Rhodium complexes carbene transfer reactions

Transition-metal catalysis, especially by copper, rhodium, palladium and ruthenium compounds, is another approved method for the decomposition of diazo compounds. It is now generally accepted that short-lived metal-carbene intermediates are or may be involved in many of the associated transformations28. Nevertheless, these catalytic carbene transfer reactions will be fully covered in this chapter because of the close similarity in reaction modes of electrophilic carbenes and the presumed electrophilic metal-carbene complexes. 

As already mentioned for rhodium carbene complexes, proof of the existence of electrophilic metal carbenoids relies on indirect evidence, and insight into the nature of intermediates is obtained mostly through reactivity-selectivity relationships and/or comparison with stable Fischer-type metal carbene complexes. A particularly puzzling point is the relevance of metallacyclobutanes as intermediates in cyclopropane formation. The subject is still a matter of debate in the literature. Even if some metallacyclobutanes have been shown to yield cyclopropanes by reductive elimination [15], the intermediacy of metallacyclobutanes in carbene transfer reactions is in most cases borne out neither by direct observation nor by clear-cut mechanistic studies and such a reaction pathway is probably not a general one. Formation of a metallacyclobu-tane requires coordination both of the olefin and of the carbene to the metal center. In many cases, all available evidence points to direct reaction of the metal carbenes with alkenes without prior olefin coordination. Further, it has been proposed that, at least in the context of rhodium carbenoid insertions into C-H bonds, partial release of free carbenes from metal carbene complexes occurs [16]. Of course this does not exclude the possibility that metallacyclobutanes play a pivotal role in some catalyst systems, especially in copper-and palladium-catalyzed reactions. 

A dirhodium tetracarboxylate complex coordinated by two bromocalix[4]arene macrocycles exhibited two toluene molecules coordinated to the rhodium centers and inserted in the clefts, which are formed by the vicinal -bromophenyl rings of the two calixarene units (Figure 29). This complex has been found to be an efficient catalyst for two carbene transfer reactions, alkene cyclopropanation, and intramolecular C-H insertion, in terms of stereo- and regioselectivity. 

Dirhodium(ii) complexes provided a good series of complexes for carbene-transfer reactions. The reaction of (Tp )Rh(CO)2 with chloroform gave the rhodium(iii)... 

The q1-coordinated carbene complexes 421 (R = Ph)411 and 422412) are rather stable thermally. As metal-free product of thermal decomposition [421 (R = Ph) 110 °C, 422 PPh3, 105 °C], one finds the formal carbene dimer, tetraphenylethylene, in both cases. Carbene transfer from 422 onto 1,1-diphenylethylene does not occur, however. Among all isolated carbene complexes, 422 may be considered the only connecting link between stoichiometric diazoalkane reactions and catalytic decomposition [except for the somewhat different results with rhodium(III) porphyrins, see above] 422 is obtained from diazodiphenylmethane and [Rh(CO)2Cl]2, which is also known to be an efficient catalyst for cyclopropanation and S-ylide formation with diazoesters 66). 

As shown in the previous two sections, rhodium(n) dimers are superior catalysts for metal carbene C-H insertion reactions. For nitrene C-H insertion reactions, many catalysts found to be effective for carbene transfer are also effective for these reactions. Particularly, Rh2(OAc)4 has demonstrated great effectiveness in the inter- and intramolecular nitrene C-H insertions. The exploration of enantioselective C-H amination using chiral rhodium catalysts has been reported by several groups.225,244,253-255 Hashimoto s dirhodium tetrakis[A-tetrachlorophthaloyl-(A)-/ r/-leuci-nate], Rh2(derived rhodium complex, Rh2(i -BNP)4 48,244 afforded moderate enantiomeric excess for amidation of benzylic C-H bonds with NsN=IPh. 

The ligand was then used to form a variety of transition metal carbene complexes [207] (see Figure 3.72). Interestingly, more than one method for the formation of transition metal carbene complexes was successfully employed presence of an inorganic base (IC COj) to deprotonate the imidazolium salt and the silver(I) oxide method with subsequent carbene transfer to rhodium(I), iridium(I) and copperfi), respectively. The silver(I) and copper(I) carbene complexes were used for the cyclopropanation of styrene and indene with 1,1-ethanediol diacetate (EDA) giving very poor conversion with silver (< 5%) and qnantitative yields with copper. The diastereomeric ratio (endolexo) was more favonrable with silver than with copper giving almost a pnre diastereomer for the silver catalysed reaction of indene. 

The direct transfer of carbene from diazocompounds to olefins catalyzed by transition metals is the most straightforward synthesis of cyclopropanes [3,4]. Reactions of diazoesters with olefins have been studied using complexes of several transition metals as catalysts. In most cases trans-isomers are preferably obtained, but the selectivity depends on the nature of the complex. In general the highest trans-selectivity is obtained with copper catalysts and it is reduced with palladium and rhodium complexes. Therefore, the rhodium mesotetraphenylporphyrin (RhTPPI) [5] and [(r 5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2(THF)]BF4 [6] are the only catalysts leading to a preference for the cis-isomer in the reaction of ethyl diazoacetate with styrene. 

It is well established that the rhodium-carbene species generated upon activation of diazo compounds by rhodium complexes can undergo insertion into a X—H bond (X= C, Si, O, N) to form a new C—X bond under mild conditions (Scheme 3.58). This reaction involves formation of an onium yUde intermediate and subseqnent proton transfer [156]. The high reactivity of these onium ylide species, which can be trapped by an electrophile prior to the proton transfer leading to a second bond formation. 

Cyclopropanation of olefins is currently performed by direct transition metal-catalyzed carbene transfer from a diazo compound to the olefin. Dirhodium(II) carboxylates and carboxamidates have proved to be the catalysts of choice. Other rhodium compounds, such as Rh (CO),6, Rh2(BF4)4, and rhodium(III) porphyrins, have been also investigated, but did not show better reactivity, while rhodium(I) compounds have never been successful [66]. Other complexes containing copper or ruthenium have been tested in cyclopropanation reactions, but have never shown better reactivity or selectivity than rhodinm(II) compounds [67]. 

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. 

Reactions of rhodium porphyrins with diazo esters - According to Callot et al., iodorhodium(III) porphyrins are efficient catalysts for the cyclopropanation of alkenes by diazo esters [320,321], The transfer of ethoxycarbonylcarbene to a variety of olefins was found to proceed with a large syn-selectivity as compared with other catalysts. In their study to further develop this reaction to a shape-selective and asymmetric process [322], Kodadek et al. [323] have delineated the reaction sequences (29, 30) and identified as the active catalyst the iodoalkyl-rhodium(III) complex resulting from attack of a metal carbene moiety Rh(CHCOOEt) by iodide. 

The product of reaction (30) is thought to coordinate a further molecule of ethyldiazoacetate trans to the iodoalkyl group which looses dinitrogen, yielding a hexacoordinate rhodium carbene complex according to Eq. (31) which transfers its carbene moiety to an attacking alkene molecule. 

Not surprisingly, these rhodium and iridium carbene complexes were tested for their catalytic behaviour in the transfer hydrogenation of benzophenone and acetophenone (M +3), the hydrosilylation of alkynes (M +1) and also the catalytic cyclisation of acetylenic carboxylic acids (M +1). Hydrogenation works better for iridium than rhodium and for aromatic than for aliphatic ketones [40,43,44]. The iridium(I) complex is the first iridium catalyst showing activity for the cyclisation of acetylenic carboxylic acids [40]. The results for the hydrosilylation reactions were very moderate. 

Switching from palladium to rhodium, we encounter some very interesting chemistry. Zeng et al. [302] reacted the tiidentate PCP phosphino functionalised imidazolium salt with silver(I) oxide and subsequently transferred the carbene to rhodium(I) (see Figure 3.100). Careful selection of the rhodium precursor complex and reaction conditions enables tetrahedral, square bipyramidal and octahedral rhodium(I) and rhodium(III) complexes to be formed. As the authors explained, the activation of the C-Cl bond in methylene chloride in an oxidative addition reaction on rhodium(I) resulting in a rhodium(in) complex requires an electron rich rhodium(I) complex. The presence of a NHC ligand is advantageous in this respect. 

A series of benzylidene and low-valent alkylidene complexes have also been prepared from sulfur ylides. Deprotonation of benzyl or alkyl diphenylsulfonium salts with a strong base, such as KN(SiMe3)2, KNPr j or LiNPr generates the corresponding sulfur ylide. Reaction of this ylide with low-valent ruthenium, osmium, rhodium, or iridium complexes containing a labile ligand leads to transfer of the carbene unit from sulfur to... 

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