Oxidation reactions osmium

Chemical ingenuity in using the properties of the elements and their compounds has allowed analyses to be carried out by processes analogous to the generation of hydrides. Osmium tetroxide is very volatile and can be formed easily by oxidation of osmium compounds. Some metals form volatile acetylacetonates (acac), such as iron, zinc, cobalt, chromium, and manganese (Figure 15.4). Iodides can be oxidized easily to iodine (another volatile element in itself), and carbonates or bicarbonates can be examined as COj after reaction with acid. 

Thus, Mathis et al. [1, 2] investigated oxidation reactions with 4-nitroperbenzoic acid, sodium hypobromite, osmium tetroxide and ruthenium tetroxide. Hamann et al. [3] employed phosphorus oxychloride in pyridine for dehydration. However, this method is accompanied by the disadvantages that the volume applied is increased because reagent has been added and that water is sometimes produced in the reaction and has to be removed before the chromatographic separation. 

The reaction mechanisms of these transition metal mediated oxidations have been the subject of several computational studies, especially in the case of osmium tetraoxide [7-10], where the controversy about the mechanism of the oxidation reaction with olefins could not be solved experimentally [11-20]. Based on the early proposal of Sharpless [12], that metallaoxetanes should be involved in alkene oxidation reactions of metal-oxo compounds like Cr02Cl2, 0s04 and Mn04" the question arose whether the reaction proceeds via a concerted [3+2] route as originally proposed by Criegee [11] or via a stepwise [2+2] process with a metallaoxetane intermediate [12] (Figure 2). 

Reactions of of high oxidation state osmium and Ru polypyridyl complexes have been reviewed [43]. 

Reaction of the unsaturated bromoethyl glycoside 216 in the foregoing manner gives the bicyclic product 217,218 and similar treatment of the propargyl ether 219 with a tributyltin radical results in carbon-radical generation and cyclization to afford the tin-containing adduct 220 in 90% yield. On oxidation with osmium tetraoxide and periodate ion, the Sn-C bond is cleaved, and the corresponding ketone 221 is produced in excellent yield.219... 

Osmium-catalysed dihydroxylation of olefins is a powerful route towards enantioselective introduction of chiral centers into organic substrates [82]. Its importance is remarkable because of its common use in organic and natural product synthesis, due to its ability to introduce two vicinal functional groups into hydrocarbons with no functional groups [83]. Prof. Sharpless received the 2001 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his development of asymmetric catalytic oxidation reactions of alkenes, including his outstanding achievements in the osmium asymmetric dihydroxylation of olefins. 

Many boronic ester homologation reactions have been performed using pinanediols as chiral auxiliaries. These are readily available from (+)- and (-)-a-pinene by osmium tetroxide-catalyzed oxidation reactions (Equations B6.1 and B6.2). 

The reaction of alkenes with osmium tetroxide (0s04) is an example of an oxidation reaction (Following fig.). In this case the alkene is not split, but, a 1,2-diol is obtained which is also called a glycol. The reaction involves the formation of a cyclic intermediate where the osmium reagent is attached to one face of the alkene. On treatment with sodium bisulphite, the intermediate is cleaved such that the two oxygen atoms linking the osmium remain... 

The reaction mechanisms shown in Scheme 2 have been the subject of several computational studies. Of particular interest has been the dihydroxylation by osmium tetroxide,26-29 where the above mentioned controversy about the mechanism of the oxidation reaction with olefins could not be solved experimentally.10,12,13,16,19,22,24,25,35,36... 

Vinyl and ethynyl groups attached to an imidazole ring can be catalytically reduced to the saturated (or less unsaturated) species and cleaved by oxidation. The corresponding 4-carbaldehyde is formed in 71% yield when l-methyl-2,5-diphenyl-4-styrylimidazole is oxidized with osmium tetroxide. However, they may not react like aliphatic alkenes and alkynes not all addition reactions occur normally, Michael additions are known, and the compounds can act as dienophiles in DielsAlder reactions (e.g., Scheme 132). 

Nitric oxide reacts rapidly with osmium(IV) di- and tri-haloammines giving, via a diazotization reaction, osmium(III) dinitrogen ammine complexes (see p. 555).M At higher, pH, di- and tri-haloammines are unstable and undergo disproportionation reactions to osmium(III) haloammines and fra s-[0s02(NH3)4]2+.64... 

The physical properties, preparation and reactions of ruthenium tetroxide have been reviewed by Lee and van den Engh, Rylander," Haines and Hetuy and Lange. A more vigorous oxidant than osmium tetroxide, its reaction with double bonds produces only cleavage products. " Under neutral conditions aldehydes are formed from unsaturated secondary carbons while carboxylic acids are obtained under alkaline or acidic conditions. For example, Shalon and Elliott" found that ruthenium tetroxide reacted with compound (11) to give the corresponding aldehyde under neutral conditions, but that a carboxylic acid was formed in acidic or alkaline solvents (equation 23). 

In oxidation reactions, however, osmium is significantly more selective than catalysts derived from other transition metals. Osmium-based catalysts for the hydroxylation and amination of aUcenes are very widely used in organic synthesis. With alkaloid-derived ligands, the hydroxylation and amination reactions are highly enantioselective (see Enantioselectivity). The use of bleach, hydrogen peroxide, ferric cyanide, and oxygen have been reported as secondary oxidants for some of these reactions. 

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