Tungsten-catalysed reactions

A method for the synthesis of eight-membered carbocycles based on a new tandem tungsten-catalysed cycloisomerization-cyclopropanation reaction has been reported (Scheme 99).143 This is a catalytic reaction in which a heteroatom-stabilized Fischer... 

Although it has been reported that the approach to equilibrium is accelerated in the light [1227], the thermal decomposition of COBr, is a wall-catalysed reaction [1227,1822], and the reaction is not now believed to be photocatalyzed [1821], In the modern study [569], equilibrium was established by heating either COBr or CO/Brj mixtures at 150-200 "C for between 20 and 4 days under the full illumination of a 150 W tungsten lamp, and product analysis (which also established the stoicheiometry of the decomposition of COBr j) was performed by gas chromatography ... 

The catalysis rests on the fact that W i is reduced rapidly by Ti M to Wv, which quickly reduces malachite green to the colorless leuco base. Consequently, this intermediate reaction catalysis involves two rapid partial reactions in which the catalyst (tungsten) participates. The summation of the partial reactions (1) and (2) gives the net catalysed reaction (3) in which the catalyst does not appear. 

Kitatani et al. found that tungsten(VI) chloride would catalyse the formation of a range of oxazoles from benzoyl(phenyl)diazomethane and nitriles (Scheme 17).<74TL1531, 77BCJ1647> The reaction with acetonitrile was studied with a range of other metal chlorides, but all proved less satisfactory than WCle. They attributed the catalytic nature of tungsten(Vl) chloride to both its Lewis acidity and the affinity of tungsten for carbenes. 

Initial reports of cross-metathesis reactions using well-defined catalysts were limited to simple isolated examples the metathesis of ethyl or methyl oleate with dec-5-ene catalysed by tungsten alkylidenes [13,14] and the cross-metathesis of unsaturated ethers catalysed by a chromium carbene complex [15]. With the discovery of the well-defined molybdenum and ruthenium alkylidene catalysts 3 and 4,by Schrock [16] and Grubbs [17],respectively, the development of alkene metathesis as a tool for organic synthesis began in earnest. 

The heat of formation of [MolCOlg] has been determined as -960 + 12 kJ mol by measuring its heat of decomposition. The Mossbauer parameters for the 100 keV transition of in [W(CO)g] and some tungsten(vi) complexes have been measured and discussed in terms of known bonding and structure. Secondary ions [M (CO) ] (M = Mo, m = I or 2 M = W, m = 1—4 n = 0—14) formed by ion-molecule reactions have been observed in the mass spectra of the hexacarbonyls. A mixt u re of [Cr(CO) ] and [MolCO) ] vapours affords [CrMo(CO) ] ( = 5—7). [MofCOl ] and [WICO) ] catalyse the condensation of isocyanates with aldehydes to give imines in high yields. ... 

Enyne intramolecular metathesis reactions, of the type shown in equation 61, can be very useful in organic synthesis. A number of such reactions, catalysed by tungsten or chromium carbene complexes, have been reported634,635,737 - 740. The ruthenium carbene catalysts 18-20 (Table 2) are likely to be increasingly used for this purpose because of their stability, ease of handling and good yields, as in the synthesis of various 5-, 6- and 7-membered heterocycles, e.g. equation 67741. 

The carbonyls of tungsten and molybdenum are made similarly, both sulphur and sulphides catalysing the reactions. 

Several years ago transition metal mediated reactions in the area of C-glycoside synthesis were primarily limited to palladium and to a lesser extent nickel and manganese. Over the last few years several other metals, including chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, cobalt, and rhodium, have been utilized in C-glycoside synthesis. This section discusses the chemistry of palladium, which is divided into Stille-type couplings and 7T-allyl complexes. This is followed by considerations of the chemistry of chromium and the above-listed metals. A review by Frappa and Sinou entitled Transition Metal Catalysed Fimctionalization at the Anomeric Center of Carbohydrates appeared in early 1997 [55]. 

A number of authors have reported successful alkyne metathesis reactions catalysed by either tungsten " molybdenum" complexes. 

All known molybdenum- and tungsten-containing enzymes catalyse reduction-oxidation reactions. The oxidation state of the metal centre can vary between iv, v and vi, hence one- and two-electron transfer reaction steps are possible. In Nature two different ways exist to control the catalytic power and the oxidation state of the metal centre of molybdenum enzymes. One is a mononuclear metal centre, which consists of sulfur and oxygen atoms as coordination sphere around molybdenum and the other is the multinuclear metal centre in which the molybdenum is part of an iron-sulfur cluster, which is only known for bacterial nitroge-nase enzymes. ... 

The possibilities of 1-methylcyclobutene as an isoprene equivalent have again attracted attention. Reaction of methylcyclobutene with -3-hexene catalysed by tungsten hexachloride and tetramethyltin gave the metathesis product (319) in ca. 25 % yield as a mixture of isomers. In a similar reaction with geraniol acetate, small amounts of farnesol acetate were detected. 

This review summarises the most interesting approaches in the polymerisation of alkynes and the ring opening metathesis polymerisation of cyclic olefins catalysed by seven-coordinate tungsten(II) and molybdenum(II) compounds. Special attention is given to the catalytically active intermediate compound formed in the reaction of the metal complex and the organic substrate (alkyne or cyclic olefin) and to the reaction mechanism. 

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