Vinyl chromium carbene

P. Quayle and co-workers utilized the Dotz benzannulation reaction for the synthesis of diterpenoid quinones." The authors developed a novel synthetic approach to 12-O-methyl royleanone using a simple vinyl chromium carbene complex along with a disubstituted oxygenated acetylene. The bicyclic hydrazone was converted to the corresponding vinyllithium derivative by the Shapiro reaction and then functionalized to give the desired crude Fischer chromium carbene complex. The benzannulation took place in refluxing THF with excellent regioselectivity, and the natural product was obtained in 37% overall yield from the hydrazone. 

Sulfur-stabilized ylides underwent photodriven reaction with chromium alkoxy-carbenes to produce 2-acyl vinyl ethers as E/Z mixtures with the E isomer predominating (Table 22) [ 121-123]. The reaction is thought to proceed by nucleophilic attack of the ylide carbon at the chromium carbene carbon followed by elimination of (CO)5CrSMe2. The same reaction occurred thermally, but at a reduced rate. Sulfilimines underwent a similar addition/elimination process to produce imidates or their hydrolysis products (Table 23) [ 124,125]. Again the reaction also proceeded thermally but much more slowly. Less basic sulfilimines having acyl or sulfonyl groups on nitrogen failed to react. 

Vinyl Fischer carbenes can be used as three-carbon components in Ni(0)-mediated and Rh(l)-catalyzed [3 + 2 + 21-reactions with alkynes (Schemes 48 and 49)142 and with allenes (Schemes 50 and 51).143 All three of the proposed mechanisms for the [3 + 2 + 2]-cycloadditions involve an initial carbene transfer from chromium to nickel or rhodium (Schemes 49, 52, and 53). As is seen from the products of the two [3 + 2 + 2]-reactions with 1,1-dimethylallene, although the nickel and rhodium carbenes 147G and 147K appear similar, the initial insertion of the allene occurs with opposite regioselectivity. 

Hegedus and co-workers8 reported the synthesis of (4S,5R)-4,5-diphenyl-3-vinyl-2-oxazolidinone (the enantiomer of the compound prepared here) via the chromium carbene complex in a fair yield. This is an interesting method, but the procedure is complicated (e.g., low temperature, argon atomsphere) and the chromium waste must be disposed of in an appropriate way. On the other hand, this procedure, consisting of transacetalization9 and pyrolysis,10 is simple and safe. Optically active 3-vinyl-2-oxazolidinone is also used for the synthesis of (1 R,2S)-2-fluorocyclopropylamine11a b that is the key intermediate for novel antibacterial quinolonecarboxylic acids. 

Cr(CO)3-coordinated hydroquinone from vinylic alkoxy pentacarbonyl chromium carbene (Fischer carbene) complex and alkynes. 

Insertion of the alkyne into the chromium carbene bond in intermediate B affords vinyl carbene complex D, in which the C=C double bond may be either (Z) or (E). A putative chromacydobutene intermediate resulting from a [2+2] cydoaddition of the alkyne across the metal-carbene bond on the way to chromium vinylcarbene D, as was sometimes suggested in early mechanistic discussions, has been characterized as a high energy spedes on the basis of theoretical calculations [9c]. Its formation and ring-opening cannot compete with the direct insertion path of the alkyne into the chromium-carbene bond. An example of an (E)-D alkyne insertion product has been isolated as the decarbonylation product of a tetracarbonyl chromahexatriene (4, Scheme 4) [14], and has been characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray analysis. 

Intramolecular insertion of carbon monoxide into the metal-carbene bond of the (Ej-isomer of D leads to the t/4-vinyl ketene complex intermediate E. Experimental support for this type of intermediate has been provided by the isolation of Cr( CO) 3-coordinated dienyl ketenes related to 5 (Scheme 4) [15a], and by trapping the vinyl ketene intermediates as vinyl lactone derivatives in the course of the reaction of chromium carbene complexes with 1-alkynols [15b]. 

Finally, the a,/ -unsaturated carbene complex may be generated in situ by alkyne insertion into a chromium-carbene bond of a saturated chromium carbene leading to a chromium vinyl carbene (equivalent to intermediate (f )-D in the mechanism of the benzannulation reaction, see Section 8.2.1, Scheme 3), which may undergo subsequent benzannulation with a second equivalent of the alkyne [43a]. This strategy was subsequently applied to the synthesis of (Z)-enediynes and related compounds [43b], and to that of substituted benzofurans (see also Section 8.5) [43c, 43d]. 

C-3 of the naphthalene nucleus that controls the electrophilic ring-closure of the vinyl ketene intermediate moreover, the degree of aromaticity of the angular rings in the phenanthrene skeleton exceeds that in the anthracene analogues. This regioselectivity observed in the benzannulation of chromium carbenes is paralleled by results observed for 2-naphthyl cyclo-butenones [77] and for the palladium-catalyzed cyclocarbonylation of 2-naphthyl allyl acetates [78]. 

To date, reports of linear benzannulation are very limited [55b, 79]. One example referred to the annulation of a 2-naphthohydroquinoid chromium carbene, which was employed in the synthesis of anthracycline (see Section 8.6.2) [79]. Later, a complementary approach in this area started from 2-naphthylcyclopropenes which, in the presence of hexacarbonyl-molybdenum, served as precursors for the vinyl ketenes required for linear annulation [55b],... 

DIELS-ALDER DIENOPHILES Bis(2,2,2-trichloroethyl) azodicarboxylate. 1-Bromo-2-chlorocyclopropene. Chromium carbene complexes. (R)-Ethyl p-tolysulfinyl-methylenepropionate.l (S)-a-Hydroxy-p,p-dimethylpropyl vinyl iketone. (IR)-m-3-Hydroxy isobomyl ndopentyl ether. Oxa-zolidones, chiral. Phdnylselenenyl ben-zenesulfonate. 

Generally, arene(alkoxy)carbene chromium complexes react with aryl-, alkyl-, terminal or internal alkynes in ethers or acetonitrile to yield 4-alkoxy-l-naphthols, with the more hindered substituent ortho to the hydroxyl group . Upon treatment with alkynes, aryl(dialkylamino)carbene chromium complexes do not yield aminonaphthols, but they form indene derivatives . Vinyl(dialkylamino)carbene complexes, however, react with alkynes to yield aminophenols as the main products The solvent is one of the many factors that affects this type of reaction, for which the most important is the polarity and/or coordinating ability of the solvent. The Dotz benzannulation reaction yields either arene chromium tricarbonyl complexes or the decomplexed phenols, depending on the work-up conditions. Oxidative work-up yields either decomplexed phenols or the corresponding quinones. 

The chromium complexes of alkoxy(styryl)carbenes frequently react with alkenes to give a mixture of products. Thus, pentacarbonyl[(4-methoxyphenyl)vinyl(methoxy)carbene] or [(2-... 

But-2-enedinitrile, 2-nitropropene, phenyl vinyl sulfoxide, styrene and but-2-enal do not form 1-methoxy-l -phenylcyclopropanes with the corresponding chromium-carbene complex. " On the other hand, methyl vinyl ketone gave a formal 1,4-adduct, which, due to its instability, was further transformed under acidic conditions. ... 

This method has been applied to the synthesis of taxodione and related diterpenes through cyclohexadienone annulations of a chromium-carbene complex which was prepared from a hindered vinyl triflate12lb (equation 99a). 

The reactions of chromium carbenes has received considerable attention. Such complexes appear to be useful to solve some tricky synthetic problems and have been applied to the stereospecific cyclo-propanation of unsaturated esters and ethers [96, 97], to vinyl type reactions with phosphonium ylides[98]. 

Aryl LXIV and vinyl LXV chromium carbene complexes are respectively implied in these synthesis as key intermediates ... 

Three component cyclization of an aromatic or vinylic alkoxy pentacarbonyl chromium carbene complex, an alkyne, and carbon monoxide, generating a Cr(CO)3 coordinated phenol ... 

A key driver for the development of the DBR has been the increased availability of the requisite chromium carbene. Fischer carbenes undergo a wide variety of useful reactions and a significant effort has been devoted to their synthesis. These carbenes undergo many of the same reactions as esters. The a-hydrogens in 13 are quite acidic, with a pKa of approximately 8, that allows for application of the Aldol condensation to form the vinyl-substituted carbene 14. Of course, alkynes insert into these carbenes to form new vinyl substituted carbenes 15. However, the absence of a heteroatom on the carbene center makes these poor substrates for the DBR. The classical route to Fischer carbenes is the Fischer route addition of an organolithium to hexacarbonyl chromium and alkylation with a hard electrophile. Hoye has also shown that alkyl iodides under phase-transfer conditions can be used to alkylate the lithium alkoxide. Thus reaction of vinyl lithium 16 provides the carbene 17 in 53% over two steps. 

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