Rhodium-catalyzed alkylations, heterocycles

The Rh-BINAP-catalyzed intramolecular Alder-ene cycloisomerization is very rapid and, therefore, sequentially Rh-catalyzed sequences for the efficient enantioselective generation of five-membered carbo- and heterocycles were envisioned. Korber et al. [21] reported the enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed cycloisomerization of alkyl and (hetero)aryl alkynyl allyl alcohols for the generation of aldehyde-bearing chiral 4-alkyl 3-alkylidene THFs and tetrahydro-furanones, which were converted into a,P-unsaturated carbonyl side chains in a one-pot manner via a concluding Wittig olefination in good yields. 

Bergman and Ellman developed a rhodium-catalyzed intermolecular reaction between a broad number of heterocycles andavariety of alkenes. Benzimidazole, benzothiazole, and benzoxazole (154) underwent facile intermolecular alkylation with neohexene to afford heterocyclic products 155-157 in high yields (Scheme 10.54). Substitution of either coupling parmer with electron-rich or electron-deficient functional groups did not affect the efficiency of the reaction. 

C-H alkylation and amination reactions involving metal-carbenoid and metal-nitrenoid species have been developed for many years, most extensively with (chiral) dirhodium(ll) carboxylate and carboxamidate complexes as catalysts [45]. When performed in intramolecular settings, such reactions offer versatile methods for the (enantioselective) synthesis of hetero- and carbocy-cles. In the past decade, Zhang and coworkers had explored the catalysis of cobalt(II)-porphyrin complexes for carbene- and nitrene-transfer reactions [46] and revealed a radical nature of such processes as a distinct mechanistic feature compared with typical metal (e.g., rhodium)-catalyzed carbenoid and nitrenoid reactions [47]. Described below are examples of heterocycle synthesis via cobalt(II)-porphyrin-catalyzed intramolecular C-H amination or C-H alkylation. 

Rhodium(i)-catalyzed ene-allene carbocyclization strategy is suggested for the formation of seven-membered heterocycles, azepines and oxepines. In particular, treatment of an allenyl allyl ether with a catalytic quantity of chlorodi(carbonyl)rhodium dimer affords 4-alkylidene-5-alkyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydrooxepines (Equation 28) in 40-55% yields <20040L2161>. 

Alternatively, they were also found to be good racemization catalysts. Iridium complexes, but also rhodium compounds, catalyzed the racemization step in the enzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols, and excellent results were reported for alkyl-aryl as well as dialkyl secondary alcohols. Finally, picolyl and pyridine functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene iridium complexes [(C N)Ir(Cp )Cl]Cl were moderately active catalysts for the polymerization of norbomene in the presence of methylaluminoxane as cocatalyst. ... 

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