Transition metals electrophilic alkyne additions

Another approach toward C-O bond formation using alkynes that has been pursued involves the intermediacy of transition metal vinylidenes that can arise from the corresponding y2-alkyne complexes (Scheme 13). Due to the electrophilicity of the cr-carbon directly bound to the metal center, a nucleophilic addition can readily occur to form a vinyl metal species. Subsequent protonation of the resulting metal-carbon cr-bond yields the product with anti-Markovnikov selectivity and regenerates the catalyst. 

With an electrophilic transition metal complex, it is believed that the hydration of an alkyne occurs through a trans-addition of water to an 72-alkyne metal complex (Scheme 15, path A),380 although the m-pathway via hydroxymetallation has also been proposed (path B).381,382 However, distinguishing between the two pathways is difficult due to the rapid keto-enol tautomerization that renders isolation of the initial water adduct challenging. 

Terminal alkynes readily react with coordinatively unsaturated transition metal complexes to yield vinylidene complexes. If the vinylidene complex is sufficiently electrophilic, nucleophiles such as amides, alcohols or water can add to the a-carbon atom to yield heteroatom-substituted carbene complexes (Figure 2.10) [129 -135]. If the nucleophile is bound to the alkyne, intramolecular addition to the intermediate vinylidene will lead to the formation of heterocyclic carbene complexes [136-141]. Vinylidene complexes can further undergo [2 -i- 2] cycloadditions with imines, forming azetidin-2-ylidene complexes [142,143]. Cycloaddition to azines leads to the formation of pyrazolidin-3-ylidene complexes [143] (Table 2.7). 

The same transition metal systems which activate alkenes, alkadienes and alkynes to undergo nucleophilic attack by heteroatom nucleophiles also promote the reaction of carbon nucleophiles with these unsaturated compounds, and most of the chemistry in Scheme 1 in Section 3.1.2 of this volume is also applicable in these systems. However two additional problems which seriously limit the synthetic utility of these reactions are encountered with carbon nucleophiles. Most carbanions arc strong reducing agents, while many electrophilic metals such as palladium(II) are readily reduced. Thus, oxidative coupling of the carbanion, with concomitant reduction of the metal, is often encountered when carbon nucleophiles arc studied. In addition, catalytic cycles invariably require reoxidation of the metal used to activate the alkene [usually palladium(II)]. Since carbanions are more readily oxidized than are the metals used, catalysis of alkene, diene and alkyne alkylation has rarely been achieved. Thus, virtually all of the reactions discussed below require stoichiometric quantities of the transition metal, and are practical only when the ease of the transformation or the value of the product overcomes the inherent cost of using large amounts of often expensive transition metals. 

As noted in the introduction, in contrast to attack by nucleophiles, attack of electrophiles on saturated alkene-, polyene- or polyenyl-metal complexes creates special problems in that normally unstable 16-electron, unsaturated species are formed. To be isolated, these species must be stabilized by intramolecular coordination or via intermolecular addition of a ligand. Nevertheless, as illustrated in this chapter, reactions of significant synthetic utility can be developed with attention to these points. It is likely that this area will see considerable development in the future. In addition to refinement of electrophilic reactions of metal-diene complexes, synthetic applications may evolve from the coupling of carbon electrophiles with electron-rich transition metal complexes of alkenes, alkynes and polyenes, as well as allyl- and dienyl-metal complexes. Sequential addition of electrophiles followed by nucleophiles is also viable to rapidly assemble complex structures. 

Metalametallations of alkenes and alkynes are useful methods for the construction of 1,2-dimetala-alkanes and 1,2-dimetala-l-alkenes, which react subsequently with suitable electrophiles to form substituted alkanes and alkenes. Metalametallation is carried out usually with bimetallic reagents of the type R Si-M R, or R Sn-M R in which M = B, Al, Mg, Cu, Zn, Si or Sn. Some metalametallations proceed without catalysts Cu, Ag and Pd compounds are good catalysts. The metalametallation with bimetallic compounds, such as Si-B, Si-Mg, Si-Al, Si-Zn, Si-Sn, Si-Si, Sn-Al or Sn—Sn bonds, catalysed by transition metal complexes, is explained by the oxidative addition of the bimetallic compounds to form 478, and insertion of alkene generates 479. Finally 1,2-dimetallic compounds 480 are formed by reductive elimination. Dimetallation of alkynes proceeds similarly to give 481. Dimetallation is syn addition. 

Instead of adding two hydrogen atoms to an alkynyl silane we could add H and SiMe3 to a simple alkyne by hydrosilylation (addition of hydrogen and silicon). This is a cis addition process catalysed by transition metals and leads to a tram (E-) vinyl silane. One of the best catalysts is chloroplatinic acid (H2PtCl6) as in this formation of the E-vinyl silane from phenylacetylene. In this case photochemical isomerization to the Z-isomer makes both available. Other than the need for catalysis, this reaction should remind you of the hydroboration reactions earlier in the chapter. The silicon atom is the electrophilic end of the Si-H bond and is transferred to the less substituted end of the alkyne. 

Intramolecular allylation of alkynes with allylsilanes is catalyzed by a variety of electrophilic transition metal halides and complexes (e.g. Pt(II), Pd(II), Ru(II), Au(III), and Ag(I)) (Scheme 10.196) [518]. Unlike the EtAlCl2- or HfCL,-catalyzed reaction, alkyriylaled allylsilanes are cyclized in an exo mode by these catalysts. The proposed reaction mechanism involves nucleophihc addition of an allylsilane to a metal-coordinated alkyne. 

The great majority of o-acetylide transition metal complexes are prepared by interaction of a metal halide with acetylide, RC C", or the formal oxidative addition of terminal alkynes or alkynyl stannanes to the metal center. As amply demonstrated in the previous section, alkynyliodonium salts may serve as electrophilic acetylene equivalents. In other words, transition metal complexes may act as nucleophiles in reactions with alkynyliodonium species. Indeed, the reaction [81] of the square planar Vaska s complex, 106, and its Rh analog, 107, with a variety of alkynyliodonium triflates in toluene results in 89-96% isolated yield of the hexa-coordinate o-acetylide complexes, 108 and 109 [Eq. (58)]. Reaction is essentially instantaneous and occurs with retention of stereochemistry around the metal center. 

The addition of transition metal alkyls to alkynes is less common and often less facile than the corresponding metal-hydride additions, although this reaction is probably k r to many metal-catalyzed alkyne polymerizations (see below). In one case where an alkyne adduct has been established, i.e., the reaction of L2PtClMe with electrophilic alkynes, cts-M—C addition is observed (Scheme 4-24) [94]. 

Transition metal compounds containing gold were once considered as being catalytically inert just in the past few years gold has emerged as a powerful homogeneous catalyst for the electrophilic activation of alkynes towards a variety of nucleophilic additions. 

Vinyl complexes are typically prepared by the same methods used to prepare aryl complexes. Vinyl mercury compounds, like aryl mercury compoimds, are easily prepared (by the mercuration of acetylenes), and are therefore useful for the preparation of vinyl transition metal complexes by transmetallation. The use of vinyl lithium reagents has permitted the s rnthesis of homoleptic vinyl complexes by transmetallation (Equation 3.35). Reactive low-valent transition metal complexes also form vinyl complexes by the oxidative addition of vinyl halides with retention of stereochemistry about the double bond (Equation 3.36). Vinyl complexes have also been formed by the insertion of alkynes into transition metal hydride bonds (Equation 3.37), by sequential electrophilic and nucleophilic addition to alkynyl ligands (Equation 3.38), and by the addition of nucleophiles to alkyne complexes (Equation 3.39). The insertion of alkynes into transition metal alkyl complexes is presented in Chapter 9 and, when rearrangements are slower than insertion, occurs by s)m addition. In contrast, nucleophilic attack on coordinated alkynes, presented in Chapter 11, generates products from anti addition. 

The transition metal-free addition of silylphosphines to styrenes, pyridines, and acrylates was promoted by a fluoride source (Scheme 4.17) [59]. The addition reaction occurred under extremely mild conditions and afforded moderate to excellent yields of the anti-Markovnikov addition prodnct. The reaction was proposed to proceed through initial formation of a phosphide anion that reacted with the alkenes through a phospha-Michael-type addition. The proton source for the generation of the final adduct was proposed to be adventitious moisture in the commercially available TBAF solution. While activated alkenes were quite amenable to this approach, unactivated alkenes were unresponsive. 2-Vmylpyridine was particularly reactive and was cleanly converted into the alkylphosphine (95%). While most of the substrates were terminal Michael acceptors, a number of internal alkenes as well as a tetrasubstituted alkene were converted into the alkylphosphines in moderate yields (Schane 4.18 and Example 4.17). The chemistry could be extended to terminal and internal alkynes, although a mixture of E- and Z-isomers were obtained with the EIZ> 1. Following this work, the authors were able take advantage of the need for another electrophile to complete the reaction and added an aldehyde to trap the intermediate carbanion [60]. This approach worked well and enabled the construction of gamma-hydroxyphosphonates in excellent yield (up to 88%). 

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