Rhenium oxo complexes in catalytic oxidations

Spectroscopic and Thermal-Gravimetric Investigation of two New Rhenium (V) Ionic Liquid Complexes

Rhenium (V) ionic liquids of formula [BzEt3N][ReOCl3 (MBT)(tri)] and [Et3N][ReOCl3(amino)] (BzEt3N= benzyltriethyl-ammonuim, Et3N=triethylammonium, MBT=mercaptobenzothiazole, Tri=1, 2, 4-triazole and amino= amino thiazole) were synthesised by reaction between [BzEt3N][ReOCl4] and [Et3N][ReOCl4] precursors and free ligands, in the presence of triethylamine. These ionic liquid complexes have been characterised by elemental analysis, spectroscopy (IR, 1H–13C NMR, MS) and thermogravimetric studies. Geometry optimisation of [Et3N][ReOCl3(amino)] has been carried out using DFT and the predicted IR spectrum of the geometrically-optimised structure shows good agreement with experimental values.

Methyltrioxorhenium catalysis in nonconventional solvents: a great catalyst in a safe reaction medium

The requirement that chemical processes are sustainable, reflected in waste reduction and the use of safe reagents and reaction conditions, is becoming even more stringent as a result of pressure by society and governments to preserve the environment and protect human health. Catalysis offers numerous benefits related to green chemistry, including lowered energetic reaction requirements; catalytic, rather than stoichiometric, amounts of materials; increased selectivity; lowered consumption of processing and separation agents; and, in many cases, the use of less-toxic compounds. Our research group has for a long time been studying methyltrioxorhenium in the oxyfunctionalization of different substrates, by using H(2)O(2) or its urea-hydrogen peroxide complex as the primary oxidant. In this Review paper we aim to provide a full literature account on the catalytic activity and selectivity of methyltrioxorhenium in the oxyfunctionalization reaction, either in nonconventional solvents or under solvent-free conditions, with a particular emphasis on the use of ionic liquids as green reaction media.

One-pot synthesis of nitrones from primary amines and aldehydes catalyzed by methyltrioxorhenium

One-pot condensation/oxidation of primary amines and aldehydes using urea-hydrogen peroxide (UHP) as the stoichiometric oxidant in the presence of methyltrioxorhenium (MTO) as catalyst affords nitrones in a simple and regioselective manner. UHP is a practical and safe source of H2O2, and its use here instead of aqueous H2O2 solutions also simplifies greatly the workup procedure as extractions with organic solvents can be avoided. Typically, at the end of the reaction the solid urea is simply filtered off. From a sustainability point of view, this one-pot synthesis is simple to perform, takes place under mild conditions, has a high atom economy, and releases water as the only by-product.

Computational study on the reaction mechanism of hydrosilylation of carbonyls catalyzed by high-valent rhenium(V)-di-oxo complexes

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed to elucidate the reaction mechanism of hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds catalyzed by high-valent rhenium(V)-di-oxo complexes ReO2I(PR3)2 (R = Me, Ph). The calculations suggest that the most favorable mechanism involves the rate-determining dissociative [2 + 2] addition of the Si-H bond across a Re=O bond to form a Re(V) hydrido siloxy intermediate; this is followed by carbonyl coordination, reduction of the carbonyl, rearrangement, and final intramolecular nucleophilic attack from the alkoxy group to the silyl center (dissociative retro-[2 + 2] addition). It was also found that the additional oxo ligand in the ReO2I(PR3)2 complexes promotes the [2 + 2] addition across the rhenium-oxo bond both kinetically and thermodynamically, as compared to the neutral rhenium(V)-mono-oxo complex ReOCl3(PMe3)2. The effect of different silanes on the [2 + 2] addition barriers is also studied.

Catalyzing aldehyde hydrosilylation with a molybdenum(VI) complex: a density functional theory study

[MoCl(2)O(2)] catalyzes the hydrosilylation reaction of aldehydes and ketones, as well as the reduction of other related groups, in apparent contrast to its known behavior as an oxidation catalyst. In this work, the mechanism of this reaction is studied by means of density functional theory calculations using the B3LYP functional complemented by experimental data. We found that the most favorable pathway to the first step, the Si--H activation, is a [2+2] addition to the Mo=O bond, in agreement with previous and related work. The stable intermediate that results is a distorted-square-pyramidal hydride complex. In the following step, the aldehyde approaches this species and coordinates weakly through the oxygen atom. Two alternative pathways can be envisaged: the classical reduction, in which a hydrogen atom migrates to the carbon atom to form an alkoxide, which then proceeds to generate the final silyl ether, or a concerted mechanism involving migration of a hydrogen atom to a carbon atom and of a silyl group to an oxygen atom to generate the silyl ether weakly bound to the molybdenum atom. In this Mo(VI) system, the gas-phase free energies of activation for both approaches are very similar, but if solvent effects are taken into account and HSiMe(3) is used as a source of silicon, the classical mechanism is favored. Several unexpected results led us to search for still another route, namely a radical path. The energy involved in this and the classical pathway are similar, which suggests that hydrosilylation of aldehydes and ketones catalyzed by [MoCl(2)O(2)] in acetonitrile may follow a radical pathway, in agreement with experimental results.

Synthesis of Cationic Rhenium(VII) Oxo Imido Complexes and Their Tunability Towards Oxygen Atom Transfer

A facile method is described for the synthesis of cationic Re(VII) cis oxo imido complexes of the form [Re(O)(NAr)(salpd)+] (salpd = N,N'-propane-1,3-diylbis(salicylideneimine)), 4, [Re(O)(NAr)(saldach)+] (saldach = N,N'-cyclohexane-1,3-diylbis(salicylideneimine)), 5, and [Re(O)(NAr)(hoz)2+] (hoz = 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)-2-oxazoline) (Ar = 2,4,6,-(Me)C(6)H(2); 4-(OMe)C(6)H(4); 4-(Me)C(6)H(4); 4-(CF3)C6H4; 4-MeC(6)H(4)SO(2)), 6, from the reaction of oxorhenium(V) [(L)Re(O)(Solv)+] (1-3) and aryl azides under ambient conditions. Unlike previously reported cationic Re(VII) dioxo complexes, these cationic oxo imido complexes can be obtained on a preparative scale, and an X-ray crystal structure of [Re(O)(NMes)(saldach)+], 5a, has been obtained. Despite the multiple stereoisomers that could arise from tetradentate ligation of salen ligands to rhenium, one major isomer is observed and isolated in each instant. The electronic rationalization for stereoselectivity is discussed. Investigation of the mechanism suggests that the reactions of Re(V) with aryl azides proceed through an azido adduct similar to the group 5 complexes of Bergman and Cummins. Treatment of the cationic oxo imido complexes with a reductant (PAr(3), PhSMe, or PhSH) results in oxygen atom transfer (OAT) and the formation of cationic Re(V) imido complexes. [(salpd)Re(NMes)(PPh(3))(+)] (7) and [(hoz)2Re(NAr)(PPh(3))(+)] (Ar = m-OMe phenyl) (9) have been isolated on a preparative scale and fully characterized including an X-ray single-crystal structure of 7. The kinetics of OAT, monitored by stopped-flow spectroscopy, has revealed rate saturation for substrate dependences. The different plateau values for different oxygen acceptors (Y) provide direct support for a previously suggested mechanism in which the reductant forms a prior-equilibrium adduct with the rhenium oxo (ReVII = O<--Y). The second-order rate constants of OAT, which span more than 3 orders of magnitude for a given substrate, are significantly affected by the electronics of the imido ancillary ligand with electron-withdrawing imidos being most effective. However, the rate constant for the most active oxo imido rhenium(VII) is 2 orders of magnitude slower than that observed for the known cationic dioxo Re(VII) [(hoz)2Re(O)(2)(+)].

An efficient and stereoselective dearylation of asarinin and sesamin tetrahydrofurofuran lignans to acuminatolide by methyltrioxorhenium/H(2)O(2) and UHP systems

The synthesis of stereoisomers of acuminatolide is rare and requires complex and time-consuming multistep procedures. Asarinin (1) and sesamin (2), two diasteromeric tetrahydrofurofuran lignans, are efficiently mono-dearylated by methyltrioxorhenium (MTO, I) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or urea hydrogen peroxide adduct (UHP) as primary oxidant to give (-)-(7R,8'R,8R)-acuminatolide (3A) and (+)-(7S,8R,8'R)-acuminatolide (3B), respectively, in high yield and diastereoselectivity (de >98%). The oxidation of 1 was also performed with novel heterogeneous catalysts based on the heterogenation of MTO on poly(4-vinylpyridine) and polystyrene resins. In these latter cases 3A was obtained with a different yield and selectivity depending on the physical-chemical properties of the support. Cytotoxic effects of 3A and 3B in mammalian cell lines in vitro are also reported.

An improved methyltrioxorhenium-catalyzed epoxidation of alkenes with hydrogen peroxide

Methyltrioxorhenium (MTO)-catalyzed epoxidation of alkenes with H(2)O(2) has been significantly improved by using 3-methylpyrazole as an additive. A system consisting of 35% H(2)O(2) and MTO-3-methylpyrazole in CH(2)Cl(2) catalyzes the epoxidation of various alkenes in excellent yields. The catalytic activity of MTO-3-methylpyrazole surpasses MTO-pyrazole and MTO-pyridine catalysts. Quantitative yields of epoxides from cyclic and internal alkenes were obtained with only 0.05-0.1 mol% of MTO in the presence of 10 mol% of 3-methylpyrazole.

Immobilized methyltrioxo rhenium (MTO)/H2O2 systems for the oxidation of lignin and lignin model compounds

A convenient and efficient application of heterogeneous methylrhenium trioxide (MTO) systems for the selective oxidation of lignin model compounds and lignins is reported. Environmental friendly and low-cost H2O2 was used as the oxygen atom donor. Overall, the data presented and discussed in this paper point toward the conclusion that the immobilized heterogeneous catalytic systems based on H2O2/and MTO catalysts are able to extensively oxidize both phenolic and non-phenolic, monomeric, and dimeric, lignin model compounds. Condensed diphenylmethane models were found also extensively oxidized. Technical lignins, such as hydrolytic sugar cane lignin (SCL) and red spruce kraft lignin (RSL), displayed oxidative activity with immobilized MTO catalytic systems. After oxidation, these lignins displayed the formation of more soluble lignin fragments with a high degree of degradation as indicated by the lower contents of aliphatic and condensed OH groups, and the higher amounts of carboxylic acid moieties. Our data indicate that immobilized MTO catalytic systems are significant potential candidates for the development of alternative totally chlorine-free delignification processes and environmental sustainable lignin selective modification reactions.

Facile Functionalization of a Metal Carbon Bond by O-Atom Transfer

The facile conversion of M-R to M-OR that could be useful for the functionalization of electron-rich metal alkyl intermediates is shown to proceed via a Baeyer-Villiger-type pathway involving a nonredox, electrophilic, O-atom insertion in reactions with non-peroxo O-donors.