Rhodium pent-4-enal

Considerable information about the course of aldehyde decarbonylations has been gleaned from the decarbonylations of alk-4-enals. Pent-4-enals form cyclopentanones in high yield in decarbonylations catalyzed by [RhCl(PPh3)3], The major product from the decarbonylation of hex-4-enal is 2-methylcyclopentanone. As shown in Scheme 5, the cyclization reaction requires a vacant site on rhodium. The other products result from decarbonylation of the unsaturated acyl before cyclization can take place. In these cases, there is competition between addition of deuterium to C-1 of the alkenyl ligand or its addition to the alkene bond and the formation of an unstable metallocycle. ... 

The cychzation of pent-4-enals and related compounds to cyclopentanones is catalyzed by [RhCl(PPh3)3] in a reaction that involves oxidative addition of the -CHO group to the rhodium(I) catalyst. This reaction has much in common with the decarbonylation that most aldehydes undergo in the presence of this catalyst (see Decarbonylation Catalysis). 

This reaction competes with intramolecular hydroacylation of pent-4-enals to form cyclopen-tanones. In the case of exo- and ent/o-norborn-5-ene-2-carboxaldehyde (4) if treated with Wilkinson s catalyst [tris(triphenylphosphane)rhodium(I) chloride] only decarbonylation occurs. While the exo-aldehyde exo-4 leads to norbornadiene (5), the e fi o-aldehyde endo-4 reacts to form nortricyclene (6 tricyclo[2.2.1.0 ]heptane). These results support organometallic pathways and exclude radical intermediates, since here identical products should be formed. 

Intramolecular hydroacylation of 4-substituted pent-4-enals is catalyzed by Rh (I) complexes and leads to 3-substituted cyclopentanones. When the ligand of rhodium is (l ,2,S)-3.35 (X = CH2CH2) or even better (Ky or (S)-binap 3.43 (Ar = Ph), cycloalkanones are obtained with an excellent enantiomeric excess... 

Scheme 8.6 Side products in the rhodium-catalyzed decarbonylation of pent-4-enal in hs presence of ethylene.

Substituted v-butyrolactones can be prepared by reaction of aldehydes or ketones with tbe dianion (28), and direct condensation of symmetrical ketones with diethyl 2-oxomalonate provides a useful synthetic route to the butenolides (29). A number of initiators have been used previously to promote the free-radical addition of ketones to alkenes now transition-metal oxides have been shown to be effective. Pent-4-enal is cyclized to cyclopentanone by chlorotris(triphenylphos-phine)rhodium(i) through a non-radical pathway. ... 

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