Nickel insertion reactions

In the reaction of Ni(CNBu )4 and methyl iodide oligomerization of the isocyanide was observed the only isolable nickel complex was (I), shown below. This product is believed to arise through sequential insertions of three isocyanides into a nickel-carbon bond. Upon further treatment with additional isocyanide at a temperature greater than 60° C one obtains a polymer (RNC) presumably through multiple isocyanide insertion reactions. The addition of benzoyl chloride to Ni(CNBu )4 gave two isolable compounds Ni(CNBu )3(COPh)Cl (74%) and (II) (8.2%). This latter reaction, and the isolation of (II) in particular, suggests that the proposed mechanism for polymerization of isocyanides is reasonable. 

Mention was made earlier about insertion reactions into nickel alkyl bonds 108, 164), and about polymerizations of oleiins by isocyanide nickel complexes 31,174). 

G. P. Chiusoli Catalysis of some insertion reactions by nickel complexes, pp, 169-199 (31). 

The reversal of the insertion reaction [Eq. (10)] is not normally observed [in contrast to nickel hydride addition to olefins, Eq. (9)]. An exception is the skeletal isomerization of 1,4-dienes (88, 89). A side reaction—the allylhydrogen transfer reaction [Eq. (5)]—which results in the formation of allylnickel species such as 19 as well as alkanes should also be mentioned. This reaction accounts for the formation of small amounts of alkanes and dienes during the olefin oligomerization reactions (51). 

Under the influence of nickel catalysts, 1,5- and 1,6-dienes undergo isomerization and cyclization, preferably to five-membered ring compounds. The cyclization takes place probably via an intramolecular insertion reaction ( , ) involving a ir-5-alken-l-ylnickel complex such as 33, Table III, and 34, Table IV formed by Ni — C, and Ni — C2 additions... 

Nickel halides and nickel complexes resulting from oxidative addition can also give rise to subsequent replacement and insertion reactions. Replacement reactions have been described mainly with arylnickel halide complexes (examples 23, 29, and 31, Table III). Carbanionic species replace halide ions and can undergo coupling or insertion reactions. An example of application of a carbanionic reaction to the synthesis of a natural product is the coupling step between an aromatic iodo-derivative and an active methylene group to form cephalotaxinone (example 23, Table III). 

The last part of Table III catalogs examples of insertion reactions of double and triple bonds brought about by nickel complexes on other organomagnesium or aluminum species (examples 41-46). 

Reactions a and b in Scheme 8 represent different ways of coordination of butadiene on the nickel atom to form the transoid complex 27a or the cisoid complex 27b. The hydride addition reaction resulted in the formation of either the syn-7r-crotyl intermediate (28a), which eventually forms the trans isomer, or the anti-7r-crotyl intermediate (28b), which will lead to the formation of the cis isomer. Because 28a is thermodynamically more favorable than 28b according to Tolman (40) (equilibrium anti/syn ratio = 1 19), isomerization of the latter to the former can take place (reaction c). Thus, the trans/cis ratio of 1,4-hexadiene formed is determined by (i) the ratio of 28a to 28b and (ii) the extent of isomerization c before addition of ethylene to 28b, i.e., reaction d. The isomerization reaction can affect the trans/cis ratio only when the insertion reaction d is slower than the isomerization reaction c. 

Mori has reported the nickel-catalyzed cyclization/hydrosilylation of dienals to form protected alkenylcycloalk-anols." For example, reaction of 4-benzyloxymethyl-5,7-octadienal 48a and triethylsilane catalyzed by a 1 2 mixture of Ni(GOD)2 and PPhs in toluene at room temperature gave the silyloxycyclopentane 49a in 70% yield with exclusive formation of the m,//7 //i -diastereomer (Scheme 14). In a similar manner, the 6,8-nonadienal 48b underwent nickel-catalyzed reaction to form silyloxycyclohexane 49b in 71% yield with exclusive formation of the // /i ,// /i -diastereomer, and the 7,9-decadienal 48c underwent reaction to form silyloxycycloheptane 49c in 66% yield with undetermined stereochemistry (Scheme 14). On the basis of related stoichiometric experiments, Mori proposed a mechanism for the nickel-catalyzed cyclization/hydrosilylation of dienals involving initial insertion of the diene moiety into the Ni-H bond of a silylnickel hydride complex to form the (7r-allyl)nickel silyl complex li (Scheme 15). Intramolecular carbometallation followed by O-Si reductive elimination and H-Si oxidative addition would release the silyloxycycloalkane with regeneration of the active silylnickel hydride catalyst. 

The generality of the carbon monoxide insertion reaction is clear from reports that methylcyclopentadienyliron dicarbonyl (16), ethylcyclopentadienylmolylbde-num tricarbonyl (66), alkylrhenium pentacarbonyls (50), alkylrhodium dihalo carbonyl bisphosphines (34), allylnickel dicarbonyl halides (35), and mono-and di-alkyl derivatives of the nickel, palladium, and platinum bisphosphine halides (P), also undergo the reaction. The reaction of Grignard reagents (24), and of boron alkyls (51) with carbon monoxide probably takes place by the same mechanism. 

Probably the nickel carbonyl-catalyzed synthesis of acrylates from CO, acetylene, and hydroxylic solvent (78) involves an acetylene-hydride insertion reaction, followed by a CO insertion, and hydrolysis or acyl halide elimination. The actual catalyst in the acrylate synthesis is probably a hydride formed by the reversible addition of an acid to nickel carbonyl. 

Another clear example of an acetylene insertion reaction was reported by Chiusoli (15). He observed that allylic halides react catalytically with nickel carbonyl in alcoholic solution, in the presence of CO and acetylene, to form esters of cis-2,5-hexadienoic acid. The intermediate in this reaction is very probably a 7r-allylnickel carbonyl halide, X, which then undergoes acetylene insertion followed by CO insertion and alcoholysis or acyl halide elimination (35). Acetylene is obviously a considerably better inserting group than CO in this reaction since with acetylene and CO, the hexadienoate is the only product, whereas, with only CO, the 3-butenoate ester is formed (15). [See Reaction 59]. 

Figure F shows some acetylene insertion reactions. These, too, are similar to the olefin insertion reactions. The manganese and cobalt hydrocarbonyls again add. Chloronickelcarbonyl hydride, which I believe is an intermediate in many of the nickel carbonyl-catalyzed reactions, adds to olefins. Diborane and the aluminum hydrides also add.

With primary halides, dimers (R—R) are formed predominantly, while with tertiary halides, the disproportionation products (RH, R(—H)) prevail. Both alkyl nickel(III) complexes, formed by electrochemical reduction of the nickel(II) complex in presence of alkyl halides, are able to undergo insertion reactions with added activated olefins. Thus, Michael adducts are the final products. The Ni(salen)-complex yields the Michael products via the radical pathway regenerating the original Ni(II)-complex and hence the reaction is catalytic. In contrast to that, the Ni(III)-complex formed after insertion of the activated olefin into the alkyl-nickel bond of the [RNi" X(teta)] -complex is relatively stable. Thus, further reduction leads to the Michael products and an electroinactive Ni"(teta)-species. 

CO reacts imder normal conditions of pressure and temperature with some nickel(II) organometallic compounds and an insertion reaction into the original Ni—C a bond results (equations 156-158).1201,1236,1247-1249 A different example of an insertion reaction of CO is reported in equation (159).1250... 

Alkoxides of nickel(II) are conveniently prepared according to equation (177) in anhydrous conditions.1487 1488 All of these compounds are insoluble in the common organic solvents. Complexes with primary alkoxides are green and six-coordinated complexes with secondary and tertiary alkoxides are tetrahedral with colours ranging from blue to violet. All of the complexes decompose at about 90-100°C. The complexes with secondary and tertiary alkoxides undergo alcoholysis reactions when dissolved in primary alcohols. An interesting insertion reaction occurs when nickel alkoxide reacts with some isocyanates (equation 178).1489... 

Nickel tetracarbonyl is known to dissociate into the more reactive tricarbonyl readily [step (1)] and this species is known to react readily with a variety of halides by oxidative addition presumably as shown in steps (2) and (3). Subsequent loss of CO would give an equilibrium mixture of the four complexes shown in (3). Step (4) is the well-known carbon monoxide insertion reaction. The acylnickel complex formed in this step then may re-ductively eliminate acid halide [step (5)], which then alcoholizes [step (6)] or it may react directly with alcohol to form ester and a hydridonickel complex (7), which then reacts with CO and decomposes to nickel tricarbonyl and HC1 (8) ... 

The case of nickel is completely different Although laser-ablated atoms exhibit insertion reactions [43], thermal atoms are almost nonreactive [35] unless working in a neat C02 matrix [35, 48] or using a coreactant such as N2 [51]. Andrews et al. [43] have shown that laser-ablated late transition metals (from Cr to Ni), react with C02 to give the insertion products OMCO, as observed in solid argon matrices. Mebel et al. [47] showed, via DFT studies, that this reaction occurred preferentially in the triplet electronic state, through the formation of a cyclic four-membered... 

Heterochalcogenides, with chromium, 5, 312 Heterocoupling reactions in olefin cross-metathesis, 11, 181 Pd-catalyzed, alkynes, 8, 274—275 Heterocubanes, reactions, 3, 8 Heterocumulenes in insertion reactions, 1, 107 nickel metallacycle reactions, 8, 103-104 Heterocyclic compounds... 

A plausible reaction mechanism for such couplings is presented in Figure 13.7 for the specific example of the transformation of Figure 13.6. We do not specify the number n and the nature of the ligands L of the intermediate Ni complexes in Figure 13.7. Little is known about either one. Also, it is quite possible that more than one elementary reaction is involved in some of the steps 1-5. In any case, these five steps are certainly involved in the overall reaction. In step 1, the aryl bromide enters the coordination sphere of the Ni(0) compound as a 7r ligand. At least one metal coordination site must be vacated before an oxidative addition of the aryl bromide to the Ni atom may occur in step 2. The nickel inserts into the Csp2—Br bond, and its oxidation... 

Metal oxides which undergo proton insertion reactions find extensive application in batteries and are currently being investigated as potential electrochromic materials. The properties of battery oxides, e.g. manganese dioxide [107-110] and nickel [111-114] have been extensively reviewed in the literature and will therefore not be discussed here. Rather, the properties of electrochemically grown, electrochromic oxide films will be described since this is a relatively new and interesting field. 

The arylation of activated alkenes with aryl halides in the presence of base was discovered by R. F. Heck in 1971 and is now one of the standard methods for C—C bond formation. The catalysts are mostly palladium or nickel phosphine complexes, which react via a succession of oxidative addition and insertion reactions, as shown in the following simplified cycle ... 

Insertion reactions with allyl-nickel compounds have also been investigated. No carboxylate intermediate could be observed in the condensation of bis-rj -allyhnickel with carbon dioxide, althou the reaction, however, produced y butyrolaClone in a 32% yield based on nickel [49.50]. 

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