Preferential reductive elimination

Another possible reason that ethylene glycol is not produced by this system could be that the hydroxymethyl complex of (51) and (52) may undergo preferential reductive elimination to methanol, (52), rather than CO insertion, (51). However, CO insertion appears to take place in the formation of methyl formate, (53), where a similar insertion-reductive elimination branch appears to be involved. Insertion of CO should be much more favorable for the hydroxymethyl complex than for the methoxy complex (67, 83). Further, ruthenium carbonyl complexes are known to hydro-formylate olefins under conditions similar to those used in these CO hydrogenation reactions (183, 184). Based on the studies of equilibrium (46) previously described, a mononuclear catalyst and ruthenium hydride alkyl intermediate analogous to the hydroxymethyl complex of (51) seem probable. In such reactions, hydroformylation is achieved by CO insertion, and olefin hydrogenation is the result of competitive reductive elimination. The results reported for these reactions show that olefin hydroformylation predominates over hydrogenation, indicating that the CO insertion process of (51) should be quite competitive with the reductive elimination reaction of (52). 

The borostannylation of an enyne has also been reported by Tanaka to proceed in a high yield (Scheme 71).273 The mechanism of this cyclization has not been investigated in detail, but the insertion of the alkyne takes place preferentially into the Pd-B bond over the Pd-Sn bond. Then, the addition of the vinylpalladium 279 to the alkene moiety followed by reductive elimination furnished the cycloadduct 278. However, Tanaka does not exclude a palladacycle intermediate. Similarly, a borylsilylative carbocyclization has also been reported by Tanaka.274... 

Based on the discussed acylpalladium 7i-allylic complex (Scheme 5.22) and the reported X-ray structure of the (R)-MOP—Pd 7i-allylic complex [31], the acylpalladium (R)-MOP Ti-allylic complex C (Scheme 5.24) is proposed for the formation of the (R)-product. Complex D, which would give the (S)-product, suffers from steric compression between the MeO-naphthyl ring and the acyl group, while there is no such steric interaction in complex C. Thus, reductive elimination of Pd(0) from C would preferentially yield the... 

In comparison with the hydroboration and diborafion reactions, thioboration reactions are relatively limited. In 1993, Suzuki and co-workers reported the Pd(0)-catalyzed addition of 9-(alkylthio)-9-BBN (BBN = borabicyclo [3.3.1] nonane) derivatives to terminal alkynes to produce (alkylthio)boranes, which are known as versatile reagents to introduce alkylthio groups into organic molecules [21], Experimental results indicate that the thioboration reactions, specific to terminal alkynes, are preferentially catalyzed by Pd(0) complexes, e.g. Pd(PPh3)4, producing (thioboryl)alkene products, in which the Z-isomers are dominant. A mechanism proposed by Suzuki and co-workers for the reactions involves an oxidative addition of the B-S bond to the Pd(0) complex, the insertion of an alkyne into the Pd-B or Pd-S bond, and the reductive elimination of the (thioboryl)alkene product. 

Species 111 formed by trans-addition of e.g. ClCHj—Cl to Pt(II)d metallacyclopentanes show the effect of hgand constraint on the selectivity of reductive elimination. Complexes in which L is a monodentate phosphine decompose preferentially... 

Titanium-catalyzed cyclization/hydrosilylation of 6-hepten-2-one was proposed to occur via / -migratory insertion of the G=G bond into the titanium-carbon bond of the 77 -ketone olefin complex c/iatr-lj to form titanacycle cis-ll] (Scheme 16). cr-Bond metathesis of the Ti-O bond of cis- iij with the Si-H bond of the silane followed by G-H reductive elimination would release the silylated cyclopentanol and regenerate the Ti(0) catalyst. Under stoichiometric conditions, each of the steps that converts the enone to the titanacycle is reversible, leading to selective formation of the more stable m-fused metallacycle." For this reason, the diastereoselective cyclization of 6-hepten-2-one under catalytic conditions was proposed to occur via non-selective, reversible formation of 77 -ketotitanium olefin complexes chair-1) and boat-1), followed by preferential cyclization of chair-1) to form cis-11) (Scheme 16). 

The first step in the cycle, analogous to the cross-coupling reactions, is the oxidative addition of an aryl (vinyl) halide or sulfonate onto the low oxidation state metal, usually palladium(O). The second step is the coordination of the olefin followed by its insertion into the palladium-carbon bond (carbopalladation). In most cases palladium is preferentially attached to the sterically less hindered end of the carbon-carbon double bond. The product is released from the palladium in a / -hydrogen elimination and the active form of the catalyst is regenerated by the loss of HX in a reductive elimination step. To facilitate the process an equivalent amount of base is usually added to the reaction mixture. 

This sequence of events may be illustrated by the homogeneous hydrogenation of ethylene in (say) benzene solution by Wilkinson s catalyst, RhCl(PPh3)3 (Ph = phenyl, CeH5 omitted for clarity in cycle 18.10). In that square-planar complex, the central rhodium atom is stabilized in the oxidation state I by acceptance of excess electron density into the 3d orbitals of the triphenylphosphane ligands but is readily oxidized to rhodium (III), which is preferentially six coordinate. Thus, we have a typical candidate for a catalytic cycle of oxidative addition and subsequent reductive elimination ... 

The key butenolide needed by Buszek, for his synthesis of (—)-octalactin A, had already been prepared by Godefroi and Chittenden and coworkers some years earlier (Scheme 13.4).9 Their pathway to 10 provides it in excellent overall yield, in three straightforward steps from l-ascorbic acid. The first step entails stereospecific hydrogenation of the double bond to obtain L-gulono-1,4-lactone 13. Reduction occurs exclusively from the sterically less-encumbered ot face of the alkene in this reaction. Tetraol 13 was then converted to the 2,6-dibromide 14 with HBr and acetic anhydride in acetic acid. Selective dehalogenation of 14 with sodium bisulfite finally procured 10. It is likely that the electron-withdrawing effect of the carbonyl in 14 preferentially weakens the adjacent C—Br bond, making this halide more susceptible to reductive elimination under these reaction conditions. 

Antimony(V) chloride (SbClj) and molybdenum(V) chloride (Mods) can react spontaneously with alkenes to give predominantly the corresponding cir-1,2-dichlorides (equation 11). The reaction probably proceeds through a successive insertion and reductive elimination sequence. The chlorination of butadiene with SbCb and copper(ll) chloride results preferentially in the formation of (Z)- and ( )-... 

Insight into the mechanism involved was obtained in two labeling studies, as shown in Eqs. 5.24 and 5.25. The former indicates that the carbon bearing the hydroxyl group preferentially forms the new C-C bond to the terminal alkyne carbon. The latter indicates that the alkene geometry is largely retained. These studies support the intervention of a jt-allyl species in which rotation around the ruthenium-allyl axis is slow relative to the rate of reductive elimination and the absence of a n-allyl intermediate. 

Given the preferential complexation of an alkyne compared with an alkene to ruthenium, the notion that alkene-alkyne coupling (Scheme 1.5) would occur seemed remote. However, to the extent that formation of the ruthenacyclopentene occurs, it can become irreversible because there exists a low-energy pathway by which it can further react, namely (5-hydrogen elimination. A final reductive elimination then completes a catalytic cycle wherein an alkene and an alkyne couple to form a 1,4-diene. 

Photochemical alkane carbonylation with RhCl(CO)(PMe3)2 is also possible. This seems to operate by initial photoextrusion of CO from the catalyst, oxidative addition of the alkane C—H bond, addition of CO to the metal, followed by insertion, and then reductive elimination as shown in Figure 3. Preferential reaction at the 1 ° or 2° C—H bond is found. Here the initial product does not seem to isomerize, but Norrish type II photoreactions tend to degrade the aldehyde product. Moving to longer wavelengths minimizes the Norrish degradation problem, but the selectivity of the catalytic system then falls off No more than 30 turnovers have been observed to date (e.g. equation 24)... 

An interesting selectivity was uncovered in the direct cross-dehydrogenative coupUng between N-protected indoles and arenes (Scheme 11.40) [151]. Thus, whereas 2-arylated indoles 67a were preferentially obtained from N-acetyhndole in the presence of Cu(OAc)2, the reaction of N-pivalolyUndole with AgOAc led to 67b, with excellent selectivities. The reason for this C-2/C-3 selectivity is most likely due to the formation of higher-order palladium clusters or paUadium/copper clusters under the different reaction conditions. A related reaction between aryl-boronic acids and arenes or heteroarenes also proceeds under oxidative conditions with Pd(OAc)2 as catalyst [76]. A catalytic cycle initiated by an electrophihc attack of Pd(II) on the arene, followed by transmetallation with the aryl boronic acid and reductive elimination, was suggested. In this transformation, Cu(OAc)2 as stoichiometric oxidant could be replaced by O2, and for indoles, arylation at C-2 was observed. 

The proposed mechanism is shown in (Scheme 43). Based on the results of allenic Pauson-Khand type reaction (PKTR), it is known that the Rh catalyst preferentially coordinates to the distal double bond of the allene-forming metallacycle I-I and sequential CO insertion would provide [2-I-2-1-1] product. However, in the absence of CO /3-hydride elimination takes place instead leading to triene intermediate I-II, and subsequent reductive elimination affords the cross-conjugated triene 83. 

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