Zirconocene dichlorides, catalyzed addition

The stereospecific construction of the trisubstituted double bond of the side chain at C-1 of carbazomadurins A (253) and B (254) was achieved using Negishi s zirconium-catalyzed carboalumination of alkynes 758 and 763, respectively. Reaction of 5-methyl-l-hexyne (758) with trimethylalane in the presence of zirconocene dichloride, followed by the addition of iodine, afforded the vinyl iodide 759 with the desired E-configuration of the double bond. Halogen-metal exchange with ferf-butyllithium, and reaction of the intermediate vinyllithium compound with tributyltin chloride, provided the vinylstannane 751a (603) (Scheme 5.79). 

The regio- and stereoselective zirconocene-catalyzed addition of alkylmagnesium halides to alkenes, a process which has been described previously (see Section 7.5.2, Scheme 7-79) was investigated with ethylene-l,2-bis( M,5,6,7-tetrahydroind-l-enyl)zirconium dichloride [(EBTHI)ZrCl2l) [118] as chiral zirconocene. Thus, treatment of the latter with alkylmagnesium halides leads to the formation of the derived zirconocene-alkene complex 88, characterized by NMR [119], which reacts with cyclic ethers or amines to lead to the corresponding homoallylic alcohol or amine, respectively, in > 95% ee and good overall yield [120] (Scheme 7-103). 

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