Molybdenum complexes electronic properties

We will focus on the development of ruthenium-based metathesis precatalysts with enhanced activity and applications to the metathesis of alkenes with nonstandard electronic properties. In the class of molybdenum complexes [7a,g,h] recent research was mainly directed to the development of homochi-ral precatalysts for enantioselective olefin metathesis. This aspect has recently been covered by Schrock and Hoveyda in a short review and will not be discussed here [8h]. In addition, several important special topics have recently been addressed by excellent reviews, e.g., the synthesis of medium-sized rings by RCM [8a], applications of olefin metathesis to carbohydrate chemistry [8b], cross metathesis [8c,d],enyne metathesis [8e,f], ring-rearrangement metathesis [8g], enantioselective metathesis [8h], and applications of metathesis in polymer chemistry (ADMET,ROMP) [8i,j]. Application of olefin metathesis to the total synthesis of complex natural products is covered in the contribution by Mulzer et al. in this volume. 

The well-known coordination chemistry of molybdenum suggests a distinct relationship between acid-base and redox properties of molybdenum complexes and that a coupled electron-proton transfer (to or from the substrate) maybe mediated by molybdoenzymes. Simple molecular mechanisms... 

The possibility of being involved in olefin metathesis is one of the most important properties of Fischer carbene complexes. [2+2] Cycloaddition between the electron-rich alkene 11 and the carbene complex 12 leads to the intermediate metallacyclobutane 13, which undergoes [2+2] cycloreversion to give a new carbene complex 15 and a new alkene 14 [19]. The (methoxy)phenylcar-benetungsten complex is less reactive in this mode than the corresponding chromium and molybdenum analogs (Scheme 3). 

Electronic Structure and Spectroscopic Properties of Molybdenum and Tungsten N2, NNH, NNH2, and NNH3 Complexes with Diphosphine Co-Ligands Insights into the End-on Terminal Reduction Pathway of Di nitrogen Felix Tuczek... 

Upon purification of the XDH from C. purinolyticum, a separate Se-labeled peak appeared eluting from a DEAE sepharose column. This second peak also appeared to contain a flavin based on UV-visible spectrum. This peak did not use xanthine as a substrate for the reduction of artificial electron acceptors (2,6 dichlor-oindophenol, DCIP), and based on this altered specificity this fraction was further studied. Subsequent purification and analysis showed the enzyme complex consisted of four subunits, and contained molybdenum, iron selenium, and FAD. The most unique property of this enzyme lies in its substrate specificity. Purine, hypoxanthine (6-OH purine), and 2-OH purine were all found to serve as reductants in the presence of DCIP, yet xanthine was not a substrate at any concentration tested. The enzyme was named purine hydroxylase to differentiate it from similar enzymes that use xanthine as a substrate. To date, this is the only enzyme in the molybdenum hydroxylase family (including aldehyde oxidoreductases) that does not hydroxylate the 8-position of the purine ring. This unique substrate specificity, coupled with the studies of Andreesen on purine fermentation pathways, suggests that xanthine is the key intermediate that is broken down in a selenium-dependent purine fermentation pathway. ... 

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