Vinyl nickel species

The mechanism of [3 + 2] reductive cycloadditions clearly is more complex than other aldehyde/alkyne couplings since additional bonds are formed in the process. The catalytic reductive [3 + 2] cycloaddition process likely proceeds via the intermediacy of metallacycle 29, followed by enolate protonation to afford vinyl nickel species 30, alkenyl addition to the aldehyde to afford nickel alkoxide 31, and reduction of the Ni(II) alkoxide 31 back to the catalytically active Ni(0) species by Et3B (Scheme 23). In an intramolecular case, metallacycle 29 was isolated, fully characterized, and illustrated to undergo [3 + 2] reductive cycloaddition upon exposure to methanol [45]. Related pathways have recently been described involving cobalt-catalyzed reductive cyclo additions of enones and allenes [46], suggesting that this novel mechanism may be general for a variety of metals and substrate combinations. 

Two other Ni(CO)4 substitutes, Ni(CO)3PPh3 and Ni(COD)2/dppe, prove to be appropriate for the catalysis of tandem metallo-ene/carbonylation reactions of allylic iodides (Scheme 7)399. This process features initial oxidative addition to the alkyl iodide, followed by a metallo-ene reaction with an appropriately substituted double or triple bond, affording an alkyl or vinyl nickel species. This organonickel species may then either alkoxycar-bonylate or carbonylate and undergo a second cyclization on the pendant alkene to give 51, which then alkoxycarbonylates. The choice of nickel catalyst and use of diene versus enyne influences whether mono- or biscyclization predominates (equations 200 and 201). 

Such similarity can be explained by the presence of vinyl nickel species 34 as a common intermediate in both processes (Scheme 8.40). The direct role of the Lewis acid is unclear, although disruption of a nickel-oxygen interaction in intermediate 34 via Lewis acid coordination to oxygen, as depicted in 35, may facilitate H2 extrusion. 

A plausible mechanism accounting for the catalytic role of nickel(n) chloride has been advanced (see Scheme 4).10 The process may be initiated by reduction of nickel(n) chloride to nickel(o) by two equivalents of chromium(n) chloride, followed by oxidative addition of the vinyl iodide (or related substrate) to give a vinyl nickel(n) reagent. The latter species may then undergo transmetala-tion with a chromium(m) salt leading to a vinyl chromium(m) reagent which then reacts with the aldehyde. The nickel(n) produced in the oxidative addition step reenters the catalytic cycle. 

A variety of alternate methods for the reductive coupling of aldehydes and alkynes have been developed. A number of important hydrometallative strategies have been developed, although most of these methods require the stoichiometric formation of a vinyl metal species or metallacycle. A very attractive hydrogenative coupling method has recently been developed, and its scope is largely complementary to the nickel-catalyzed methods. A very brief overview of these methods is provided below. 

Vinylphosphonates are useful reagents but simple vinyl halides do not undergo the Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction except in the presence of a transition metal catalyst [Ni(II) or Cu(I), cf. Protocol 4] so vinylphosphonates are usually synthesized from other functionalized phosphonates or by the palladium-catalysed Michaelis-Becker reaction (cf. Protocol 8).38 Similarly, simple aryl halides undergo the Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction only under special conditions palladium or nickel species (Protocol 4) are suitable catalysts. Indeed these and other catalysts have been applied to the Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction of various substrates, though they are generally essential only with vinyl and aryl halides, as described herein.39... 

A commonly proposed mechanism of the standard NHK protocol involves reduction of Ni(II) to Ni(0) by CrC, then oxidative addition of Ni(0) to the alkenyl iodide to generate an alkenyl Ni(II) species (Scheme 3-69). Transmetallation to CrCls (from the initial nickel reduction step) produces a Cr(III) alkenyl species, which undergoes direct addition to the aldehyde to generate product. Alternatively, alkenyl transfer from a vinyl nickel(II) species to CrCb may instead occur with release of the Cr(III) alkenyl species and a Ni(I) species. 

In Scheme 3, two general mechanistic pathways that may be operative for the Ni-catalyzed coupling of 1,3-enynes with carboxaldehydes are depicted. The first pathway involves a prior oxidative addition of Ni(0) to the reductant M R leading to a metal hydride or a metal alkyl species A. The reactive catalyst A may proceed by sequential insertion into the alkyne bond and the carbonyl bond of the electrophile to the formation of the polysubstituted 2,4-dienol 5 via vinyl nickel 4. 

The synthesis of 2-vinylindoles continues to be of interest due to the vast potential of these species for further chemical elaboration. In developing a strategy for carbazole synthesis, a Michael-type addition of 4,7-dihydroindole to dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate was employed to afford, after DDQ oxidation, functionalized 2-vinylindoles <06JOC7793>. In a metal-mediated approach, Nakao, Hiyama, and co-workers prepared propyl-substituted 2-vinylindoles from A-protected 3-cyanoindoles via treatment with 4-octyne in the presence of catalytic nickel <06JACS8146>. Aryl, vinyl, and alkynyl substituents were installed by direct coupling with an A-protected 2-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxyindole, prepared from oxindole <06S299>. 

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