Phosphorus ylides transition metal complexes

Phosphorus-containing macrocycles, 990, 996, 998 macrocychc effect, 1002 ring size, 1003 stereochemistry, 1003 Phosphorus heterocycles transition metal complexes, 1041 Phosphorus ligands, 989-1061 ir-acid series, 1033 bonding, 1030-1041 cone angle concept, 1012 trigonal bipyramidal complexes, 1036 Phosphorus oxychloride metal complexes, 500 Phosphorus ylides transition metal complexes, 1056 Phosphorylation biological, 978 Phosvitin, 975 Photochromism... 

Non-heteroatom-substituted carbene complexes can also be generated by treatment of electrophilic transition metal complexes with ylides (e.g. diazoalkanes, phosphorus ylides, nucleophilic carbene complexes, etc. Section 3.1.3). Alkyl complexes with a leaving group in the a-position are formed as intermediates. These alkyl complexes can undergo spontaneous release of the leaving group to yield a carbene complex (Figure 3.2). 

Ni phosphorus-ylide complexes were reported by Ittel and co-workers to be active for the co-polymerization of ethylene and non-vinyl-functionalized monomers, yielding functionalized polyethylenes (PEs). These results demonstrate the high potential of late transition metal complexes for the production of co-polymers from hydrocarbon and polar monomers. 

There are essentially three different types of transition metal carbene complexes featuring three different types of carbene ligands. They have all been named after their first discoverers Fischer carbenes [27-29], Schrock carbenes [30,31] and WanzUck-Arduengo carbenes (see Figure 1.1). The latter, also known as N-heterocycUc carbenes (NHC), should actually be named after three people Ofele [2] and Wanzlick [3], who independently synthesised their first transition metal complexes in 1968, and Arduengo [1] who reported the first free and stable NHC in 1991. Fischer carbene complexes have an electrophilic carbene carbon atom [32] that can be attacked by a Lewis base. The Schrock carbene complex has a reversed reactivity. The Schrock carbene complex is usually employed in olefin metathesis (Grubbs catalyst) or as an alternative to phosphorus ylides in the Wittig reaction [33]. 

As discussed in previous sections, high-valent carbene complexes of early transition metals have ylide-like, nucleophilic character. Some Schrock-type carbene complexes react with carbonyl compounds in the same manner as do phosphorus ylides, namely by converting the carbonyl group into an alkene. 

The use of phosphorus ylides as ligands was reviewed by Schmidbaur in 1983.315 These ligands are strongly polarized, R3P+—CR,, and thus they bond in the main to transition metals via a C—M bond. Although the phosphorus plays a unique role in the properties of such ligands, it is not the province of this article to describe this M—C type of bonding. An example is given of the type of complex formed with lanthanides (equation 92).316... 

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