Titanium Tebbe reaction

The methylenation of ketones and aldehydes by the Wittig reaction is a well-established and selective methodology. Unlike addition-elimination methods of alkene formation, the Wittig proceeds in a defined sense, producing an alkene at the original site of the carbonyl. The Wittig reaction is not considered here, but is used as the standard by which the methods discussed are measured. The topics covered in the methylenation sections include the Peterson alkenation, the Johnson sulfoximine approach, the Tebbe reaction and the Oshima-Takai titanium-dihalomethane method. 

Schioett, B., Joergensen, K. A. Addition of a carbonyl functionality to titanium carbenes. A study of the mechanism and intermediates in the Tebbe reaction. Journal of the Chemical Society, Dalton Transactions Inorganic Chemistry (1972-1999) 1993, 337-344. 

Although the molybdenum and ruthenium complexes 1-3 have gained widespread popularity as initiators of RCM, the cydopentadienyl titanium derivative 93 (Tebbe reagent) [28,29] can also be used to promote olefin metathesis processes (Scheme 13) [28]. In a stoichiometric sense, 93 can be also used to promote the conversion of carbonyls into olefins [28b, 29]. Both transformations are thought to proceed via the reactive titanocene methylidene 94, which is released from the Tebbe reagent 93 on treatment with base. Subsequent reaction of 94 with olefins produces metallacyclobutanes 95 and 97. Isolation of these adducts, and extensive kinetic and labeling studies, have aided in the eluddation of the mechanism of metathesis processes [28]. 

The alkyl-substituted titanium carbene complex 18 reacts with norbornene 24 to form a new titanacycle 25, which can be employed for the ROMP of 24 (Scheme 14.13). The titanacycle generated by the reaction of the Tebbe reagent with 24 is also used as an initiator for the same polymerization [23]. These preformed titanacyclobutanes also initiate ROMP of various other strained olefin monomers [24],... 

Similarly to alkenes, alkynes react with various titanium-methylidene precursors, such as the Tebbe reagent [13,63], titanacydobutanes [9b, 64], and dimethyltitanocene [65] to form the titanium-containing unsaturated cyclic compounds, titanacydobutenes 67 (Scheme 14.29). Alternatively, 2,3-diphenyltitanacydobutene can be prepared by the reaction of the complex titanocene(II) bis(trimethylphosphine) with 1,2-diphenylcyclopropene [66]. Substituent effects in titanacydobutenes [67], the preparation of titanocene-vinylke-tene complexes by carbonylation of titanacydobutenes [68], and titanacyclobutene-vinylcar-bene complex interconversion [69] have been investigated. 

Apart from the tandem metathesis/carbonyl o[efination reaction mediated by the Tebbe reagent (Section 3.2.4.2), few examples of the use of stoichiometric amounts of Schrock-type carbene complexes have been reported. A stoichiometric variant of cross metathesis has been described by Takeda in 1998 [634]. Titanium carbene complexes, generated in situ from dithioacetals, Cp2TiCl2, magnesium, and triethylphosphite (see Experimental Procedures 3.2.2 and 3.2.6), were found to undergo stoichiometric cross-metathesis reactions with allylsilanes [634]. The scope of this reaction remains to be explored. 

Another broad class of compounds are the bridged carbene complexes. These compounds contain two identical or two different metal centers with the carbene centers bonded to both of the metal atoms in a bridging relationship. However, these binuclear complexes generally do not show classical carbene reactivity and will therefore not be discussed further, except to mention briefly the special case of the titanium-aluminum complex (3) developed by Tebbe and Grubbs and their coworkers.101 This, and related complexes, has proven to be particularly useful in organic synthesis, although its principal importance is in reactions other than cyclopropanations. 

In the case of the Tebbe reagent, the titanium methylidene is presumably released by some Lewis base. That base is often the heteroatom of the substrate. A Lewis base such as tetrahydrofuran or pyridine may be added to the reaction and usually enhances reactivity relative to reaction with the substrate alone- ... 

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