Reactions of Allenes

Allenes react with Pd(II) salts in two ways, giving monomeric and dimeric tt-allylpalladium complexes 230 and 233 [100,101]. Chloropalladation of allene occurs in two directions depending on attack on the central carbon of allene either by Cl or PdCl. The complex 230 is obtained by the attack of PdCl on the terminal carbon 

Treatment of 232 with CuCl2 affords 2,3-bis(chloromethyl)-l,3-butadiene (234) and regenerates PdCl2. Thus preparation of this interesting dimerization product 234 can be carried out with a catalytic amount of PdCl2 and 2 equivalents of CuCl2 in MeCN [102]. 

Intramolecular reaction of allenes is known to proceed mainly by palladation at the central carbon to generate alkenylpalladium 235, which undergoes further reactions. Also TT-allylpalladium 236 is formed when a nucleophile attacks the central carbon. The intramolecular aminopalladation of the 6-aminoallene 237, followed by CO insertion, afforded the unsaturated amino ester 238. The reaction has been applied to the enantioselective synthesis of pumiliotoxin [103]. Oxycarbonylation of the allenyl alcohol 239 afforded the unsaturated ester 240 in 83 % yield using a catalytic amount of PdCl2 and 3 equivalents of CuCb in MeOH and is used for the synthesis of rhopaloic acid [104]. 

Intramolecular oxypalladation of the allenyl aldehyde 249 generates the intermediary alkenylpalladium complex 250, and subsequent carbonylation affords the unsaturated ester 251 in 88 % yield. Propylene oxide is added as a scavenger of HCl [107]. 

Intramolecular oxypalladation of 5,6-dienoic acid 252 is followed by acrolein insertion to generate 254, which undergoes protonolysis to produce the aldehyde 253 without giving elimination product as a Heck-type reaction. The reaction proceeds with a catalytic amount of Pd(OAc 2 in the presence of LiBr, which plays an important role in inhibiting j6-H elimination in 254 [108]. Reaction of 252 in the presence of Pd(OAc 2, Cu(OAc), LiBr and O2 in MeCN provided alkenyl bromide 255 [109]. 

Two monomeric and dimeric 2-substituied 7r-allylic complexes (548 and 549) are obtained by treatment of allene with PdCl2(PhCN)2. They are formed by the nucleophilic attack at the central carbon of allene[493, 494], 

Oxidative cleavage of the complex 549 with CuCri affords 2,3-bis(chloro-methyl)-1,3-butadiene (550) and regenerates PdCri. Thus the preparation of this interesting dimerization product 550 can be carried out with a catalytic amount of PdCl2 and two equivalents of CuCb in MeCN[495], Similarly, treatment of allene with PdBr2 affords the dimeric complex 551. Treatment of this complex with 2 equiv, of bromine yields the dibromide 552. The tetra-bromide 553 is obtained by the reaction of an excess of bromine[496]. Similarly, 

3-bis(acetoxyomethyl)-1,3-butadiene was obtained with other products by the reaction of allene with Pd(OAc)2[497]. 

Carbonylation of the complex 548 proceeds in ethanol gives ethyl 3-chloro-3-butenoate (554), The lactone 555 and the two esters 556 and 557 are obtained by carbonylation of the dimeric complex 549. The oxidative carbonylation of allene in ethanol with PdCl2 gives ethyl itacoante (558), although the yield is low[498]. 

The catalytic oxidative carbonylation of allene with PdCb and CuCh in MeOH affords methyl a-methoxymethacrylate (559)[499]. The intramolecular oxidative aminocarbonylation of the 6-aminoallene 560 affords the unsaturated J-amino ester 561. The reaction has been applied to the enantioselective synthesis of pumiliotoxin (562)[500]. A similar intramolecular oxycarbonyla-tion of 6-hydroxyallenes affords 2-(2-tetrahydrofuranyl)acrylates[501]. 

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Allenes also react with aryl and alkenyl halides, or triflates, and the 7r-allyl-palladium intermediates are trapped with carbon nucleophiles. The formation of 283 with malonate is an example[186]. The steroid skeleton 287 has been constructed by two-step reactions of allene with the enol trillate 284, followed by trapping with 2-methyl-l,3-cyclopentanedione (285) to give 286[187]. The inter- and intramolecular reactions of dimethyl 2,3-butenylmalonate (288) with iodobenzene afford the 3-cyclopentenedicarboxylate 289 as a main product) 188]. 

The stoichiometric reaction of allenes with Pd(II) is treated in Chapter 3, Section 9, and catalytic reactions with organic halides are in this chapter, Section 1.1,1.3 Other catalytic reactions of allenes are surveyed in this section. 

Crystal-to-Crystal Cyclization Reactions of Allene Derivatives... 

As shown in the preceding examples, although intramolecular Pd-catalyzed poly-cyclization is a well-established procedure, some few examples exist of polycycliza-tions where the first step is an intermolecular process. In this respect, the Pd°-cata-lyzed domino reaction of allenes in the presences of iodobenzene reported by Tanaka and coworkers [40] is an intriguing transformation. As an example the Pd-catalyzed reaction of 6/1-60 in the presence of iodobenzene led to 6/1-61 in 49% yield, allowing the formation of three rings in one sequence (Scheme 6/1.14). 

An asymmetric synthesis of the spiropentanes 630, albeit with low enantiomeric excess, was achieved by the reaction of allenes 629 with diazomethane in the presence of an optically pure copper (II) chelate complex (R) or (S)-631 (Scheme 94) [170],... 

Hydride-promoted reactions are also well known, such as the acrylic and vinylacrylic syntheses (examples 7-10, Table VII). Some less-known compounds, which form in the presence of halide ions added to tetracar-bonylnickel, have been described by Foa and Cassar (example 11, Table VII). Reaction of allene to form methacrylates, and of propargyl chloride to give itaconic acid (via butadienoic acid), have been reported (examples 13 and 14, Table VII). 1,5-Hexadiene has been shown to be a very good substrate to obtain cyclic ketones in the presence of hydrogen chloride and tetracarbonylnickel (example 15, Table VII). The latter has also been used to form esters from olefins (example 16, Table VII). In the presence of an organic acid branched esters form regioselectivity (193). 

Reaction of allenes with PdCl2(PhCN)2 in benzene leads to the formation of 2-chloro 7r-allyl complexes 69 (equation 30)61. 

An interesting annelation reaction of allene-derived 13-dipoles with 3-(IV-aryliminomethyl)chromones 38 affords, in fair yields, after [4 +3] cycloaddition and a subsequent cascade of rearrangements, derivatives of the novel iV-aryl-2,3-dihydro-4-ethoxycarbonylchromano[2,3-h]azepin-6-one system 39 (for example, R = Me, R1 = Cl) (Scheme 9). In the initial cycloaddition, the substituted chromone acts as an azadiene moiety <00OL2023>... 

Allenes, while arguably underused in synthesis as a whole, have become popular functionalities in cycloisomerization chemistry and provide access to a wide variety of products. Ruthenium, cobalt, platinum, palladium, rhodium, and iridium catalysts are efficient in the transition metal-catalyzed Alder-ene reactions of allenes. 

The use of stannylcuprate reagents is well established.112,113 The reactions occur under mild conditions. They are reversible, and the reactivity and regio- and stereo-selectivity are sensitive to the structure and reaction conditions, as illustrated by the reaction of allene with the lower-order cuprate Bu3SnCuCNLi and, more readily, with the higher order cuprate (Bu3Sn)2CuCNLi (Equation (29)).114... 

A closer survey revealed that in the period elapsed since 1984 an average of 400 publications on allenes have appeared each year, amounting to close to 8000 in total. This made it obvious that one mortal author could not cover the whole field alone. As a consequence, Norbert Krause, both a renowned expert in allene chemistry and experienced in editing books, was commissioned as an additional editor. The crucial part then was to identify those fields of allene chemistry displaying the new and significant developments since 1984. We decided to divide the project into four parts, Synthesis of Allenes , Special Classes of Allenes , Reactions of Allenes , and Applications . 

Twenty chapters cover such new and exciting developments as metal-catalyzed synthesis of allenes, strained cyclic allenes, the numerous applications of different metallated allenes in organic synthesis, as well as the many addition and rearrangement reactions of allenes and allene units in natural products like the remarkable enyne-allenes. 

Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 459—466 for some leading references on modern photochemical reactions of allenes, see... 

With catalysis by tetrakis(triphenylphosphane)palladium(0), the reaction of allenic amides 275 and aryl or vinyl iodides afforded Z-configured iminolactones 277... 

Recently, the highlights of new transition metal catalyzed reactions of allenes were summarized by Hashmi [315], and Zimmer et al. published a comprehensive review of palladium-catalyzed reactions of allenes [316]. 

Allenic esters can be generated by palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of propargyl compounds (see Section 7.2.6). Under the reaction conditions applied, however, succeeding reactions occur directly in many cases, for instance by introduction of a second ester function. Many examples of such carbonylation reactions of allenic esters were summarized in a review by Tsuji and Mandai [136],... 

This chapter focuses on cycloaddition reactions in which at least two new cr-bonds are formed between allene derivatives and other unsaturated organic molecules. Intramole-cular cycloaddition reactions are also described. The reactions are categorized according to assembly modes, such as [m + n]-cycloaddition, where the variables m and n simply denote the number of atoms that each component contributes to the ring construction. Some electrocyclic reactions of allene derivatives are also included. 

Electron-deficient olefins such as acrylonitrile can participate in the cross [2 + 21-cycloaddition with allenes. 3-Methylenecydobutanecarbonitrile (17) was obtained in 60% yield by the reaction of allene with a large excess of acrylonitrile under autogenous pressure at 200 °C [16]. Initial bond formation takes place between the central carbon of allene and the terminal carbon of acrylonitrile to give a diradical species, which cydizes to form the cydoadduct [17]. 

The [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions of allenes with 1,3-dipoles are useful for the construction of a variety of five-membered heterocycles with a high degree of regio- and stereochemical control [67]. Generally, the dipolar cycloaddition reactions are concerted and synchronous processes with a relatively early transition state. The stereoselectivities and regiochemistries are accounted for by the FMO theory The reaction pathway is favored when maximal HOMO-LUMO overlap is achieved. 

Intramolecular [4 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions of allenic acids and esters proceeded in refluxing toluene to give bicyclic compounds with the exo-isomer predominating (Table 12.9) [120]. When a Lewis acid was used as a promoter, the [4 + 2]-cydoaddi-tion occurred at 0 °C and the endo-isomer was favored. 

Table 12.9 Cycloaddition reactions of allenic acids and esters.

An intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of allenic dienamide 181 provided the tet-rahydroindole ring system 182, which was oxidized with DDQ or Mn02 to give indole derivatives [147]. 

In contrast, the reaction of allenic esters 259 with 255 proceeded in a different manner to yield [4 + 2]-cycloadducts as the major products [187]. 

Most, perhaps all, of the reactions that simple alkenes undergo are also available to allenes. By virtue of their strain and of the small steric requirement of the sp-hybrid-ized carbon atom, the reactions of allenes usually take place more easily than the corresponding reactions of olefins. Because the allenes can also be chiral, they offer opportunities for control of the reaction products that are not available to simple alkenes. Finally, some reaction pathways are unique to allenes. For example, deprotonation of allenes with alkyllithium reagents to form allenyl anions is a facile process that has no counterpart in simple alkenes. These concepts will be illustrated by the discussion of cyclization reactions of allenes that follows. 

In principle, three basically different types of reaction modes are applied for cross-coupling reactions of allenes. First, cross-couplings of allenes with suitable halogen or metal substituents at one of the sp2-hybridized carbons furnish products still bearing the intact cumulene it-system. On this basis, numerous reactions for conversions of precursor 1 or 3 into substituted allenes 2 have been developed (Schemes 14.1 and 14.2). 

Cross-Coupling Reactions of Allenes Producing Compounds I 849... 

The cross-coupling reactions of allenes with components containing sp-carbon atoms are useful synthetic transformations since they provide yne-allenes and enyne-allenes, respectively. Due to the synthetic potential of these classes of carbon-rich unsaturated compounds, the scope and limitations were systematically investigated [1, 16-18]. The first synthetic application was reported in 1981, describing the preparation of alkynyl-substituted allenes by coupling of alkynylzinc chlorides with allenyl halides (Scheme 14.8) [11]. 

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