Molybdenum-alkyl complexes

The addition of an oxygen atom to an olefin to generate an epoxide is often catalyzed by soluble molybdenum complexes. The use of alkyl hydroperoxides such as tert-huty hydroperoxide leads to the efficient production of propylene oxide (qv) from propylene in the so-called Oxirane (Halcon or ARCO) process (79). 

Molybdenum, tris(phenylenedithio)-structure, 1,63 Molybdenum alkoxides physical properties, 2,346 synthesis, 2,339 Molybdenum blue liquid-liquid extraction, 1,548 Molybdenum cofactor, 6,657 Molybdenum complexes acrylonitrile, 2,263 alkoxides, 3,1307 alkoxy carbonyl reactions, 2,355 alkyl, 3,1307 alkyl alkoxy reactions, 2,358 alkyl peroxides oxidation catalyses, 6,342 allyl, 3,1306... 

Simple 1,3-dienes also undergo a thermal monocyclopropanation reaction with methoxy(alkyl)- and methoxy(aryl)carbene complexes of molybdenum and chromium [27]. The most complete study was carried out by Harvey and Lund and they showed that this process occurs with high levels of both regio-and diastereoselectivity. The chemical yield is significantly higher with molybdenum complexes [27a] (Scheme 7). Tri- and tetrasubstituted 1,3-dienes and 3-methylenecyclohexene (diene locked in an s-trans conformation) fail to react [28]. The monocyclopropanation of electronically neutral 1,3-dienes with non-heteroatom-stabilised carbene complexes has also been described [29]. 

A single example of a rr-alkyl molybdenum complex was serendipitously prepared from a solution of the very light-sensitive dicarbonyl complex Mo(TPP)(CO)2. 

Trost and Hachiya [140] studied asymmetric molybdenum-catalyzed alkylations. Interestingly, they noticed that the regioselectivity of this transformation performed with a non-symmetric allylic substrate varied according to the nature of the metal Pd-catalyzed substitutions on aryl-substituted allyl systems led to attack at the less substituted carbon, whereas molybdenum catalysis afforded the more substituted product. They prepared the bis(pyridylamide) ligand 105 (Scheme 55) and synthesized the corresponding Mo-complex from (C2H5 - CN)3Mo(CO)3. With such a catalyst, the allylic... 

The carbanions take up 02 and these take up protons to give hydroperoxides in good yields. But because they are explosive in nature, they are not usually isolated and on reduction with sodium sulphite on trialkyl phosphite give alcohols. Alcohols can also be prepared via hydroperoxy molybdenum complexes and alkyl boranes. These reactions are summarized as follows ... 

As described in many reviews, Trost and his co-workers have carried out a pioneering work on the molybdenum-and tungsten-catalyzed allylic alkylation of allylic esters regioselectivity of the reaction is often complementary to the palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation. The first asymmetric version was disclosed by Pfaltz and Lloyd-Jones in 1995 (Equation (63)). They used a catalytic amount of a novel tungsten complex, prepared from [W(CO)3(MeCN)3] or [W(cycloheptatriene) (COIs] and optically active (diphenylphosphino)phenyloxazolines 57, for the allylic alkylation of 3-aryl-2-propenyl phosphate with dimethyl sodiomalonate to isolate the corresponding branched alkylated compounds as a major isomer with an excellent enantioselectivity (96% ee). Unexpectedly, 3-aryl-2-propenyl carbonates are shown to be unreactive. It is worth noting that an isostructural molybdenum complex does not promote the catalytic alkylation under the same reaction conditions. In contrast, Lloyd-Jones and Lehmann reported the stereocontrolled... 

The chiral ligand (44) was prepared starting from the cyclic a-amino acid (S)-proline80). Recently, similar chiral catalysts and related molybdenum complexes involving optically active N-alkyl-P-aminoalcohols as stable chiral ligands and acetylacetone as a replaceable bidentate ligand, were designed for the epoxidation of allylic alcohols with alkyl hydroperoxides which could be catalyzed by such metal complexes 8,). 

The postulated hydroperoxide-molybdenum complex indicates that there should be a steric and an electronic effect by the alkyl and aryl groups of the hydroperoxide. The steric effect is important in the transition state. The electronic effect will influence the rate of complex formation and the epoxidation reaction. Some data (Table VII) were obtained for these effects, but a clear distinction or evaluation of their role cannot be made at this time. 

While some molybdenum complexes such as Mo03(dien) were found to be inactive,236 the rates of molybdenum-catalyzed epoxidation of alkenes were found to be independent of the structure of the complex used, after an induction period representing the time for exchange of anionic ligands by the alkyl hydroperoxide. cis-Dioxomolybdenum(VI) diolates such as (78) were isolated... 

Tables I and II summarize the structural studies of mononuclear and binuclear vinylidene complexes, and Table III those of propadienylidene complexes which had been reported to mid-1982. As can be seen, the C=C bond lengths range from 1.29 to 1.38 A, and the M-C bond (1.7-2.0 A) is considerably shorter than those found in alkyl or simple carbene complexes. Both observations are consistent with the theoretical picture outlined above, and in particular, the short M-C bonds confirm the efficient transfer of electron density to the n orbitals. In mononuclear complexes, the M—C=C system ranges from strictly linear to appreciably bent, e.g., 167° in MoCl[C=C(CN)2][P(OMe3)2]2(fj-C5H5) these variations have been attributed to electronic rather than steric factors. In the molybdenum complex cited, the vinylidene ligand bends towards the cyclopentadienyl ring (111).

A catalytic asymmetric oxidation of mono-, di-, and tri-substituted alkenes using a chiral bishydroxamic acid (BHA) complex of molybdenum catalyst in air at room temperature leads to good to excellent selectivity. It has been suggested that the Mo-BHA complex combines with the achiral oxidant to oxidize the alkene in a concerted fashion by transfer of oxygen from the metal peroxide to the alkene.78 The chiral BHA-molybdenum complex has been used for the catalytic asymmetric oxidation of sulfides and disulfides, utilizing 1 equiv. of alkyl peroxide, with yields up to 83% and ees up to 86%. An extension of the methodology combines the asymmetric oxidation with kinetic resolution providing excellent enantioselectivity (ee = 92-99%).79... 

Homoleptic germylenes, preparation and properties, 3, 773 Homoleptic lanthanide(II) alkyl compounds, properties, 4, 4 Homoleptic manganese aryl complexes, preparation, 5, 816 Homoleptic manganese isonitrilates, preparation, 5, 773—774 Homoleptic molybdenum complexes, preparation and characteristics, 5, 514... 

Molybdenum complexes are the most effective catalysts known for the selective epoxidation of olefins with alkyl hydroperoxides (210-212). Commonly known is the Arco or Halcon process for the large-scale manufacture of propylene oxide from propylene. This process uses t-BuOOH or ethyl benzene hydroperoxide (EBHP) as an oxidant and Mo(CO)6, for example, as a source of Mo. The Mo(CO)6 acts as a catalyst precursor, which is converted into a soluble active form by complexation with diols (3). Chemists have designed several supported versions of the catalysts for this epoxidation chemistry. A clear classification can be made on the basis of the nature of the support. 

Another feature that is crucial in considering rearrangements in monosubstituted allyls is the effect on the chirahty and stereochemistry. In crotyl complexes, formation of a a-bond at the unsubstituted terminus provides a path for racemization for the stereogenic center at the substituted terminus (equation 21). Formation of the a-bond at the monosubstituted terminus, however, results in conversion to a different isomer (equation 22). The most stable isomer is the syn isomer (72) and, in the absence of a substituent on the central carbon, the anti isomer (74) will only occur to the extent of f 5Vo. Thus if one considers complexes hke (acac)Pd(allyl), some racemize, whereas others only isomerize because there is no path for racemization (equation 23). These concepts have been used effectively by Bosnich in the design of systems for asymmetric allylic alkylation. These concepts also allow the rationalization of why certain substrates give low enantiomeric yields. It should be noted here that the planar rotation found in some of the molybdenum complexes retains the chirahty in the allyl moiety. 

H) containing symmetrically bridging thioacyl and thioalkyl functions are obtained with molybdenum as the central metal (46). The dithiolactone S= C(CH2)2CH2S reacts similarly with the molybdenum complex, but in the product the a carbon is link to the nonadjacent sulfur atom by an alkyl chain (47). 

Figure 2.8.8 Molecular structures of the molybdenum complexes with the N-alkyl-substituted bis-stannylene 20 (right) and the N-donor-substituted bis-stannylene 22 (right)...

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