Reactions Involving Carbon Activation

The metal dusting of pure metals, especially Fe, was studied extensively by Hochman2. The Hochman mechanism for the metal dusting of iron involves three steps. The first step is the formation of metastable iron carbide, FejC, on the surface of iron. This reaction requires carbon activities higher than unity. 

More explicit knowledge of absolute rate constants, activation energies and pre-exponential factors for elementary reactions involving other active particles, as in the interaction between radicals with a longer carbon chain and various molecules, is necessary for obtaining a better insight into the nature of these regularities. 

One-electron oxidation systems can also generate radical species in non-chain processes. The manganese(III)-induced oxidation of C-H bonds of enolizable carbonyl compounds [74], which leads to the generation of electrophilic radicals, has found some applications in multicomponent reactions involving carbon monoxide. In the first transformation given in Scheme 6.49, a one-electron oxidation of ethyl acetoacetate by manganese triacetate, yields a radical, which then consecutively adds to 1-decene and CO to form an acyl radical [75]. The subsequent one-electron oxidation of an acyl radical to an acyl cation leads to a carboxylic acid. The formation of a y-lactone is due to the further oxidation of a carboxylic acid having an active C-H bond. As shown in the second equation, alkynes can also be used as substrates for similar three-component reactions, in which further oxidation is not observed [76]. 

The Baylis-Hillman reaction has become a very powerful carbon-carbon bond forming reaction in the past 20 years. A typical reaction involves an activated olefin (i.e., an acrylate) and an aldehyde in the presence of a tertiary amine such as diazobicyclo-[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) to form an a-meihylhydroxyacrylale. A host of activated olefins have been utilized including acrylates, acroleins, a, 3-unsaturated ketones, vinylsulfones, vinylphosphonates, vinyl nitriles, etc. The Baylis-Hillman has been successfully applied inter- and intramolecularly. In addition, there are numerous examples of asymmetric Baylis-Hilhnan reactions. Reviews (a) Ciganek, E. Org. React. 1997, 51, 201-478. (b) Basavaiah, D. Rao, P. D. Hyma, R. S. Tetrahedron 1996, 52, 8001-8062. (c) Fort, Y. Berthe, M. C. Caubere, P. Tetrahedron 1992, 48, 6371-6384. 

The Sn2 mechanism is a one step process involving both the alkyl halide and nucleophile simultaneously. The nucleophile enters as the halide leaves, attacking the carbon from the side opposite to that from which the halide departs. The reaction is bimolecular this means the reaction rate depends on the concentrations of both the alkyl halide and the nucleophile. The reaction involving optically active halides occurs with inversion of configuration. 

Stereochemistry SN2 reactions involving optically active halides produce optically active products but with inversion of configuration of the chiral carbon atom bearing the halogen attack by the nucleophile occurs on the opposite side from that the halide is leaving. SN1 reactions proceed by a carbocation intermediate that can be attacked by the nucleophile from either side a racemic mixture results. 

Miscellaneous Reactions Involving Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation via sp C-H Bond Activation... 

Indeed, photoredox catalysis with Ru polypyridine complexes has emerged as a powerful tool for redox reactions including formation of carbon-carbon bonds based on oxidation of sp C-H bonds via single-electron-transfer (SET) processes. Results that are closely related to those shown in Schemes 33,34, and 35, where the carbon-carbon bond formation resulted from the benzyUc sp C-H oxidative activation in the presence of BuOOH, have been recently reported for the regioselective functionalization of tetrahydroisoquinolines with cyanide and a variety of nucleophiles arising from ketones, nitroalkanes, allyltrimethylsilane, silyl enol ethers, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds under photocatalytic conditions [67-70] as illustrated in Scheme 62 [67]. Other applications of Ru(bipy)3Cl2 in photocatalytic cycUzation reactions involving carbon-carbon btmd formation have appeared [71, 72]. 

The scope of the book is largely confined to the most recent developments in carbonylation chemistry. Since this book of special focus is not intended to go into the fine details of homogeneous catalysis as well as its historical background, only the most recent achievements of carbonylation chemistry are discussed. I believe there is no need to elaborate further on the earlier findings in view of the excellent textbooks already available. During the last decade, several novel synthetic reactions involving carbon monoxide have been discovered, as well as new methods such as biphasic carbonylation or application of ionic liquids have been developed. It is our purpose to provide a perspective of this formative period through the contributions of the experts on special topics of carbon monoxide activation by transition metals. 

Ma.nufa.cture. Nickel carbonyl can be prepared by the direct combination of carbon monoxide and metallic nickel (77). The presence of sulfur, the surface area, and the surface activity of the nickel affect the formation of nickel carbonyl (78). The thermodynamics of formation and reaction are documented (79). Two commercial processes are used for large-scale production (80). An atmospheric method, whereby carbon monoxide is passed over nickel sulfide and freshly reduced nickel metal, is used in the United Kingdom to produce pure nickel carbonyl (81). The second method, used in Canada, involves high pressure CO in the formation of iron and nickel carbonyls the two are separated by distillation (81). Very high pressure CO is required for the formation of cobalt carbonyl and a method has been described where the mixed carbonyls are scmbbed with ammonia or an amine and the cobalt is extracted as the ammine carbonyl (82). A discontinued commercial process in the United States involved the reaction of carbon monoxide with nickel sulfate solution. 

Xenon difluoride fluorinates adamantane in low yield [45] (equation 22) When the carbon-hydrogen bond is activated by an a-sulfur atom, fliiorination occurs readily The reactions involve intermediates that contain sulfur-fluorine bonds. At-Fluoropyridinium reagents behave similarly [99, 100, 101, 102] (equations 55-57)... 

The biologically active form of vitamin Bg is pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PEP), a coenzyme that exists under physiological conditions in two tautomeric forms (Figure 18.25). PLP participates in the catalysis of a wide variety of reactions involving amino acids, including transaminations, a- and /3-decarboxylations, /3- and ") eliminations, racemizations, and aldol reactions (Figure 18.26). Note that these reactions include cleavage of any of the bonds to the amino acid alpha carbon, as well as several bonds in the side chain. The remarkably versatile chemistry of PLP is due to its ability to... 

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