Sulfones, alkylation alkynes

Hydrozirconation of terminal alkynes R-C=CH (R= aryl, alkyl) with 1 affords terminally ( )-Zr-substituted alkenes with high efficiency and excellent stereochemical and regiochemical control (>98%). These alkenylzirconocene complexes are of particular interest for synthetic use [136, 143, 144]. Moreover, beside the electropositive halogen sources [145] and heteroatom electrophiles [3] used in the pioneering studies to directly cleave the Zr-C bond, ( )-vinyl-Zr complexes were recently transformed into a number of other trans-functionalized alkenes such as ( )-vinyl-sul-fides[146], vinylic selenol esters [147], vinyl-sulfones [148], vinyl-iodonium [149], vinyl-(R0)2P(0) [150], and vinilic tellurides [143]. 

Scheme 5.7 illustrates these and other applications of the hydride donors. Entries 1 and 2 are examples of reduction of alkyl halides, whereas Entry 3 shows removal of an aromatic halogen. Entries 4 to 6 are sulfonate displacements, with the last example using a copper hydride reagent. Entry 7 is an epoxide ring opening. Entries 8 and 9 illustrate the difference in ease of reduction of alkynes with and without hydroxy participation. 

Pt-catalyzed hydration of various aliphatic and aromatic alkynes under phase transfer conditions in (CH2C1)2/H20 in the presence of Aliquat 336 led to either a Markovnikov product, mixtures of two ketones, or ketones with the carbonyl group positioned away from the bulky side.72 In the absence of the phase transfer reagent, Aliquat 336, hardly any reaction took place. Recently, a hydrophobic, low-loading and alkylated polystyrene-supported sulfonic acid (LL-ALPS-SO3H) has also been developed for the hydration of terminal alkynes in pure water, leading to ketones as the product.73 Under microwave irradiation, the hydration of terminal arylalkynes was reported to proceed in superheated water (200°C) without any catalysts.74... 

Sulfoxides and sulfones can be prepared on cross-linked polystyrene by oxidation of thioethers. The most commonly used reagent for this purpose is MCPBA in DCM [8,12,32,57,80-82] or dioxane [50,83] (Table 8.6), but other oxidants such as H2O2 in acetic acid [34], oxone (Entry 7, Table 8.6), or oxaziridines [84] have also been used. PEG-bound thioethers have been converted into sulfones by oxidation with MCPBA in DCM [52,54] or with Os04/NMO [85], The oxidation of thioethers to sulfoxides requires careful control of the reaction conditions to prevent the formation of sulfones. Sulfones have also been prepared by S-alkylation of polystyrene-bound sulfi-nates (Entries 8 and 9, Table 8.6), by a-alkylation of sulfones (BuLi, THF, alkyl halide [86]), and by addition of sulfinyl radicals to resin-bound alkenes or alkynes (Entry 11, Table 8.6). 

Palladium catalysts, 230 of alkyl silyl ethers to alkanes Nickel boride, 197 of alkyl sulfonates to alkanes Lithium triethylborohydride, 153 of alkynes to cis-alkenes... 

Deprotonation of the alkyne group of propargyl halides or sulfonates can also lead to elimination and formation of a vinylidene. Interestingly, these derivatives react with alcoholates, not yielding enol ethers via O-alkylation but undergoing C-H bond insertion instead (Scheme 5.52). 

---