3,4-Unsaturated 1,5-diynes formation

In Section 9.2, intermolecular reactions of titanium—acetylene complexes with acetylenes, allenes, alkenes, and allylic compounds were discussed. This section describes the intramolecular coupling of bis-unsaturated compounds, including dienes, enynes, and diynes, as formulated in Eq. 9.49. As the titanium alkoxide is very inexpensive, the reactions in Eq. 9.49 represent one of the most economical methods for accomplishing the formation of metallacycles of this type [1,2]. Moreover, the titanium alkoxide based method enables several new synthetic transformations that are not viable by conventional metallocene-mediated methods. 

For a number of other pharmacologically active unsaturated compounds, it is assumed that a reactive allene is formed in situ by an alkyne isomerization [160] or an elimination reaction [161]. The prime example of the formation of such a highly reactive allene through chemical activation of an unsaturated precursor is the ene-diyne antibiotic neocarzinostatin (Scheme 18.57) [162],... 

Photodimerization of acetylene to give vinylacetylene (butenyne) and formation of polymers in the photolysis of alkynes generally are examples of photoaddition to alkynes. Photopolymerization of di- and poly-ynes has been studied, and for both conjugated diynes or triynes the polymerization process is a 1,4-addition reaction (equation 34). The products are highly unsaturated, and they tend to contain a high proportion of oxygen after exposure to the atmosphere. 

Transition-metal-catalyzed hetero-[2 + 2 + 2]-cy-cloaddition of alkynes with carbon—heteroatom multiple bonds, such as isocyanides, carbon dioxide, nitriles, aldehydes, and ketones, provides heteroare-nes and unsaturated heterocycles. This reaction can be categorized into two groups one is the reaction of l,a>-diynes 397 with carbon—heteroatom multiple bonds, and the other is reaction of the alkynes 399, having a carbon—heteroatom multiple bond with alkynes as illustrated in Scheme 127. The reaction of 1,6 -diynes 397 proceeds through formation of the metalacyclopentadiene intermediate 398 followed by insertion of a carbon—heteroatom multiple bond, such as heterocumulenes (route a),189 nitriles (route b),190 and carbonyls (route c).191 On the other hand, the... 

Ni-alkyne bonding consists of contributions from both the 77, 7t- and cr,diyl tautomers. This bonding picture helps visualize the insertion reactions with alkynes, alkenes, and CO that result in the formation of metallacycles. Thanks to such insertion reactions, Ni-alkyne species are active intermediates in a number of catalytic applications such as alkyne oligomerization, carbonylation, and insertion of heterocumulenes such as CS2 and GO2. For example, a recent example of a C02-fixation reaction involved the stoichiometric, alkylative or arylative carboxylation of alkynes to give a,(3- and / ,/ -unsaturated carboxylic acids. Ni(0)-alkyne complexes have also been used as pre-catalysts in the addition of hydrosilanes to alkynes. In most cases, monoalkynes react to give the products of m-addition, whereas diynes produce enynes (1,2-addition), allenes (1,4-addition), or 1,3-butadienes (1,2,3,4-addition). ... 

A possible mechanism for the formation of 272, its structural isomer 273, and small quantities of [Os3(CO)9(/x-CO)(/X3-r7 -PhG2G=GPh)] 229 is illustrated in Scheme 25. The first step involves the formation of an alkenyl intermediate, followed by an intramolecular cyclization process that leads to the formation of 272 and 273. An alternative pathway involves the coordination of the second hydride onto the coordinated ligand which results in the expulsion of an enyne and the further reaction of an unsaturated Os3(GO)io fragment with another diyne molecule to give 229. 

Abstract Electron-rich mthenium(II) catalysts of type (C5R5)XRuL are used to perform selective carbon-carbon bond formation by combination of simple substrates such as the coupling of functional alkynes and alkenes with a variety of unsaturated molecules (alkynes, diynes, alkenes, dienes) or non-unsaturated molecules such as alcohols or water, often with atom economy. Various selective transformations are developed and can provide access to high multifunctional molecules. These reactions often proceed via an initial oxidative coupling leading to a ruthenacycle intermediate. 

Addition of diazo compounds to metallic complexes allows the formation of metal carbenoid species which can react with unsaturated molecules to form new carbon-carbon bonds. The Cp RuCl(cod)-catalyzed addition of diazo compoimds to alkynes led to the selective synthesis of functional 1,3-dienes by the combination of two molecules of diazoaUcane and one molecule of alkyne [115,116] [Eqs. (53) and (54)]. The ruthenium carbene, generated from diazo compound, reacts with the C=C bond to produce vinylcarbene intermediate able to add a second molecule of diazo compotmd to generate dienes. The stereoselective formation of these conjugated dienes results from the selective creation of two C=C bonds, probably due to the possibility for (C5Me5)RuCl moiety to accomodate two cis carbene ligands. This reaction occurred with terminal or internal alkynes as well as 1,3-diynes [115] and was applied successfully to alkynylboronates [116]. 

Most of the general synthetic strategies overcome this limitation by using two components in the synthesis of alkynes (Scheme 2.2) [9]. Although the formation of metallocycles is limited by geometry and entropic component, this intermolecular concept works well for the construction of larger polycyclic systems from simple unsaturated precursors. The development of the intermolecular version of cyclotrimerization of triynes led to the use of a,w-diynes 2.7 as one... 

Cyclopentadienylcobalt complexes are also good for co-cyclotrimerization of alkynes with other unsaturated compounds containing the carbon-heteroatom double bonds, especially when they are part of the cumulene system such as isocyanates, diimides, and carbon dioxide. The reaction conditions are essentially the same as in the previously mentioned processes. However, the biggest problem remains the selectivity for the formation of heterocycles, because of the strong competition for the formation of benzene derivatives. Whereas co-cyclotrimerization of diimides and isocyanates results in the formation of reasonable yields of the corresponding heterocycles 170 and 171 (Scheme 75), in the case of carbon dioxide the yields are generally low [108, 109]. Recently, it has been shown that the ruthenium complex 106 is capable of efficient catalysis of co-cyclotrimerization of diynes and isocyanates [110] and isothiocyanates [111] under mild reaction conditions. 

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