Rhodium 1,3-dipolar

The rhodium-catalyzed tandem carbonyl ylide formation/l,3-dipolar cycloaddition is an exciting new area that has evolved during the past 3 years and high se-lectivities of >90% ee was obtained for both intra- and intermolecular reactions with low loadings of the chiral catalyst. 

The rhodium-mediated reaction of 69 with 2,3-dihydrofuran (a formal dipolar cycloaddition of a cyclic diazo dicarbonyl compound with a vinyl ether) yields 70. Corrqiound 70 can be transformed in a number of steps to 71 a,b <96TL2391>. 

The NHCs have been used as ligands of different metal catalysts (i.e. copper, nickel, gold, cobalt, palladium, rhodium) in a wide range of cycloaddition reactions such as [4-1-2] (see Section 5.6), [3h-2], [2h-2h-2] and others. These NHC-metal catalysts have allowed reactions to occur at lower temperature and pressure. Furthermore, some NHC-TM catalysts even promote previously unknown reactions. One of the most popular reactions to generate 1,2,3-triazoles is the 1,3-dipolar Huisgen cycloaddition (reaction between azides and alkynes) [8]. Lately, this [3h-2] cycloaddition reaction has been aided by different [Cu(NHC)JX complexes [9]. The reactions between electron-rich, electron-poor and/or hindered alkynes 16 and azides 17 in the presence of low NHC-copper 18-20 loadings (in some cases even ppm amounts were used) afforded the 1,2,3-triazoles 21 regioselectively (Scheme 5.5 Table 5.2). 

Within this chapter, two sections are devoted to rhodium and ruthenium. The two main procedures using rhodium are first, the formation of 1,3-dipoles from diazocompounds followed by a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition [10] and second, hy-droformylation [11], The ruthenium-catalyzed domino reactions are mostly based on metathesis [12], with the overwhelming use of Grubbs I and Grubbs 11 catalysts. 

There are two important rhodium-catalyzed transformations that are broadly used in domino processes as the primary step. The first route is the formation of keto carbenoids by treatment of diazo keto compounds with Rh11 salts. This is then followed by the generation of a 1,3-dipole by an intramolecular cyclization of the keto carbenoid onto an oxygen atom of a neighboring keto group and an inter- or intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. A noteworthy point here is that the insertion can also take place onto carbonyl groups of aldehydes, esters, and amides. Moreover, cycloadditions of Rh-carbenes and ring chain isomerizations will also be discussed in this section. 

Typically, solvents are screened to identify one that gives optimal results. Assuming that the substrate and catalyst are soluble, solvent polarities varying from alkanes, aromatics, halogenated, ethers, acetonitrile, esters, alcohols, dipolar aprotic to water have been used. An example of this, using a ketone and the rhodium cp TsDPEN catalyst, is shown in Table 35.3. Further optimization of this reaction improved the enantiomeric excess to 98%. A second example involved the reduction of 4-fluoroacetophenone in this case the enantioselectivity was largely unaffected but the rate of reduction changed markedly with solvent. Development of this process improved the optical purity to 98.5% e.e. 

The enantioselective catalytic 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of linear or cyclic nitrones to enals was accomplished using the half-sandwich rhodium(III) complex S, Rc)-[(ri -C5Me5)Rh (/ )-Prophos (H20)](SbF6)2 as catalyst precursor [33, 34]. At —25°C, quantitative conversions to the cycloadducts, with up to 95% ee, were achieved (Scheme 10). The intermediate with the dipolarophile coordinated to the rhodium has been isolated and completely characterized, including the X-ray determination of its molecular structure [33, 34]. 

The rhodium( 11)-catalyzed formation of 1,3-dipoles has played a major role in facilitating the use of the dipolar cycloaddition reaction in modern organic synthesis. This is apparent from the increasing number of applications of this chemistry for the construction of heterocyclic and natural product ring systems. This chapter initially focuses on those aspects of rhodium(II) catalysis that control dipole formation and reactivity, and concludes with a sampling of the myriad examples that exist in the Hterature today. 

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]. 

Chemical Aspects of Rhodium-Mediated 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition... 

The reaction of a thiocarbonyl and a-oxodiazo compound that leads to 1,3-oxathioles has been rationalized by a 1,5-dipolar electrocyclization reaction (178). It was suggested that an intermediate thiocarbonyl yhde bearing a C=0 function at the a-position (extended dipole) was first formed. Due to the low reactivity of a-oxodiazo compounds, these reactions were carried out at elevated temperatures or in the presence of rhodium acetate as the catalyst. In some cases, catalysis by LiC104 was also reported (77-80). 

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