Reactions of metal-alkyne complexes

Complex condensation products are obtained by reaction of the alkyne complex with excess of 3,3-dimethyl-l-butyne, which yields two isomeric products of formulas Ru3(CO)6[HC2C(Me)3-COCH2CMe3][HC2CMe3]2 (125). The X-ray structure of one of those adducts (Fig. 19) shows that both dimerization of two alkyne molecules and the insertion of carbon monoxide into the alkyne metal bonds have occurred. The Ru-Ru distances of 2.820,2.828, and 2.686 A in the ring are of interest. The value of 2.686 A is one of the shortest found in a... 

As noted in the introduction, in contrast to attack by nucleophiles, attack of electrophiles on saturated alkene-, polyene- or polyenyl-metal complexes creates special problems in that normally unstable 16-electron, unsaturated species are formed. To be isolated, these species must be stabilized by intramolecular coordination or via intermolecular addition of a ligand. Nevertheless, as illustrated in this chapter, reactions of significant synthetic utility can be developed with attention to these points. It is likely that this area will see considerable development in the future. In addition to refinement of electrophilic reactions of metal-diene complexes, synthetic applications may evolve from the coupling of carbon electrophiles with electron-rich transition metal complexes of alkenes, alkynes and polyenes, as well as allyl- and dienyl-metal complexes. Sequential addition of electrophiles followed by nucleophiles is also viable to rapidly assemble complex structures. 

As is clear from the introductory discussion, most, if not all, of the d-block transition metals are expected to participate in reactions that are related to those discussed here. In addition to the Co-based methodology mentioned earlier, some related reactions of Pd and are known. Also related are the cyclization reactions of metal-carbene complexes containing Cr, Mo, W and other transition metals with alkynes and alkenes and a recently reported Nb- or Ta-promoted diyne-alkyne cyclization reaction, which appears to be closely related to a number of previously developed alkyne cyclotrimerization reactions, such as those catalyzed by Co. Investigations of reactions involving other transition metals may prove to be important especially from the viewpoint of developing asymmetric and catalytic procedures. 

We first encountered alkyne metathesis in Chapter 10 in connection with reactions of metal-carbyne complexes. The mechanism of alkyne metathesis, first proposed by Katz,64 is analogous to that for alkenes, and it is shown in Scheme 11.9. 

The resulting expansiveness of this field prevents a comprehensive review. It is our intention, therefore, to highlight some of the most important and recent developments in the chemistry of metal-alkyne complexes. We will largely limit our coverage to that chemistry which clearly involves the intervention of metal- i-bonded alkyne complexes. We thus exclude the chemistry of metal-acetylide derivatives and mention only briefly the burgeoning number of metal-catalyzed reactions for which alkyne complexes are only presumed intermediates. Prior reviews of metal-alkyne chemistry may be consulted for more complete coverage of the older literature [3]. 

We conclude our reaction survey with Scheme 4-66, which summarizes the known reactivity characteristics of metal-alkyne complexes. 

Several reactions of metal-carbene complexes with alkynes leading to five-membered ring compounds have been described. The action of acetylenes on the chromium phenyl(pyrrolidino)carbene complex 472 results in mixtures of indanones 473 and indenes 474297 Terminal alkynes (pent-l-yne or hex-l-yne) react with the molybdenum carbene complex 475 to afford, after oxidative work-up, indanones 476 in contrast, trimethylsilylacetylene gave only the naphthoquinone 477. ... 

Equations 13.10-13.12 show three examples of the synthesis of vinylidene complexes by reactions of metal-acetylide complexes with acid or base. The molybdenum(II) acetylide complex in Equation 13.10 reacts with acid to protonate the p-carbon and generate a cationic vinylidene complex. In this case, the vinylidene complex is thermodynamically unstable. Warming to 0 °C leads to rearrangement of this species to the tautomeric alkyne complex. In contrast, the more electron-rich molybdenum-acetylide complex in Equation 13.11 containing three phosphite donors generates a vinylidene complex upon addition of a proton from alumina to the 3-carbon of the acetylide. The vinylidene form of the complex is apparently more stable than the alkyne complex in this case. 

In the same way, the reactions of metal carbene complexes with alkynes give metallacyclobutenes, which leads to applications in organic synthesis. Tebbe s methylene complex is in equilibrium with the metallacyclobutane by... 

The interaction of alkyne complexes with protic acids has been the most thoroughly studied of electrophilic reactions. When these reactions proceed to organic products, alkenes are formed, often stereospecifically. Schwartz and co-workers have studied the reactions of Cp2MH(alkyne) complexes of the early transition metals, Ta (Labinger et al, 1974) and Nb (Labinger and Schwartz, 1975). These complexes gave cis alkenes exclusively in nearly quantitative yield when treated with strong acids, as exemplified by the formation of cis-2-octene from the tantalum-octyne complex. Since the... 

Finally, the reaction of (L)AuX complexes with metallated alkynes in an inert solvent and at low temperature is a particularly safe pathway to complexes with more delicate components (X = halogen M = alkali metal Equation (21)).74 75... 

The reactions of electrophilic alkynes, such as DMAD (dimethyl acetylene-dicarboxylate), with metal per- and poly-chalcogenido complexes have been exploited for the synthesis of homoleptic and heteroleptic 1,2-dithiolene,... 

The currently known carbometallation chemistry of the group 6 metals is dominated by the reactions of metal-carbene and metal-carbyne complexes with alkenes and alkynes leading to the formation of four-membered metallacycles, shown in Scheme 1. Many different fates of such species have been reported, and the readers are referred to reviews discussing these reactions.253 An especially noteworthy reaction of this class is the Dotz reaction,254 which is stoichiometric in Cr in essentially all cases. Beyond the formation of the four-membered metallacycles via carbometallation, metathesis and other processes that may not involve carbometallation appear to dominate. It is, however, of interest to note that metallacyclobutadienes containing group 6 metals can undergo the second carbometallation with alkynes to produce metallabenzenes, as shown in Scheme 53.255 As the observed conversion of metallacyclobutadienes to metallabenzenes can also proceed via a Diels-Alder-like... 

Metal-mediated and -catalyzed [3 + 2 + 2]-higher-order cycloaddition reactions have also proved to be viable and mechanistically novel methods for the synthesis of seven-membered rings. The reported [3 + 2 + 2]-cycloadditions of allyliridium (Equation (30)),139 -allylcobalt (Scheme 47),140 and allylmanganese (Equation (31 ))141 complexes with alkynes involve the reaction of preformed allylmetal complexes with two separate alkynes, leading to a cycloheptadiene-metal complex. 

Many examples of complexes containing enynyl ligands are known from reactions of 1-alkynes with various metal complexes two coordination sites are necessary for this reaction. Displacement of the ligand often results in a catalytic cycle of head-to-head dimerization of the alkyne. The protonation may occur by solvent, e.g., MeOH, in other cases acid is required, e.g., CF3CO2H. Coupling... 

Transition-metal-promoted cycloaddition is of much interest as a powerful tool for synthesis of carbocyclic stmcture in a single step. Utilization of carbon monoxide as a component of the cycloaddition reaction is now widely known as the Pauson-Khand reaction, which results in cyclopentenone formation starting from an alkyne, an alkene, and carbon monoxide mediated by cobalt catalyst. Although mechanistic understanding is limited, a commonly accepted mechanism is shown in Scheme 4.16. Formation of dicobalt-alkyne complex followed by alkene... 

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