Palladium allylic oxidation

Another route to the diol monomer is provided by hydroformylation of allyl alcohol or allyl acetate. Allyl acetate can be produced easily by the palladium-catalyzed oxidation of propylene in the presence of acetic acid in a process similar to commercial vinyl acetate production. Both cobalt-and rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylations have received much attention in recent patent literature (83-86). Hydroformylation with cobalt carbonyl at 140°C and 180-200 atm H2/CO (83) gave a mixture of three aldehydes in 85-99% total yield. 

Palladium-catalyzed oxidation of 1,4-dienes has also been reported. Thus, Brown and Davidson28 obtained the 1,3-diacetate 25 from oxidation of 1,4-cyclohexadiene by ben-zoquinone in acetic acid with palladium acetate as the catalyst (Scheme 3). Presumably the reaction proceeds via acetoxypalladation-isomerization to give a rr-allyl intermediate, which subsequently undergoes nucleophilic attack by acetate. This principle, i.e. rearrangement of a (allyl)palladium complex, has been applied in nonoxidative palladium-catalyzed reactions of 1,4-dienes by Larock and coworkers29. Akermark and coworkers have demonstrated the stereochemistry of this process by the transformation of 1,4-cyclohexadiene to the ( r-allyl)palladium complex 26 by treatment... 

To circumvent some of the above-mentioned drawbacks of sulfur-based mercury chemodosimeters, a system based on the alkyne oxymercuration of 58 has been developed (Fig. 22) [146]. 58 shows high selectivity, a limit of detection of ca. 8 ppm, resistance against strong oxidants, and a positive reaction even in the presence of cysteine, which is known to form stable mercury complexes and is used for the extraction of mercury from tissue samples. Another metal that is well-known for its catalytic ability is palladium, catalyzing different reactions depending on its oxidation state. Since this metal is toxic, assessment of the maximum allowable concentration of Pd in consumer products such as pharmaceuticals requires highly sensitive and selective detection schemes. For this purpose, indicator 60 was conceived to undergo allylic oxidative insertion to the fluorescein... 

Song F, Gamer AL, Koide K (2007) A highly sensitive fluorescent sensor for palladium based on the allylic oxidative insertion mechanism. J Am Chem Soc 129 12354—12355... 

Palladium-catalyzed allylic oxidations, in contrast, are synthetically useful reactions. Palladium compounds are known to give rise to carbonyl compounds or products of vinylic oxidation via nucleophilic attack on a palladium alkene complex followed by p-hydride elimination (Scheme 9.16, path a see also Section 9.2.4). Allylic oxidation, however, can be expected if C—H bond cleavage precedes nucleophilic attack 694 A poorly coordinating weak base, for instance, may remove a proton, allowing the formation of a palladium rr-allyl complex intermediate (89, path by694-696 Under such conditions, oxidative allylic substitution can compete... 

Heterogeneous palladium catalysts proved to be active in the conversion of simple alkenes to the corresponding allylic acetates, carbonyl compounds, and carboxylic acids.694 704 Allyl acetate or acrylic acid from propylene was selectively produced on a palladium on charcoal catalyst depending on catalyst pretreatment and reaction conditions.694 Allylic oxidation with singlet oxygen to yield allylic hydroperoxides is discussed in Section 9.2.2. 

A chemo- and highly regio-selective Pd-catalysed allylic oxidation reaction that proceeds via a novel mechanism where two different ligands interact serially with palladium to promote different steps of the catalytic cycle has been reported. Initial formation of a dimeric 7r-allylpalladium acetate complex has been proposed.41... 

Arguably the best, or at least the most versatile, allylic oxidation method is based on Pd [114]. Since the intermediates are palladium-allyl complexes rather than free radicals the number of by-products is limited compared to the preceding examples (Fig. 4.41). Furthermore, a large number of nucleophiles (amines, alcohols, stabilized carbanions, carboxylates or halides) may attack the palladium-allyl complex, giving a wide variety of products. 

In the group of Backvall a method was developed involving palladium and benzoquinone as cocatalyst (Fig. 4.42) [103]. The difficulty of the catalytic reaction lies in the problematic reoxidation of Pd(0) which cannot be achieved by dioxygen directly (see also Wacker process). To overcome this a number of electron mediators have been developed, such as benzoquinone in combination with metal macrocycles, heteropolyacids or other metal salts (see Fig. 4.42). Alternatively a bimetallic palladium(II) air oxidation system, involving bridging phosphines, can be used which does not require additional mediators [115]. This approach would also allow the development of asymmetric Pd-catalyzed allylic oxidation. 

The process was later improved by the use of a p-toluenesulfonyl substituent at the allylic carbon atom (equation 42). The authors claim that this modification has a powerful influence on both the selectivity and mechanism of the oxidation, exclusive oxidative rearrangement then being observed. Several other methods of achieving allylic oxidation using palladium catalysts have also been reported,although these are generally of less importance. 

A catalytic amount of palladium on charcoal (5 mol %) has been shown by Stoodley to effect allylic oxidation of cephem dioxides and (81) in yields of about 60% in each case. ... 

A simple synthetic method for 1,4-dicaibonyl compounds was introduced, based on the allylation of carbonyl compounds with allyl halide as a C3 component, followed by the palladium-catalyzed oxidation of the terminal alkenes (20) to methyl ketones (21). In this method, the allyl group is a synthetic equivalent of the 2-oxopropyl group (Scheme 5). This is a good anellation method for cyclopentenones. 

In this synthesis of 1,5-dicaibonyl compounds, 3-butenyl halide is behaving as a madced 3-oxobutyl reagent, and can be used as an equivalent of metiiyl vinyl ketone. These reactirais offer new anellation methods. Also 1,4-addition of the allyl group to enones, followed by oxidatitm. offers a conveiuent synthetic method for 1,5-diketone preparation. Lewis acid promoted Nfichael addition of allylsilane (48) to a,p-unsaturated ketones, followed by the palladium-catalyzed oxidation, affods 1,5-diketones (Scheme 17). 3... 

Among oxi tions producing allylic alcohols or their derivatives the modem variants of selenium dioxide oxidations are by far the most popular. Systems based on metal acetates, particularly palladium tri-fluoroacetate, can be very useful and are receiving increasing attention but the Kharasch-Sosnovsky reaction, once very common for allylic oxidation, is now rarely used. Sensitized photooxidation with singlet oxygen, a very well-known procedure, is still somewhat unpredictable and has periu K received less consideration than it deserves. 

Thus, allyl ethers can be regarded as masked vinyl ketones by means of this palladium-catalyzed oxidation. 

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