Combined Effects of Metal and Ligand Capable of Accepting a Proton or Hydrogen Bond Catalyze Anti-Markovnikov Hydration of Terminal Alkynes

Autotandem Catalysis: Inexpensive and Green Access to Functionalized Ketones by Intermolecular Iron-Catalyzed Amidoalkynylation/Hydration Cascade Reaction via N-Acyliminium Ion Chemistry

Iron-based catalysts were applied in cascade-type reactions for the synthesis of different carbonyl compounds. The reactions proceeded by a new iron-catalyzed cascade of alkynylation/hydration by using both the σ- and π-Lewis acid properties of iron salts. The alkynylation reactions of several endo and exocyclic acetoxylactams were achieved with three different catalysts including FeCl 3 .6H 2 O, FeCl 3 , and Fe(OTf) 3 showing the efficiency of σ-Lewis acidity of iron (III) salts in catalyzing the alkynylation reaction. We also demonstrated that the reaction sequence could be shortened by the direct use of hydroxylactams, leading to an environmentally friendly protocol, avoiding the need to perform unnecessary lengthy steps. A combination of the hard/soft iron Lewis acid properties was then used to implement an unprecedented tandem intermolecular alkynylation/intramolecular hydration sequence allowing expedient access to a new carbonyl structures from trivial materials.

Hemilability-Driven Water Activation: A NiII Catalyst for Base-Free Hydration of Nitriles to Amides

The Ni^II complex 1 containing pyridyl- and hydroxy-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) is synthesized and its catalytic utility for the selective nitrile hydration to the corresponding amide under base-free conditions is evaluated. The title compound exploits a hemilabile pyridyl unit to interact with a catalytically relevant water molecule through hydrogen-bonding and promotes a nucleophilic water attack to the nitrile. A wide variety of nitriles is hydrated to the corresponding amides including the pharmaceutical drugs rufinamide, Rifater, and piracetam. Synthetically challenging α-hydroxyamides are accessed from cyanohydrins under neutral conditions. Related catalysts that lack the pyridyl unit (i.e., compounds 2 and 4) are not active whereas those containing both the pyridyl and the hydroxy or only the pyridyl pendant (i.e., compounds 1 and 3) show substantial activity. The linkage isomer 1' where the hydroxy group is bound to the metal instead of the pyridyl group was isolated under different crystallization conditions insinuating a ligand hemilabile behavior. Additional pK_a measurements reveal an accessible pyridyl unit under the catalytic conditions. Kinetic studies support a ligand-promoted nucleophilic water addition to a metal-bound nitrile group. This work reports a Ni-based catalyst that exhibits functional hemilability for hydration chemistry.

A Sequential Homologation of Alkynes and Aldehydes for Chain Elongation with Optional (13)C-Labeling

Terminal alkynes (RCCH) are homologated by a sequence of ruthenium-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydration of alkyne to aldehyde (RCH2CHO), followed by Bestmann-Ohira alkynylation of aldehyde to chain-elongated alkyne (RCH2CCH). Inverting the sequence by starting from aldehyde brings about the reciprocal homologation of aldehydes instead. The use of (13)C-labeled Bestmann-Ohira reagent (dimethyl ((1-(13)C)-1-diazo-2-oxopropyl)phosphonate) for alkynylation provides straightforward access to singly or, through additional homologation, multiply (13) C-labeled alkynes. The labeled alkynes serve as synthetic platform for accessing a multitude of specifically (13)C-labeled products. Terminal alkynes with one or two (13)C-labels in the alkyne unit have been submitted to alkyne-azide click reactions; the copper-catalyzed version (CuAAC) was found to display a regioselectivity of >50,000:1 for the 1,4- over the 1,5-triazine isomer, as shown analytically by (13)C NMR spectroscopy.

Computational study of the mechanism and selectivity of ruthenium-catalyzed hydroamidations of terminal alkynes

Density functional theory calculations were performed to elucidate the mechanism of the ruthenium-catalyzed hydroamidation of terminal alkynes, a powerful and sustainable method for the stereoselective synthesis of enamides. The results provide an explanation for the puzzling experimental finding that with tri-n-butylphosphine (P(Bu)3) as the ligand, the E-configured enamides are obtained, whereas the stereoselectivity is inverted in favor of the Z-configured enamides with (dicyclohexylphosphino)methane (dcypm) ligands. Using the addition of pyrrolidinone to 1-hexyne as a model reaction, various pathways were investigated, among which a catalytic cycle turned out to be most advantageous for both ligand systems that consists of: (a) oxidative addition, (b) alkyne coordination, (c) alkyne insertion (d) vinyl-vinylidene rearrangement, (e) nucleophilic transfer and finally (f) reductive elimination. The stereoselectivity of the reaction is decided in the nucleophilic transfer step. For the P( n Bu)3 ligand, the butyl moiety is oriented anti to the incoming 2-pyrolidinyl unit during the nucleophilic transfer step, whereas for the dcypm ligand, steric repulsion between the butyl and cyclohexyl groups turns it into a syn orientation. Overall, the formation of E-configured product is favorable by 4.8 kcal mol-1 (Δ‡GSDL) for the catalytic cycle computed with P(Bu)3 as ancillary ligand, whereas for the catalytic cycle computed with dcypm ligands, the Z-product is favored by 7.0 kcal mol-1 (Δ‡GSDL). These calculations are in excellent agreement with experimental findings.

Reactivity studies of iridium pyridylidenes [Tp(Me2)Ir(C(6)H(5))(2)(C(CH)(3)C(R)NH] (R=H, Me, Ph)

The reactivity of a series of iridiumpyridylidene complexes with the formula [Tp(Me2) Ir(C6 H5 )2 (C(CH)3 C(R)NH] (1 a-1 c) towards a variety of substrates, from small molecules, such as H2 , O2 , carbon oxides, and formaldehyde, to alkenes and alkynes, is described. Most of the observed reactivity is best explained by invoking 16 e(-) unsaturated [Tp(Me2) Ir(phenyl)(pyridyl)] intermediates, which behave as internal frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs). H2 is heterolytically split to give hydridepyridylidene complexes, whilst CO, CO2 , and H2 CO provide carbonyl, carbonate, and alkoxide species, respectively. Ethylene and propene form five-membered metallacycles with an IrCH2 CH(R)N (R=H, Me) motif, whereas, in contrast, acetylene affords four-membered iridacycles with the IrC(CH2 )N moiety. C6 H5 (CO)H and C6 H5 CCH react with formation of IrC6 H5 and IrCCPh bonds and the concomitant elimination of a molecule of pyridine and benzene, respectively. Finally the reactivity of compounds 1 a-1 c against O2 is described. Density functional theory calculations that provide theoretical support for these experimental observations are also reported.

The AZARYPHOS family of ligands for ambifunctional catalysis: syntheses and use in ruthenium-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydration of terminal alkynes

The family of AZARYPHOS (aza-aryl-phosphane) phosphane ligands, containing a phosphine unit and sterically shielded nitrogen lone pairs in the ligand periphery, is introduced as a tool for developing ambifunctional catalysis by the metal center and nitrogen lone pairs in the ligand sphere. General synthetic strategies have been developed to synthesize over 25 examples of structurally diverse (6-aryl-2-pyridyl)phosphanes (ARPYPHOS), (6-alkyl-2-pyridyl)phosphanes (ALPYPHOS), 4,6-disubsituted 1,3-diazin-2-ylphosphanes or 1,3,5-triazin-2-ylphosphanes, quinazolinylphosphanes, quinolinylphosphanes, and others. The scalable syntheses proceed in a few steps. The incorporation of AZARYPHOS ligands (L) into complexes [RuCp(L)(2)(MeCN)][PF(6)] (Cp = cyclopentadienyl) gives catalysts for the anti-Markovnikov hydration of terminal alkynes of the highest known activities. Electronic and steric ligand effects modulate the reaction kinetics over a range of two orders of magnitude. These results highlight the importance of using structurally diverse ligand families in the process of developing cooperative ambifunctional catalysis by a metal and its ligand.

Metal vinylidenes as catalytic species in organic reactions

Organic vinylidene species have found limited use in organic synthesis owing to their inaccessibility. In contrast, metal vinylidenes are much more stable and may be readily accessed through transition-metal activation of terminal alkynes. These electrophilic species may be trapped by a number of nucleophiles. Additionally, metal vinylidenes can participate in pericyclic reactions and processes that involve migration of a metal ligand to the vinylidene species. This Focus Review addresses the reactions and applications of metal vinylidenes in organic synthesis.

Syntheses of Four-Membered Metallacyclic Complexes with Nitrosylruthenium and Their Ring-Opening upon HCl Addition

Symmetrically disubstituted bis(3-hydroxyalkynyl) complex [TpRu{C[triple chemical bond]CCPh(2)(OH)}(2)(NO)] (1) (Tp = BH(pyrazol-1-yl)(3)) and unsymmetrically mixed (arylalkynyl)(3-hydroxyalkynyl) congener [TpRu(C[triple chemical bond]CC(6)H(4)Me){C[triple chemical bond]CCPh(2)(OH)}(NO)] (2) were newly prepared. Treatment of 1 or 2 with p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate was carried out to give unusual four-membered metallacyclic complexes [TpRu{C(=C=CPh(2))C(O)C(=CPh(2))}(NO)] (3) and [TpRu{C(=C=CPh(2))C(O)CH(C(6)H(4)Me)}(NO)] (5), respectively, as major products. Formation mechanism of 3 and 5 would involve insertion of the generated allenylidene group (Ru=C=C=CPh(2)) into the other Ru--C(alkynyl) bond, followed by hydration of the resulting alpha-alkynyl--allenyl fragment. With regards to the chemical reactivity of their four-membered metallacycles, treatment with aq. HCl in MeOH afforded the ring-opened one-HCl adducts, [TpRuCl{C(=C=CPh(2))C(O)CH=CPh(2)}(NO)] (7) and [TpRuCl{C(=C=CPh(2))C(O)CH(2)(C(6)H(4)Me)}(NO)] (8). On the other hand, the use of CH(2)Cl(2) and THF as the reaction solvent gave another type of one-HCl adducts [TpRu{CH(C(Cl)=CPh(2))C(O)C(==CPh(2))}(NO)] (9 a/9 b) and [TpRu{CH(C(Cl)=CPh(2))C(O)CH(C(6)H(4)Me)}(NO)] (11 a/11 b) as diastereomeric pairs, still retaining the four-membered ring structure. Moreover, their kinetically controlled products 9 b and 11 b were treated with aq. HCl to afford the ring-opened two-HCl adducts [TpRuCl{C(C(Cl)=CPh(2))(H)C(O)CH=CPh(2)}(NO)] (10) and [TpRuCl{CH(C(6)H(4)Me)C(O)CH(2)(C(Cl)=CPh(2))}(NO)] (12), respectively. In 10 and 12, each one Ru--C bond is cleaved at mutually different positions in the ring. Protonation on the carbonyl group would trigger the formation of 7-12.

Metal Vinylidenes and Allenylidenes in Catalysis: Applications in Anti-Markovnikov Additions to Terminal Alkynes and Alkene Metathesis

The involvement of a catalytic metal vinylidene species was proposed for the first time in 1986 to explain the regioselective formation of vinyl carbamates directly from terminal alkynes, carbon dioxide, and amines. Since this initial report, various metal vinylidenes and allenylidenes, which are key activation intermediates, have proved extremely useful for many alkyne transformations. They have contributed to the rational design of new catalytic reactions. This 20th anniversary is a suitable occasion to present the advancement of organometallic vinylidenes and allenylidenes in catalysis.

Bifunctional Organometallic Catalysts Involving Proton Transfer or Hydrogen Bonding

Inspired by the cooperativity displayed by metalloenzymes, bifunctional organometallic complexes featuring pendant basic functional groups are designed and evaluated as catalysts in reactions for which enzymes are not suited. Anti-Markovnikov hydration of terminal alkynes is the focus, as are hydrogen bonding and proton transfer facilitated by the pendant groups.