Rhodium carbene, reactions with

Trifluoromethyl-substituted diazonium betaines [176]. Synthetic routes to trifluoromethyl-substituted diazo alkanes, such as 2,2,2-trifluorodiazoethane [ 177, 7 78, 179] and alkyl 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-diazopropionates [24], have been developed Rhodium-catalyzed decomposition of 3,3,3-tnfluoro-2-diazopropionates offers a simple preparative route to highly reactive carbene complexes, which have an enormous synthetic potential [24] [3-1-2] Cycloaddition reactions were observed on reaction with nitnles to give 5-alkoxy-4-tnfluoromethyloxazoles [750] (equation 41)... 

The mechanism through which catalytic metal carbene reactions occur is outlined in Scheme 2. With dirhodium(II) catalysts the open axial coordination site on each rhodium serves as the Lewis acid center that undergoes electrophilic addition to the diazo compound. Lewis bases that can occupy the axial coor-... 

Herrmann et al. reported for the first time in 1996 the use of chiral NHC complexes in asymmetric hydrosilylation [12]. An achiral version of this reaction with diaminocarbene rhodium complexes was previously reported by Lappert et al. in 1984 [40]. The Rh(I) complexes 53a-b were obtained in 71-79% yield by reaction of the free chiral carbene with 0.5 equiv of [Rh(cod)Cl]2 in THF (Scheme 30). The carbene was not isolated but generated in solution by deprotonation of the corresponding imidazolium salt by sodium hydride in liquid ammonia and THF at - 33 °C. The rhodium complexes 53 are stable in air both as a solid and in solution, and their thermal stability is also remarkable. The hydrosilylation of acetophenone in the presence of 1% mol of catalyst 53b gave almost quantitative conversions and optical inductions up to 32%. These complexes are active in hydrosilylation without an induction period even at low temperatures (- 34 °C). The optical induction is clearly temperature-dependent it decreases at higher temperatures. No significant solvent dependence could be observed. In spite of moderate ee values, this first report on asymmetric hydrosilylation demonstrated the advantage of such rhodium carbene complexes in terms of stability. No dissociation of the ligand was observed in the course of the reaction. 

Products of a so-called vinylogous Wolff rearrangement (see Sect. 9) rather than products of intramolecular cyclopropanation are generally obtained from P,y-unsaturated diazoketones I93), the formation of tricyclo[2,1.0.02 5]pentan-3-ones from 2-diazo-l-(cyclopropene-3-yl)-l-ethanones being a notable exception (see Table 10 and reference 12)). The use of Cu(OTf), does not change this situation for diazoketone 185 in the presence of an alcoholl93). With Cu(OTf)2 in nitromethane, on the other hand, A3-hydrinden-2-one 186 is formed 160). As 186 also results from the BF3 Et20-catalyzed reaction in similar yield, proton catalysis in the Cu(OTf)2-catalyzed reaction cannot be excluded, but electrophilic attack of the metal carbene on the double bond (Scheme 26) is also possible. That Rh2(OAc)4 is less efficient for the production of 186, would support the latter explanation, as the rhodium carbenes rank as less electrophilic than copper carbenes. 

Similar to the intramolecular insertion into an unactivated C—H bond, the intermolecular version of this reaction meets with greatly improved yields when rhodium carbenes are involved. For the insertion of an alkoxycarbonylcarbene fragment into C—H bonds of acyclic alkanes and cycloalkanes, rhodium(II) perfluorocarb-oxylates 286), rhodium(II) pivalate or some other carboxylates 287,288 and rhodium-(III) porphyrins 287 > proved to be well suited (Tables 19 and 20). In the era of copper catalysts, this reaction type ranked as a quite uncommon process 14), mainly because the yields were low, even in the absence of other functional groups in the substrate which would be more susceptible to carbenoid attack. For example, CuS04(CuCl)-catalyzed decomposition of ethyl diazoacetate in a large excess of cyclohexane was reported to give 24% (15%) of C/H insertion, but 40% (61 %) of the two carbene dimers 289). 

The Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction outlined in Scheme 43 also explains the formation of alkylrhodium complexes 414 from iodorhodium(III) meso-tetraphenyl-porphyrin 409 and various diazo compounds (Scheme 42)398), It seems reasonable to assume that intermediates 418 or 419 (corresponding to 415 and 417 in Scheme 43) are trapped by an added nucleophile in the reaction with ethyl diazoacetate, and that similar intermediates, by proton loss, give rise to vinylrhodium complexes from ethyl 2-diazopropionate or dimethyl diazosuccinate. As the rhodium porphyrin 409 is also an efficient catalyst for cyclopropanation of olefins with ethyl diazoacetate 87,1°°), stj bene formation from aryl diazomethanes 358 and carbene insertion into aliphatic C—H bonds 287, intermediates 418 or 419 are likely to be part of the mechanistic scheme of these reactions, too. 

An alternative strategy for selective intermolecular G-H insertions has been the use of rhodium carbenoid systems that are more stable than the conventional carbenoids derived from ethyl diazoacetate. Garbenoids derived from aryldiazoacetates and vinyldiazoacetates, so-called donor/acceptor-substituted carbenoids, have been found to display a very different reactivity profile compared to the traditional carbenoids.44 A clear example of this effect is the rhodium pivalate-catalyzed G-H insertion into cyclohexane.77 The reaction with ethyl diazoacetate gave the product only in 10% yield, while the parallel reaction with ethyl phenyldiazoacetate gave the product in 94% yield (Equation (10)). In the first case, carbene dimerization was the dominant reaction, while this was not observed with the donor/acceptor-substituted carbenoids. 

In addition to palladium catalysts, Co(OAc)2 shows a catalytic activity for the arylation of heterocycles, including thiazole, oxazole, imidazole, benzothiazole, benzoxazole, and benzimidazole.78 As shown in Scheme 6, the catalytic system Co(OAc)2/9/Cs2C03 gives G5 phenylated thiazole, while the bimetallic system Co(OAc)2/CuI/9/Cs2C03 furnishes the G2 phenylated thiazole. The rhodium-catalyzed reaction of heterocycles such as benzimidazoles, benzoxazole, dihydroquinazoline, and oxazoline provides the arylation product with the aid of [RhCl(coe)]2/PCy3 catalyst.79 The intermediacy of an isolable A-heterocyle carbene complex is proposed. 

Vinyl Fischer carbenes can be used as three-carbon components in Ni(0)-mediated and Rh(l)-catalyzed [3 + 2 + 21-reactions with alkynes (Schemes 48 and 49)142 and with allenes (Schemes 50 and 51).143 All three of the proposed mechanisms for the [3 + 2 + 2]-cycloadditions involve an initial carbene transfer from chromium to nickel or rhodium (Schemes 49, 52, and 53). As is seen from the products of the two [3 + 2 + 2]-reactions with 1,1-dimethylallene, although the nickel and rhodium carbenes 147G and 147K appear similar, the initial insertion of the allene occurs with opposite regioselectivity. 

Enantiomerically pure copper and rhodium complexes enable enantioselective catalysis of carbene-mediated reactions. Such reactions will be discussed more thoroughly in Section 4.2. Experimental Procedure 4.1.1 describes the preparation of an enantiomerically pure rhodium(II) complex which has proven efficient for catalysis of different types of carbene complex-mediated C-C-bond-forming reactions with high asymmetric induction. 

Use of Rh2(OAc)4 suggested that there was no inherent selectivity attributable to the coordinated carbene or to rhodium(ll). However, modification of dirhodium(ll) ligands to imidazolidinones provided exceptional diastereocontrol, obtained by influencing the conformational energies of the intermediate metal carbene [19, 23], as well as high enantiocontrol. Representative examples of products from these highly selective intramolecular C-H insertion reactions with cyclic systems is given in Scheme 15.6. Additional examples of effective insertions in systems from which diastereomeric products can result are illustrated in processes of the synthesis of 2-deoxyxylolactone (Scheme 15.7) [64, 65]. Here the conformation of the reactant metal carbene that is responsible for product formation is 32 rather than 33. Other examples in non-heteroatom-bound systems (for example, as in Eq. 15) confirm this preference. 

As with any modern review of the chemical Hterature, the subject discussed in this chapter touches upon topics that are the focus of related books and articles. For example, there is a well recognized tome on the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction that is an excellent introduction to the many varieties of this transformation [1]. More specific reviews involving the use of rhodium(II) in carbonyl ylide cycloadditions [2] and intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions have also appeared [3, 4]. The use of rhodium for the creation and reaction of carbenes as electrophilic species [5, 6], their use in intramolecular carbenoid reactions [7], and the formation of ylides via the reaction with heteroatoms have also been described [8]. Reviews of rhodium(II) ligand-based chemoselectivity [9], rhodium(11)-mediated macrocyclizations [10], and asymmetric rho-dium(II)-carbene transformations [11, 12] detail the multiple aspects of control and applications that make this such a powerful chemical transformation. In addition to these reviews, several books have appeared since around 1998 describing the catalytic reactions of diazo compounds [13], cycloaddition reactions in organic synthesis [14], and synthetic applications of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition [15]. 

Wenkert and Khatuya (51) examined the competition between direct insertion of a carbene into furan (via cyclopropanation) and ylide formation with reactive side-chain functionality such as esters, aldehydes, and acetals. They demonstrated the ease of formation of aldehyde derived carbonyl ylides (Scheme 4.30) as opposed to reaction with the electron-rich olefin of the furan. Treatment of 3-furfural (136) with ethyl diazoacetate (EDA) and rhodium acetate led to formation of ylide 137, followed by trapping with a second molecule of furfural to give the acetal 138 as an equal mixture of isomers at the acetal hydrogen position. 

Chromium alkenyl Fischer carbenes have been shown to undergo a 3 + 2-cyclization with allenes under Rh(I) catalysis and a CO atmosphere, yielding 2-alkylidenecyclo-pentanone (54) after acidic hydrolysis.46 Reactions with electron-rich allenes are carried out with a neutral rhodium complex whereas electron-poor allenes require a... 

Iodonium ylides (136), generated in situ with bisacetoxyiodobenzene, are converted to allyl- or benzyl-substituted oxonium or sulfonium ylides (137) via rhodium- or copper-catalysed carbene transfer.115 Such ylides undergo [1,2]- or [2,3]-rearrangement to the corresponding 2-substituted heterocycles (138). An example of the rhodium-catalysed reaction is reported in Scheme 36. 

Pyridone is O-alkylated more readily than normal amides, because the resulting products are aromatic. With soft electrophiles, however, clean N-alkylations can be performed (Scheme 1.7). The Mitsunobu reaction, on the other hand, leads either to mixtures of N- and O-alkylated products or to O-alkylation exclusively, probably because of the hard, carbocation-like character of the intermediate alkoxyphosphonium cations. Electrophilic rhodium carbene complexes also preferentially alkylate the oxygen atom of 2-pyridone or other lactams [20] (Scheme 1.7). 

Selective O-alkylation of 2-pyridones is effected by reaction with diazoacetic esters in the presence of 2 mol% Rh2(OCOCF3)4 <20000L1641>. The reaction proceeds by selective transfer of the carbene from rhodium-carbene... 

Fig. 3.17. Two reactions that demonstrate the stereospecificity of Rh-catalyzed cis-cyclo-propanations of electron-rich alkenes. — The zwitterionic resonance form A turns out to be a better presentation of the electrophilic character of rhodium-carbene complexes than the (formally) charge-free resonance form B or the zwit-ter-ionic resonance form (not shown here) with the opposite charge distribution ( adjacent to the C02Me groups, on Rh) rhodium-carbene complexes preferentially react with electron-rich alkenes.

Dirhodium(II) tetrakis(carboxamides), constructed with chiral 2-pyrroli-done-5-carboxylate esters so that the two nitrogen donor atoms on each rhodium are in a cis arrangement, represent a new class of chiral catalysts with broad applicability to enantioselective metal carbene transformations. Enantiomeric excesses greater than 90% have been achieved in intramolecular cyclopropanation reactions of allyl diazoacetates. In intermolecular cyclopropanation reactions with monosubsti-tuted olefins, the cis-disubstituted cyclopropane is formed with a higher enantiomeric excess than the trans isomer, and for cyclopropenation of 1-alkynes extraordinary selectivity has been achieved. Carbon-hydro-gen insertion reactions of diazoacetate esters that result in substituted y-butyrolactones occur in high yield and with enantiomeric excess as high as 90% with the use of these catalysts. Their design affords stabilization of the intermediate metal carbene and orientation of the carbene substituents for selectivity enhancement. 

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