Stability of the Metallacyclobutane

In addition to the electronic effects of the ligand, there may be a steric component to the differing stabilities of the phosphine- and NHC-ligated met-allacyclobutanes. Jensen and coworkers [17] have analyzed the steric exchange interactions in the phosphine-bound precatalysts and the metallacyclobutanes derived from the first- and second-generation Grubbs catalysts, among other 

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With a titanacyclobutane complex as initiator the rate of polymerization is independent of [M] and therefore governed by the rate of opening of the titanacyclobutane chain carrier432. The comparative stability of the metallacyclobutane bearing an endo substituent is a feature which is also found in the ROMP of other substituted norbomenes see Section Vm.C.12. In contrast, the rate of ROMP of 235 induced by ReCl5/Me4Sn (1/1.5) is first-order in both catalyst and monomer and here the addition of monomer to the metal carbene complex must be rate-determining562. 

The stereochemistry of the olefin metathesis has been the subject of numerous publications which tried to rationalize the behaviour of various catalysts with acyclic olefins [1-5]. It had been noticed during these studies that a cis olefin gave preferentially a cis olefin and that a trans olefin led essentially to a trans olefin. This was explained in terms of stability of the metallacyclobutanes involved in the catalytic cycle (Scheme 1) the most favoured metallacyclobutanes are those where the substituents in positions 1 and 3 are equatorial. This simple rule allowed the explanation of most experimental results and the configuration retention. 

The only oxide that has been used for catalyzed olefin metathesis at 25°C is Re207/Al203 (in the middle of the 1960s by British Petroleum), but it suffered from a low number of active sites, side reactions caused by the acid support and deactivation of the catalyst. On die other hand, the silica-supported rhenium catalyst [(SiO)(Re(C-f-Bu)(=CH-f-Bu)(CH2-f-Bu)] catalyzes the metathesis of propene at 25°C with an initial rate of 0.25 mol/(mol Re x s). The formation of 3,3-dimethyl-butene and 4,4-dimethylpentene in a 3 1 ratio results from cross metathesis between propene and the neopentyl idene ligand, and die ratio of cross-metathesis products matches the relative stability of the metallacyclobutane intermediates. Cross metathesis of propene and isobutene and self-metathesis of methyl oleate can also... 

The mechanism of olefin metathesis was originally worked out in the early 1970s by H risson and Chauvin. The mechanism involves the nonpairwise cleavage of C=C bonds that occurs in a [2-I-2] cycloaddition reaction between a carbene and an alkene to form an intermediate metallacyclobutane, as shown in Figure 19.23. The metallo-cyclobutane can open in either direction, such that an equilibrium mixture of alkenes results with the product distribution dictated by the thermodynamic stabilities of the different alkenes. Two of the more important organometallic catalysts for olefin metathesis are shown in Figure 19.24. 

Catalyst deactivation. The molybdenum-based catalysts deactivate faster than the rhenium-based ones. Studies concerning the stability of the catalyst during continuous metathesis of propene showed a loss of activity due to an intrinsic deactivation mechanism. Because of the high stability of both [Mo]=CH2 and [Mo]=CHCH3, the deactivation of the catalyst is assigned to isomerization of the intermediate metallacyclobutane complexes, leading to inactive 7i-complexes, in a way analogous to that depicted in Scheme 2. This hypothesis is supported by in situ UV/vis spectroscopic studies [67]. 

The transition state for metallacyclobutane formation is lower in energy for the second-generation Grubbs catalysts due to increased stabilization of the active conformation of the olefin complex. In addition, the metallacyclobutane intermediate is further stabilized in the second-generation Grubbs system by a combination of steric and electronic effects. 

The research by Beerman also demonstrated the relative stability of the Ti-methyl bond as compared to the relatively less stable Ti-ethyl bond that contains a hydrogen on the beta carbon and can, therefore, undergo beta-hydride transfer to the titanium metal and eliminate an ethylene molecule. This early research eventually lead in the 1970s to the identification of transition metal carbene complexes (M=CH2), which when reacted with olefins provide metallacyclobutanes [29]. 

They correspond to the cross-metathesis of propylene with the neopentyli-dene fragment (Scheme 18), and their relative ratio corresponds to a photograph of the active site as they are formed. Depending on how propylene will approach the carbene, it will generate different metallacyclobutanes, whose stabilities can direct the relative amounts of cross-metathesis (and selfmetathesis) products. This model is based on the following the favoured cross-metathesis product arises from the reaction pathway, in which [1,2]-interactions are avoided and [1,3]-interactions are minimized (here shown with both substituents in equatorial positions) [83]. 

Further improvements in activity of the imidazol-2-ylidene Ru complexes might be attained by the incorporation of a better a-donor substituents with larger steric requirements. The ligands that most efficiently promote catalytic activity are those that stabilize the high-oxidation state (14 e") of the ruthenium metallacyclobutane intermediate [7]. Both ligand-to-metal a-donation and bulkiness of the NHC force the active orientation of the carbene moiety and thus contribute to the rapid transformation into metallacyclobutane species [7b]. Both can be realized by incorporation of alkyl groups in 3,4-position of imidazol-2-ylidene moiety, lyie Me. Me... 

Crowe proposed that benzylidene 6 would be stabilised, relative to alkylidene 8, by conjugation of the a-aryl substituent with the electron-rich metal-carbon bond. Formation of metallacyclobutane 10, rather than 9, should then be favoured by the smaller size and greater nucleophilicity of an incoming alkyl-substituted alkene. Electron-deficient alkyl-substituents would stabilise the competing alkylidene 8, leading to increased production of the self-metathesis product. The high trans selectivity observed was attributed to the greater stability of a fra s- ,p-disubstituted metallacyclobutane intermediate. 

It has generally been assumed that in olefin metathesis reactions the olefin first coordinates to the metal carbene complex, en route to the formation of the intermediate metallacyclobutane complex, and that after cleavage of this intermediate the newly formed double bond is temporarily coordinated to the metal centre. A number of stable metal-carbene-olefin complexes are known see elsewhere116,117 for earlier references. They are mostly stabilized by chelation of the olefin and/or by heteroatom substituents on the carbene, although some have been prepared which enjoy neither of these modes of stabilization118,119. 

The stability of metal alkylidene (carbene) complexes and the corresponding metallacycles can be dependent on various factors, but it is worth noting that the kind of metal, the metal oxidation state and the ligands surrounding the metal are considered to be of essential significance. Although stable metal carbene complexes are usually obtained from W and Mo compounds whereas metallacycles are obtained from Ti compounds, systems have been found in which both the metal alkylidene complex and its precursor metallacyclobutane can be detected at lowered temperature by NMR spectroscopy [45]. 

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