Zirconium 1,1-bimetallic reagents

Zinc and zirconium 1,1-bimetallic reagents 4.104, prepared by the hydrozirconation of alkenylzinc halides 4.103, react with carbonyl compounds to produce alkenes with high R-stereoselectivity (Scheme 4.51). Ketones give an E/Z mixture of stereoisomers . 

Scheme 4.51. Formation of zinc and zirconium 1,1-bimetalic reagents and their reaction with aldehydes.

Treatment of alkylidene-bridged zirconium—aluminum species with HMPA activates the C—A1 bond of the alkylidene unit, making it susceptible to electrophilic attack [146]. Ligand-based activation of the C—A1 bond can also be used to convert alkylidene-bridged zirconium-aluminum reagents to other bimetallic species. Thus, treatment of 3 with HMPA followed by addition of a weakly electrophilic metal salt can give rise to a new heterome-tallic species. Slow addition of a solution of R3SnCl in toluene to a solution of 3 and 1... 

The impetus for the development of gem-bimetallics was initially to discover alkylidene-transfer reagents akin to Tebbe s reagent [14]. Schwartz prepared bimetallic aluminum—zirconocene derivatives by the hydrometallation of various vinyl metallic compounds [15—17]. Knochel has developed zinc—zirconium gem-bimetallics by hydrozircona-tion of vinylzincs and has used them as alkylidene-transfer reagents [18], More recently, other gem-bimetallics have been developed that exhibit different reactivities of the two carbon—metal bonds. Thus, Normant and Marek have reported the allylmetallation of vinyl metals to afford zinc—magnesium and zinc—lithium gem-bimetallics, which react selectively with various electrophiles such as ClSnBu3, H20, etc. [19, and references cited therein]. However, selective and sequential cleavage of the two carbon—metal bonds... 

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