Ruthenium hydrides

Ruthenium hydride complexes, e.g., the dimer 34, have been used by Hofmann et al. for the preparation of ruthenium carbene complexes [19]. Reaction of 34 with two equivalents of propargyl chloride 35 gives carbene complex 36 with a chelating diphosphane ligand (Eq. 3). Complex 36 is a remarkable example because its phosphine ligands are, in contrast to the other ruthenium carbene complexes described so far, arranged in a fixed cis stereochemistry. Although 36 was found to be less active than conventional metathesis catalysts, it catalyzes the ROMP of norbornene or cyclopentene. 

Scheme 10 Ruthenium carbene complexes from ruthenium hydride species prepared in situ [18]...

As a final example in this section, a contribution by Grubbs et al. is discussed. The chloride-free ruthenium hydride complex [RuH2(H2)2(PCy3)2] (37) is believed to react, in the presence of alkenes, to form an unidentified ruthenium(O) species which undergoes oxidative additions with dihalo compounds, e.g., 38, to give the corresponding ruthenium carbene complex 9 (Eq. 4) [20]. 

The cross metathesis of vinylsilanes is catalyzed by the first-generation ruthenium catalyst 9. This transformation has been extensively investigated from both preparative and mechanistic points of view by Marciniec et al. [86]. Interestingly, the same vinylsilanes obtained from cross metathesis may also result from a ruthenium-hydride-catalyzed silylative coupling and there might be some interference of metathesis and nonmetathesis mechanisms [87]. 

Sheldon et al. have combined a KR catalyzed by CALB with a racemization catalyzed by a Ru(II) complex in combination with TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpi-peridine 1-oxyl free radical) [28]. They proposed that racemization involved initial ruthenium-catalyzed oxidation of the alcohol to the corresponding ketone, with TEMPO acting as a stoichiometric oxidant. The ketone was then reduced to racemic alcohol by ruthenium hydrides, which were proposed to be formed under the reaction conditions. Under these conditions, they obtained 76% yield of enantiopure 1-phenylethanol acetate at 70° after 48 hours. 

A mixture of catalyst 110 and vinyl trimethylsilyl enolether 115 has been used in cycloisomerisation of (V-allyl-o-vinylanilines 114 and (V.A-diallyl-p-toluenesulfonamide 115 to afford the corresponding products 118 and 119, respectively (Scheme 5.30) [34]. It is believed that the active catalyst species is the ruthenium hydride NHC complex 117. 

Since activation of the N-H bond of PhNHj by Ru3(CO)i2 has been reported to take place under similar conditions [306], it has been proposed that the reaction mechanism involves (i) generation of an anUido ruthenium hydride, (ii) coordination of the alkyne, (iii) intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the nitrogen lone pair on the coordinated triple bond, and (iv) reductive ehmination of the enamine with regeneration of the active Ru(0) center [305]. 

Silene-transition metal complexes were proposed by Pannell121 for some iron and tungsten systems, and such species were observed spectroscopically by Wrighton.122,123 Thus intermediates such as 33 have been proposed in the preparation of carbosilane polymers from hydrosilanes,124 both as intermediates in the isotope scrambling observed to occur in similar ruthenium hydride systems125 126 and in the 5N2 addition of alkyllithium species to chlorovinylsilanes.47... 

An olefin metathesis/double bond isomerization sequence can be promoted by the catalysis of in situ generated ruthenium hydride species from ruthenium complex 1 (Scheme 41 ).68... 

The postulated mechanism involves a directing effect of the carbonyl group to the metal center, ideally positioning this metal for insertion into the ortho-G-H bond. The resulting ruthenium hydride undergoes hydridometallation of the olefin followed by reductive elimination to give the new C-C bond. 

Ruthenium hydride catalysts can also initiate a variety of cycloisomerizations of 1,5- and 1,6-enynes as well as dienes, as exemplified by the RuClH(CO)(PPh3)3-catalyzed reactions shown in Scheme 64.249... 

The proposed mechanism involves coordination of allene and ce,/j-unsaturated ketone to the cationic cydopentadienylruthenium species 137. Subsequent formation of the ruthenacyde 139, followed by /3-hydride elimination, generates the ruthenium hydride species 140. Finally, reductive elimination closes the cycle and regenerates the ruthenium intermediate 137 (Scheme 14.33) [68, 71]. 

Another example for a bimetallic NHC complex is the combination of a ruthenium hydride fragment with an ytterbium NHC complex. The NHC serves partly as the hydrogen trap [Eq. (39)]. ... 

In the early syntheses of alkenyl alkylidene-mthenium catalysts, the first generation of Grubbs catalyst, it was observed that propargyl chloride could be a convenient source of the vinylcarbene initiator [53] with respect to the previous one arising from activation of cyclopropene [4] (Equation 8.3). In this synthesis the alkylidene hydrogen atom arises from the ruthenium hydride. 

Another possible reason that ethylene glycol is not produced by this system could be that the hydroxymethyl complex of (51) and (52) may undergo preferential reductive elimination to methanol, (52), rather than CO insertion, (51). However, CO insertion appears to take place in the formation of methyl formate, (53), where a similar insertion-reductive elimination branch appears to be involved. Insertion of CO should be much more favorable for the hydroxymethyl complex than for the methoxy complex (67, 83). Further, ruthenium carbonyl complexes are known to hydro-formylate olefins under conditions similar to those used in these CO hydrogenation reactions (183, 184). Based on the studies of equilibrium (46) previously described, a mononuclear catalyst and ruthenium hydride alkyl intermediate analogous to the hydroxymethyl complex of (51) seem probable. In such reactions, hydroformylation is achieved by CO insertion, and olefin hydrogenation is the result of competitive reductive elimination. The results reported for these reactions show that olefin hydroformylation predominates over hydrogenation, indicating that the CO insertion process of (51) should be quite competitive with the reductive elimination reaction of (52). 

A detailed review of the mechanisms of the hydrogenation of polar double bonds by ruthenium hydride species have been published by Clapham et alP The article examines the properties of over 100 catalyst systems for transfer and... 

Clapham, S.E., Hadzovic, A. and Morris, R.H. Review Mechanisms of the H2-Hydro-genation and Transfer Hydrogenation of Polar Bonds Catalyzed by Ruthenium Hydride Complexes. Coord. Chem. Rev., 2004, 248, 2201-2237. 

Alkaline solutions of Ru(CO)t2 (KOH in aqueous ethoxyethanol) have also been found to catalytically decompose formic acid (5 7,5S). Presumably this occurs by way of anionic ruthenium hydride derivatives [e.g., HRu3(CO)7,] reacting with HCOOH to provide a ruthenium formate derivative and H2. Subsequent / -elimination of hydride from the ruthenium formate led to regenerating the anionic ruthenium hydride species and carbon dioxide. We have recently synthesized and fully characterized a possible ruthenium formato intermediate for this process, Ru3(CO),0-(02CH) (9) (59). Indeed this species in part extrudes C02 in the presence of CO with concomitant production of Ru3(CO),, H. ... 

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