Synthesis and applications of tricarbonyliron complexes of dendralenes

Reductive Metallation of Dendralenes and Myrcene Using Dimagnesium(I) Compounds: A Facile Route to Unsaturated Organomagnesium Compounds

The two-electron reduction of 2,3-dimethylbuta-1,3-diene (DMB) with β-diketiminate and guanidinate substituted dimagnesium(I) compounds has given complexes in which two bidentate amido-magnesium fragments are bridged through the π-system of the DMB dianion, viz. [(LMg)2 (μ-DMB)] (L=Xyl Nacnac, [HC(MeCNXyl)2 ]- , Xyl=2,6-xylyl; or Priso=[(DipN)2 CNPri 2 ]- , Dip=2,6-diisopropylphenyl). Similar double reductions of [4]dendralene (4dend) have afforded the complexes, [(LMg)2 (μ-4dend)] (L=Ar Nacnac, Ar=Xyl or mesityl (Mes); or Priso) in which the 4dend dianion is π-coordinated to the bidentate amido-magnesium fragments. Treatment of several such complexes with THF leads to Z- to E-isomerization of the dendralene fragment, and formation of purely σ-bonded Mg-C interactions in the THF coordinated products [{(Ar Nacnac)(THF)Mg}2 (μ-4dend)] (Ar=Xyl, Mes or Dip). Reaction of myrcene (Myr) with [{(Xyl Nacnac)Mg}2 ] proceeds via reductive coupling of Myr to give a previously unknown acyclic, branched C20 tetra-olefin dianion complex [{(Xyl Nacnac)(THF)Mg}2 (μ-Myr)2 ]. Preliminary reactions of [(LMg)2 (μ-DMB)] with H2 and/or CO yielded a series of products, including novel magnesium hydride compounds, products derived from couplings of CO with the reduced DMB fragment (viz. magnesium dimethylcyclohexadienediolates), and one magnesium cyclopropanetriolate complex from the magnesium(I) induced coupling of DMB with H2 and CO.

[n]Dendralenes as a Platform for Selective Catalysis: Ligand-Controlled Cu-Catalyzed Chemo-, Regio-, and Enantioselective Borylations

We report the development of two complementary methods for the Cu-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov borylation of one specific olefin in 2-substituted [n]dendralenes (n = 3-6). The first protocol operates with a bisphosphine ligand and occurs with high regio- and chemoselectivity for the terminal double bond, independently of the number of cross-conjugated alkenes. We show that the use of a chiral phosphanamine ligand enables the highly chemo-, regio-, and enantioselective borylation of the alkene cross-conjugated with the terminal olefin in [n]dendralenes.

Copper-catalyzed protoboration of borylated dendralenes: a regio- and stereoselective access to functionalized 1,3-dienes

A copper-catalyzed protoboration of borylated dendralenes is reported. The method employs an NHC-Cu catalyst and provides access to 1,4-addition products with excellent levels of chemo-, regio- and stereoselectivity. The resulting diene bis(boronates) are oxidized to the corresponding diene diols which are synthetically versatile building blocks.

Synthesis of Cross-Conjugated Polyenes via Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidative C-C Bond Forming Cascade Reactions of Allenes

An efficient palladium-catalyzed oxidative C-C bond forming cascade reaction of allenes involving a coupling between an enallene and an allenyne followed by a carbocyclization of the generated Pd-intermediate was developed. This cascade reaction afforded functionalized cross-conjugated polyenes. The enallene is initially activated by palladium and reacts with the allenyne to give the cross-conjugated polyenes.

Discovery and Computational Rationalization of Diminishing Alternation in [n]Dendralenes

The [n]dendralenes are a family of acyclic hydrocarbons which, by virtue of their ability to rapidly generate structural complexity, have attracted significant recent synthetic attention. [3]Dendralene through [8]dendralene have been previously prepared but no higher member of the family has been reported to date. Here, we describe the first chemical syntheses of the "higher" dendralenes, [9]dendralene through [12]dendralene. We also report a detailed investigation into the spectroscopic properties and chemical reactivity of the complete family of fundamental hydrocarbons, [3]dendralene to [12]dendralene. These studies reveal the first case of diminishing alternation in behavior in a series of related structures. We also report a comprehensive series of computational studies, which trace this dampening oscillatory effect in both spectroscopic measurements and chemical reactivity to conformational preferences.

Preparation and synthetic value of π-bond-rich branched hydrocarbons

The two simplest branched acyclic structures comprising only conjugated C═C units, namely, [3]dendralene (3-methylene-1,4-pentadiene) and [4]dendralene (3,4-dimethylene-1,5-hexadiene), were first reported in 1955 and 1962, respectively. No higher members of the series were described in the literature until 2000. This Account describes the modern phase of dendralene chemistry, driven to a large extent by research performed within the author's group. The first synthesis of the parent dendralene family allowed access to the hydrocarbons in batches of up to 5 mg. The synthetic approach took into account the prevailing dogma of the time, specifically that these compounds would be very reactive species and hence difficult to handle in the laboratory. As such, a route involving the cheleotropic elimination of SO2 from stable, and generally insoluble, 3-sulfolene-masked precursors was devised. Our second-generation approach was of significantly higher value in preparative terms, allowing the syntheses of the first six members of the unsubstituted [n]dendralenes (i.e., n = 3-8) directly, on scales of hundreds of milligrams to decagrams, using commercially available precursors and standard laboratory equipment and methods. This work demonstrated that the assumed high reactivity and instability this family of compounds was erroneous and ultimately led to the development of syntheses of structurally related cross-conjugated systems including substituted dendralenes, tetravinylethylene, 1,1-divinylallene, and furan-containing analogues of the dendralenes. Cross-coupling reactions feature strongly in the syntheses of these compounds, and methods involving single- to multifold Stille, Kumada, and Negishi couplings are mainstays of this work. The even parity [n]dendralenes were shown to exhibit enhanced stability over the odd parity congeners, a result that can be attributed to conformational effects. π-Bond-rich branched hydrocarbons are demonstrated to have significant value in the rapid generation of structural complexity. Pericyclic processes are particularly useful in this regard, with the dendralenes and their relatives serving as multidienes, participating in diene-transmissive cycloaddition sequences, sometimes in combination with electrocyclizations, to generate fused and bridged multicyclic systems containing many new covalent bonds. The outcomes of exploratory investigations into pericyclic sequences involving dendralenes are presented, along with methods developed to control chemoselectivity, regioselectivity, and stereoselectivity. Distinct from their use in diene-transmissive sequences, the dendralenes also serve as multialkenes, for the direct synthesis of polyols and oligo-cyclopropanes. Finally, the deployment of π-bond-rich branched hydrocarbons in the shortest total synthesis of a pseudopterosin natural product is summarized, as a prelude to future prospects in the areas of hydrocarbon chemistry and target synthesis.

Demystifying the dendralenes

We present herein an overview of our ongoing studies with dendralenes. The first synthetic routes to this fundamental family of compounds have revealed long-hidden secrets in hydrocarbon chemistry and set the scene for synthetic and materials chemistry applications.