3]. Although generalizations are difficult and further experimental data are necessary in order to obtain a fully comprehensive picture, some trends may be deduced from the literature reports. Thus, many examples indicate that ethers, silyl ethers, acetals, esters, amides, carbamates, sulfonamides, silanes and various heterocyclic entities do not disturb. Moreover, ketones and even aldehyde functions are compatible, in contrast to reactions catalyzed by the molybdenum alkylidene complex 24 which is known to react with these groups under certain conditions [26]. Even unprotected alcohols and free carboxylic acids seem to be tolerated by 1. It should also be emphasized that the sensitivity of 1 toward the substitution pattern of alkenes outlined above usually leaves pre-existing di-, tri- and tetrasubstituted double bonds in the substrates unaffected. A nice example that illustrates many of these features is the clean dimerization of FK-506 45 to compound 46 reported by Schreiber et al. (Scheme 12) [27]. 

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. 

When alkenes are allowed to react with certain catalysts (mostly tungsten and molybdenum complexes), they are converted to other alkenes in a reaction in which the substituents on the alkenes formally interchange. This interconversion is called metathesis 126>. For some time its mechanism was believed to involve a cyclobutane intermediate (Eq. (16)). Although this has since been proven wrong and found that the catalytic metathesis rather proceeds via metal carbene complexes and metallo-cyclobutanes as discrete intermediates, reactions of olefins forming cyclobutanes,... 

Transition metal complexes which react with diazoalkanes to yield carbene complexes can be catalysts for diazodecomposition (see Section 4.1). In addition to the requirements mentioned above (free coordination site, electrophi-licity), transition metal complexes can catalyze the decomposition of diazoalkanes if the corresponding carbene complexes are capable of transferring the carbene fragment to a substrate with simultaneous regeneration of the original complex. Metal carbonyls of chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, and tungsten all catalyze the decomposition of diazomethane [493]. Other related catalysts are (CO)5W=C(OMe)Ph [509], [Cp(CO)2Fe(THF)][BF4] [510,511], and (CO)5Cr(COD) [52,512]. These compounds are sufficiently electrophilic to catalyze the decomposition of weakly nucleophilic, acceptor-substituted diazoalkanes. 

Because of the enormous synthetic potential of molybdenum- [22] and ruthenium-based [57,806] single-component catalysts, a closer look at the scope and limitations of the most promising compounds known to date is appropriate. The systematic exploration of the synthetic possibilities offered by these new catalysts has just begun, and many new developments are to be expected in the near future [744,746,747,807]. As quick reference for the organic chemist, the most relevant chemical properties of two types of frequently used catalyst (Figure 3.46) are listed below. These carbene complexes are quite robust and well-suited to the metathesis of elaborate organic intermediates. 

---