Olefin dissociation

Then, contrary to what was reported previously, the olefin dissociates from the zirconium metal complex. This conclusion was further supported by other experimental observations. However, it cannot be completely excluded that competition between dissociative and direct rearrangement pathways could occur with the different isomerization processes studied up to now. Note that with cationic zirconocene complexes [Cp2Zr-alkyl], DFT studies suggest that Zr-alkyl isomerizations occur by the classical reaction route, i.e. 3-H transfer, olefin rotation, and reinsertion into the Zr-H bond the olefin ligand appears to remain coordinated to the Zr metal center [89]. 

The dynamic behavior of the model intermediate rhodium-phosphine 99, for the asymmetric hydrogenation of dimethyl itaconate by cationic rhodium complexes, has been studied by variable temperature NMR LSA [167]. The line shape analysis provides rates of exchange and activation parameters in favor of an intermo-lecular process, in agreement with the mechanism already described for bis(pho-sphinite) chelates by Brown and coworkers [168], These authors describe a dynamic behavior where two diastereoisomeric enamide complexes exchange via olefin dissociation, subsequent rotation about the N-C(olefinic) bond and recoordination. These studies provide insight into the electronic and steric factors that affect the activity and stereoselectivity for the asymmetric hydrogenation of amino acid precursors. 

When an appropriate chiral phosphine ligand and proper reaction conditions are chosen, high enantioselectivity is achieved. If a diphosphine ligand of C2 symmetry is used, two diastereomers of the enamide coordination complex can be produced because the olefin can interact with either the re face or the si face. This interaction leads to enantiomeric phenylalanine products via diastereomeric Rh(III) complexes. The initial substrate-Rh complex formation is reversible, but interconversion of the diastereomeric olefin complexes may occur by an intramolecular mechanism involving an olefin-dissociated, oxygen-coordinated species (18h). Under ordinary conditions, this step has higher activation enthalpies than the subsequent oxidative addition of H2, which is the first... 

The accepted mechanism for olefin metathesis proceeds through formation of a metallacyclobutane after olefin coordination to the 14e species. Piers et al. have collected the first evidence for the metallacyclobutane intermediate 19 in the condensed phase [52], The proposed C2V symmetry of this key structure has been predicted by calculations [53] (for related theoretical investigations on olefin metathesis, see [54-57]). Metallacyclobutane formation is likely to determine the regio- and stereochemical outcome of the metathesis reaction, and insight into its geometry is therefore critical in the development of new, selective catalysts. Cycloreversion and olefin dissociation complete the catalytic cycle to re-form the catalytically active species ([Ru] = CH2) which can bind phosphine to re-form the precatalyst or olefin for a subsequent metathesis transformation. 

Selective epoxidation of olefins by vanadium(V) alkyl peroxo complexes has also been reported (76). These complexes are very effective stereo-selective reagents for the transformation of olefins into epoxides. The mechanism consists of binding of the olefin to the metal to displace one of the peroxo-oxygen atoms, nucleophilic attack of the bound oxygen atom on the coordinated electron-deficient olefin, dissociation of the epoxide, and reaction of the remaining vanadium intermediate with... 

For labile metals, the sequence of alkyl dissociation and carbanion inversion could lead to racemization. Elimination, followed by olefin dissociation and coordination of the opposite face results in loss of stereochemistry. Racemizations of Be, Al, and B alkyls proceed by the jS-elimination mechanism... 

Furthermore, the phosphine-dihydrooxazole hgands show an unusual behavior with respect to ethene and styrene. The productivity of those systems is larger for styrene than for ethene under equal reactions conditions nevertheless, in the terpolymerization experiments ethene, and not styrene, is prevailingly inserted. Considering that ethene was inserted more rapidly than styrene into model acetyl complexes [103], the poisoning" effect of ethene can be explained by assuming that ethene is coordinated more easily, without rapid olefin dissociation, and that rate-determining carbon monoxide insertion into the two different alkyl intermediates occurs. 

Figure 4.2 represents the simplest construction consistent with this information, and is the mechanism most widely accepted for Rh asymmetric hydrogenation. It still needs to be treated with some caution because of the dynamic nature of the ground state, and the possibility for direct interconversion of enamide diastereomers without dissociation. For example, the kinetics and spectroscopic observations cannot rule out an alternative in which hydrogen added to a part-dissociated enamide complex, which reverted to the preferred intermediate by rapid olefin dissociation-recombination prior to internal hydride transfer. If hydrogen adds reversibly to the solvate complex (which is present at low concentration) to produce a transient / -intermediate without interconversion of ortho- and para-Hj, then this must react irreversibly with substrate in the rate-determining step to accord with the observed kinetics. These alternative possibilities can only be discriminated by further experiment. 

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