Nucleophilic metal acetylides

Owing to their stability and low nucleophilicity, metal acetylides are less reactive toward Cjq than other lithium organyls or Grignard reagents [11]. Though the reaction is slower and higher reaction temperatures are necessary, various acetylene derivatives of Cjq could be obtained. The first acetylene Cjq hybrids were (trimethyl-silyl)ethynyl- and phenylethynyl-dihydro[60]fullerene, synthesized simultaneously... 

One of the mildest ways is direct conversion from the corresponding 1-trimethyl-silylalkyne that employs bis(tributyltin) oxide instead of tributyltin chloride that requires more basic or nucleophilic metal acetylide (Scheme 49) [206-208]. 

We see from these examples that many of the carbon nucleophiles we encountered in Chapter 10 are also nucleophiles toward aldehydes and ketones (cf. Reactions 10-104-10-108 and 10-110). As we saw in Chapter 10, the initial products in many of these cases can be converted by relatively simple procedures (hydrolysis, reduction, decarboxylation, etc.) to various other products. In the reaction with terminal acetylenes, sodium acetylides are the most common reagents (when they are used, the reaction is often called the Nef reaction), but lithium, magnesium, and other metallic acetylides have also been used. A particularly convenient reagent is lithium acetylide-ethylenediamine complex, a stable, free-flowing powder that is commercially available. Alternatively, the substrate may be treated with the alkyne itself in the presence of a base, so that the acetylide is generated in situ. This procedure is called the Favorskii reaction, not to be confused with the Favorskii rearrangement (18-7). ... 

The metal vinylidene intermediates discussed elsewhere in this chapter are limited to a single carbon-substituent on account of the 1,2-migration process by which they form from terminal alkynes. Alkenylidenes—vinylidenes bearing two carbon-substituents—are formed by nucleophilic addition of the (i-carbon of a metal acetylide to an electrophile (Scheme 9.16) [30]. 

Alkyl halides undergo Sn2 reactions with a variety of nucleophiles, e.g. metal hydroxides (NaOH or KOH), metal alkoxides (NaOR or KOR) or metal cyanides (NaCN or KCN), to produce alcohols, ethers or nitriles, respectively. They react with metal amides (NaNH2) or NH3, 1° amines and 2° amines to give 1°, 2° or 3° amines, respectively. Alkyl halides react with metal acetylides (R C=CNa), metal azides (NaN3) and metal carboxylate (R C02Na) to produce internal alkynes, azides and esters, respectively. Most of these transformations are limited to primary alkyl halides (see Section 5.5.2). Higher alkyl halides tend to react via elimination. 

Terminal alkynes are acidic, and the end hydrogen can be removed as a proton by strong bases (e.g. organolithiums, Grignard reagents and NaNH2) to form metal acetylides and alkynides. They are strong nucleophiles and bases, and are protonated in the presence of water and acids. Therefore, metal acetylides and alkynides must be protected from water and acids. 

The ring opening of epoxides with carbon nucleophiles represents a Scheme 2.21 useful way of making C-C bonds. Grignard, organolithium and organocopper reagents and alkali metal acetylides have all been used for this purpose. This type of reaction has been used to form carbocyclic systems. 

Secondary as well as primary tosyloxy groups can be replaced under the conditions adopted for the reaction of nucleophilic substitution, which indicates the high nucleophilicity of sodium acetylide and phenylacetylide. The replacement of the alkyl hydrogen by an aryl radical increases the nucleophilicity of the corresponding metal acetylides this finding is consistent with literature data (61). 

The acetylide ion is a strongly basic and nucleophilic species which can induce nucleophilic substitution at positive carbon centres. Acetylene is readily converted by sodium amide in liquid ammonia to sodium acetylide. In the past alkylations were predominantly carried out in liquid ammonia. The alkylation of alkylacetylenes and arylacetylenes is carried out in similar fashion to that of acetylene. Nucleophilic substitution reactions of the alkali metal acetylides are limited to primary halides which are not branched in the -position. Primary halides branched in the P-position as well as secondary and tertiary halides undergo elimination to olefins by the NaNH2. The rate of reaction with halides is in the order I > Br > Cl, but bromides are generally preferred. In the case of a,o)-chloroiodoalkanes and a,to-bromoiodoalkanes. 

Using Acetylenic Reactivity Nucleophilic Substitution with Metal Acetylides and Related Reactions... 

Because of their ready accessibility and their ease of reduction to give alkenes of predictable geometry, acetylenes have featured prominently in the synthesis of vitamin h (1) and carotenoids, principally by nucleophilic addition of metal acetylides RC=CM (M = Li, Na, K, MgX, X = halogen) to aldehydes and ketones to produce the corresponding a-hydroxyalkynes [2]. 

Explain why alkynes are more acidic than alkanes and alkenes. Show how to generate nucleophilic acetylide ions and heavy-metal acetylides. 

The processes must be oxidative for inclusion. Metals such as copper and iron can catalyze the addition of allgmes to amines in a CDC process that is presumed to involve an intermediate iminium ion and formation of metal acetylides as the reactive nucleophiles. The oxidative component of this reaction is the generation of the iminium ion. The corresponding non-oxidative process, the aldehyde-allg ne-amine (A ) coupling, will not be a focus here and has been recently reviewed. Interesting intramolecular processes such as cyclizations involving hydride transfers that are overall redox neutral must be similarly excluded. ... 

Acetylenes are sufficiently acidic to react with sodium metal to generate acetylides, useful nucleophiles in the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. The reaction is classically carried out in liquid ammonia, which is a good solvent for alkali metals but which is troublesome to handle. Two convenient modifications of the acetylide generation reaction overcome this difficulty and are discussed below along with the classical method. 

The reaction proceeds with isolated double bonds and electron-rich alkynes. Electron-withdrawing groups in the acetylene moiety decelerated the reaction. A plausible mechanism implies the activation of the olefin by coordination of the metal triflate followed by nucleophilic attack of the acetylene or acetylide (Scheme 31). 

The ferrocenyldiphynylpropargyl cation, 77, has an intrinsic delocalization nature exhibiting a valence tautomerization band at 856 nm, and its nucleophilic trapping reactions give rise to the formation of ferrocenyldiphyenylallenes (173). The bis(acetylide) mixed-valence complexes of ferrocene and the Ru complex moiety, 78, also behave as a fulvene-cumulene structure, 79, showing a u(M=C = C—C) band at 1985 cm-1 (174). Related alleylidene and cumulenylidene complexes of transition metals have been reviewed by Bruce (175). 

It would be ideal if the asymmetric addition could be done without a protecting group for ketone 36 and if the required amount of acetylene 37 would be closer to 1 equiv. Uthium acetylide is too basic for using the non-protected ketone 36, we need to reduce the nucleophile s basicity to accommodate the acidity of aniline protons in 36. At the same time, we started to understand the mechanism of lithium acetylide addition. As we will discuss in detail later, formation of the cubic dimer of the 1 1 complex of lithium cyclopropylacetylide and lithium alkoxide of the chiral modifier3 was the reason for the high enantiomeric excess. However, due to the nature of the stable and rigid dimeric complex, 2 equiv of lithium acetylide and 2 equiv of the lithium salt of chiral modifier were required for the high enantiomeric excess. Therefore, our requirements for a suitable metal were to provide (i) suitable nucleophilicity (ii) weaker basicity, which would be... 

Double cyclization of iodoenynes is proposed to occur through a Rh(I)-acetylide intermediate 106, which is in equilibrium with vinylidene lOS (Scheme 9.18). Organic base deprotonates the metal center in the course of nucleophilic displacement and removes HI from the reaction medium. Once alkenylidene complex 107 is generated, it undergoes [2 + 2]-cycloaddition and subsequent breakdown to release cycloisomerized product 110 in the same fashion as that discussed previously (Scheme 9.4). Deuterium labeling studies support this mechanism. 

We have already learnt that alkyl halides react with alcohols and metal hydroxide (NaOH or KOH) to give ethers and alcohols, respectively. Depending on the alkyl halides and the reaction conditions, both S l and Sn2 reactions can occur. Alkyl halides undergo a variety of transformation through Sn2 reactions with a wide range of nucleophiles (alkoxides, cyanides, acetylides, alkynides, amides and carboxylates) to produce other functional groups. 

Nonempirical quantum-chemical calculations of acetylide molecules support the ready displacement of alkali metal cations to the bridge position (87IZV2777 88IZV1335, 88IZV1339). This naturally leads to the conclusion that the polarization and deformation of the ir-electronic shell of acetylene must depend on the atomic number of the cation attached to the acetylene anion. However, the acetylene activation in the reaction with ketoximes via acetylides suggests nucleophile attack at a carbanionlike complex, which is of course a week point of the hypothesis. Nevertheless, the electrophilic assistance from the alkali metal cation (Na+) to the... 

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