Recent Developments in Alkyne Carbonylation

Simon Doherty, Julian G. Knight, Catherine H. Smyth 

Modem Carbonylation Methods. Edited by LeLszlo Kollar 

Copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH Co. KGaA, Weinheim 

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Reduction of multiple bonds with samarium diiodide has been reviewed. Chemo-and stereo-selective reduction of various compounds such as conjugated alkenes, c/,/3-unsaturated carboxylic acids, activated alkynes, carbonyl, azides, nitriles, and nitro compounds, under mild conditions, has been discussed. Recent developments in the use of samarium metal in this field have also been discussed.381... 

Recent developments in the synthesis of heterocyclic derivatives by Pdl2-catalyzed oxidative carbonylation reactions of suitably functionalized alkynes 03JOM(687)219. 

Abstract The transition metal mediated conversion of alkynes, alkenes, and carbon monoxide in a formal [2 + 2+1] cycloaddition process, commonly known as the Pauson-Khand reaction (PKR), is an elegant method for the construction of cyclopentenone scaffolds. During the last decade, significant improvements have been achieved in this area. For instance, catalytic PKR variants are nowadays possible with different metal sources. In addition, new asymmetric approaches were established and the reaction has been applied as a key step in various total syntheses. Recent work has also focused on the development of CO-free conditions, incorporating transfer carbonylation reactions. This review attempts to cover the most important developments in this area. 

Abstract The basic principles of the oxidative carbonylation reaction together with its synthetic applications are reviewed. In the first section, an overview of oxidative carbonylation is presented, and the general mechanisms followed by different substrates (alkenes, dienes, allenes, alkynes, ketones, ketenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, phenols, amines) leading to a variety of carbonyl compounds are discussed. The second section is focused on processes catalyzed by Pdl2-based systems, and on their ability to promote different kind of oxidative carbonylations under mild conditions to afford important carbonyl derivatives with high selectivity and efficiency. In particular, the recent developments towards the one-step synthesis of new heterocyclic derivatives are described. 

In recent years, attention has been focused on alkyne carbonylation catalysts based on the metals nickel, palladium, and platinum, modified with a variety of tertiary (bi)phosphines [5]. TTie main goal has been to develop chemo- and regio-selective carbonylation catalysts for application to higher alkyne substrates for the synthesis of certain fine chemicals. Many of these catalysts do allow the carbonylation to proceed under milder conditions than those applied in the catalytic Reppe process, and some of these catalysts do provide the branched regioisomer product from higher alkynes with good selectivity. However, in all cases reaction rates are very low, i.e., below 100 (and in most cases even below 10) mol/mol metal per h, as are the product yields in mol/mol metal (< 100). These catalyst productivities are far too low for large-scale industrial application in the production of commodity-type products, such as (meth)acrylates. 

Another important development in the area of catalytic Pauson-Khand type cy-clizations has been the discovery of other transition metal carbonyl complexes which are capable of effecting the catalytic synthesis of cyclopentenones. Two recent reports from Murai and Mitsudo detailed a Ru3(CO)i2-catalyzed enyne cyclocarbonylation, Eqs. (10) and (11) [34,35]. While this protocol allowed for the cyclization of a variety of l,6-enynes,the cyclizations of terminal alkynes as well as 1,7-enynes were problematic. The feasibility of using Cp2Ti(CO)2 as a catalyst for the intramolecular Pauson-Khand type cyclization of a variety of 1,6-and 1,7-enynes (vide infra) has also been demonstrated [36]. Based on the wide array of transition metals that are capable of effecting stoichiometric Pauson-Khand type cyclizations (vide supra), the development of more catalytic systems is to be expected this should greatly facilitate the search for catalytic asymmetric variants. 

More recent advances in intermolecular [3+2] reductive cycloadditions have involved combinations of enals or enoates with alkynes (Scheme 3-34).l 2 l The initially developed cycloadditions of enals and alkynes likely proceeds by initial formation of a metallacyclic enolate derivative, followed by enolate protonation and addition of the vinyl nickel unit to the resulting carbonyl to produce the boron alkoxide of the observed cyclopentenol product (Scheme 3-35). The analogous transformation with enoates may also proceed by this mechanism, depicted below by the sequence of initial generation of metallacycle 20, followed by enolate protonation to form 21 en route to product generation. Alternatively, the collapse of the metallacycle 20 to a ketene intermediate 22 may occur in the enoate variant. The precise pathway followed likely depends on whether protic or aprotic media are used. 

Pt-catalyzed hydration of various aliphatic and aromatic alkynes under phase transfer conditions in (CH2C1)2/H20 in the presence of Aliquat 336 led to either a Markovnikov product, mixtures of two ketones, or ketones with the carbonyl group positioned away from the bulky side.72 In the absence of the phase transfer reagent, Aliquat 336, hardly any reaction took place. Recently, a hydrophobic, low-loading and alkylated polystyrene-supported sulfonic acid (LL-ALPS-SO3H) has also been developed for the hydration of terminal alkynes in pure water, leading to ketones as the product.73 Under microwave irradiation, the hydration of terminal arylalkynes was reported to proceed in superheated water (200°C) without any catalysts.74... 

In addition, Wu and Li recently have developed an efficient rhodium-catalyzed cascade hydrostannation/conjugate addition of terminal alkynes and unsaturated carbonyl compounds in water stereoselectively (Scheme 4.5).88... 

Silylformylation, defined as the addition of RsSi- and -CHO across various types of bonds using a silane R3SiH, CO, and a transition metal catalyst, was discovered by Murai and co-workers, who developed the Co2(CO)8-catalyzed silylformylation of aldehydes, epoxides, and cyclic ethers [26]. More recently, as described in detail in Section 5.3.1, below, alkynes and alkenes have been successfully developed as silylformylation substrates. These reactions represent a powerful variation on hydroformylation, in that a C-Si bond is produced instead of a C-H bond. Given that C-Si groups are subject to, among other reactions, oxidation to C-OH groups, silylformylation could represent an oxidative carbonylation of the type described in Scheme 5.1. 

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