Template effect examples

It is interesting to note that although the first examples of template effects were observed in nitrogen macrocycles (see chapter 2) no template effect appears to operate in the synthesis of 72. Richman and Atkins note this in their original report . The authors replaced the sodium cation with tetramethylammonium cations and still obtained greater than 50% yield of tetra-N-tosyl-72. Shaw considered this problem and suggested that because of the bulky N-tosyl groups, .. . the loss of internal entropy on cyclization is small He offered this as an explanation for the apparent lack of a template effect in the cyclization. 

In the following examples, the metal exercises a template effect in the cyclization of 1-methylbilenes and can be easily removed by treatment with acids like trifluoroacetic acid or sulfuric acid. 

There are also reports of template effects on reactivity ratios in copolymerization. For example, Polowinski20S has reported that both kinetics and reactivity ratios in MMA-MAA copolymerization in benzene arc affected by the presence of a PVA template. 

Two possible roles for the metal ion in a template reaction have been delineated (Thompson Busch, 1964). First, the metal ion may sequester the cyclic product from an equilibrium mixture such as, for example, between products and reactants. In this manner the formation of the macrocycle is promoted as its metal complex. The metal ion is thus instrumental in shifting the position of an equilibrium - such a process has been termed a thermodynamic template effect. Secondly, the metal ion may direct the steric course of a condensation such that formation of the required cyclic product is facilitated. This process has been called the kinetic template effect. 

Examples of the operation of both types of effect have been documented. Nevertheless, while these effects are useful concepts, as mentioned previously, very often the role of the metal ion in a given in situ reaction may be quite complex and, for instance, involve aspects of both effects. As well, the metal may play less obvious roles in such processes. For example, it may mask or activate individual functional groups or influence the reaction in other ways not directly related to the more readily defined steric influences inherent in both template effects. 

Templating effects are important in the context of supramolecular catalysis where, by analogy with enzymatic processes, the reactants are organized by the template so that the formation of a particular linking of atoms is accelerated. An early example of this approach reported by Kelly is shown in Scheme 41 [104]. 

The synthesis of oxygen heterocycles in which cyclization onto a pendant alkyne is a key step has also been achieved. Reaction (7.36) shows an example of iodoacetal 29 cyclization at low temperature that afforded the expected furanic derivative in moderate Z selectivity [47]. A nice example of Lewis acid complexation which assists the radical cyclization is given by aluminium tris(2,6-diphenyl phenoxide) (ATPH) [48]. The (3-iodoether 30 can be com-plexed by 2 equiv of ATPH, which has a very important template effect, facilitating the subsequent radical intramolecular addition and orienting the (TMS)3SiH approach from one face. The result is the formation of cyclization products with Z selectivity and in quantitative yield (Reaction 7.37). 

Template Polymers. Template effects in chelating polymers constitute an interesting development in the field of metal containing polymers. The Template effects are interpreted by the fact that the small molecule is templating a pattern in the macromolecule which can be recognized by the same molecule in a subsequent process. The idea is to prepare a polymer from the metal-chelated monomer, to remove the metal ion, and then to measure the selectivity of the prepared polymer for the metal ion of the template [36]. Typical examples of template systems are 4-vinyl-4 -methylbipyridine (Neckers [36]) and 1-vinyl-imidazole (Tsuchida [37]). These are polymerized in presence of divinylbenzene [36] and appropriate metal salts (Co2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+). The template metal ions are removed by acid leaching and the polymer subsequently used for metal ion absorption studies (Fig. 16). 

An essential feature of template reactions of both the thermodynamic and kinetic type is the formation of a new chelate ring. One of the main difficulties in a discussion of mechanistic aspects of template reactions is the inevitable mixture and overlap of mechanistic effects. Those reactions which clearly exhibit a kinetic template effect could also depend to some extent on a thermodynamic one. Also, in some multistep macrocyclization processes, for example, both effects could be involved. Despite the inherent difficulties, the following discussion in this section will be subdivided into two, to cope predominantly with the thermodynamic and kinetic template effects. A further subdivision of thermodynamic and equilibrium effects will not be made. 

The most important reaction of this type is the formation of imine bonds and Schiff bases. For example, salicylaldehyde and a variety of primary amines undergo reaction to yield the related imines, which can be used as ligands in the formation of metal complexes. However, it is often more desirable to prepare such metal complexes directly by reaction of the amine and the aldehyde in the presence of the metal ion, rather than preform the imine.113 As shown in Scheme 31, imine formation is a reversible process and isolation of the metal complex results from its stability, which in turn controls the equilibrium. It is possible, and quite likely, that prior coordination of the salicylaldehyde to the metal ion results in activation of the carbonyl carbon to amine nucleophilic attack. But it would be impossible for a precoordinated amine to act as a nucleophile and consequently no kinetic template effect could be involved. Numerous macrocyclic chelate systems have been prepared by means of imine bond formation (see Section 61.1.2.1). In mechanistic terms, the whole multistep process could occur without any geometrical influence on the part of the metal ion, which could merely act to stabilize the macrocycle in complex formation. On the other hand,... 

The hexahydropyrimidine (58), formed from l-phenylpropane-l,2-dione and propane-1,3-diamine, is an excellent precursor for the a-diimine macrocyclic complexes (60), presumably via the amino ketone (59) (Scheme 36).126 In this case, intramolecular cyclization of (59) to (58) is reversible, so that the metal ion can exert a thermodynamic template effect in formation of the complex (60). This represents a further example of a long-known phenomenon in which a metal ion can stabilize an a-diimine structure by virtue of the formation of stable five-membered chelate rings. Many 2-hydroxy- or 2-mercapto-amines undergo reaction with a-dicarbonyl compounds to yield heterocyclic compounds rather than a-diimines. However, in the presence of suitable metal... 

New chelate rings can be formed by the nucleophilic addition of alcohols to imine complexes. For example, the nickel(II) TAAB complex is susceptible to attack by bis-alkoxides (equation 31).127 It is not clear whether or not a kinetic template effect operates by prior coordination of the central oxygen or sulfur atom. However, such an effect is not necessary, as simple alkoxides undergo a similar addition reaction.128... 

The situation is even more clear cut in the formation of thioethers by alkylation of thiolate complexes. Such reactions have been described in Section 7.4.2.1.2, but in those examples new chelate rings were not formed. The reaction which led Busch to propose the kinetic template effect is a thiolate complex alkylation, which does indeed produce a new chelate ring (equation 40).110 162 163 This reaction is an example of the general type shown in equation (35) and it has been established clearly that the sulfur atoms remain coordinated to the metal ion throughout the... 

One of the most spectacular and useful template reactions is the Curtis reaction , in which a new chelate ring is formed as the result of an aldol condensation between a methylene ketone or inline and an imine salt. The initial example of this reaction was the formation of a macrocyclic nickel(II) complex from tris(l,2-diaminoethane)nickel(II) perchlorate and acetone (equation 53).182 The reaction has been developed by Curtis and numerous other workers and has been reviewed.183 In mechanistic terms there is some circumstantial evidence to suggest that the nucleophile is an uncoordinated aoetonyl carbanion which adds to a coordinated imine to yield a coordinated amino ketone (equation 54). If such a mechanism operates then the template effect is largely, if not wholly, thermodynamic in nature, as described for imine formation. Such a view is supported by the fact that the free macrocycle salts can be produced by acid catalysis alone. However, this fact does not... 

Kinetic template effects have been postulated in more typical organic aldol condensations, where metals such as lithium and zinc are likely to coordinate both the enolate or enamine nucleophile and the aldehyde in the transition state. The examples shown in Schemes 58184 and 59185 are illustrative of these reactions and the degree of selectivity obtained. The carboxylation of ketones and nitroalkanes by methyl magnesium carbonate to produce P-keto acids and a-nitro acids respectively provides early examples of similar reactions (Scheme 60).186 187 See also Section 61.1.4.4. 

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